Falls Memories: A Belfast Life

The historical information in this book is fascinating. I loved the style of writing. I would recommend this book to any one interested in Irish history.

Falls Memories is really more of a collection of short pieces on life in the Western corner of Belfast than a novel or history with any coehsive theme. It is literally things Gerry Adams, President of the political party Sinn Fein, remembers about the neighborhood in which he grew up, or memories of those who lived in the area. There is some attempt to give a brief history and political context for the memories, but these sections are poorly integrated into the narratives about his boyhood adventures, the characters in the area, and the traditions of the Falls. The context pieces sound driven (perhaps appropriately) by anger and frustration while the narratives, even when describing violence or sectarian harassment, have a softer feel to them. Falls Memories is a valuable book, despite these shortcomings. First of all, it chronicles life in an area that has literally been obliterated in the last 25 years. As the Northern Ireland government has torn down unfit housing and replaced it with more sanitary and comfortable abodes they have erased many streets from the map, replacing them with new layouts which meet new security standards and are less emotionally charged with history. Secondly, much of the book deals with day to day occurances which might happen anywhere in the world - young boys sneaking into movies, girls playing jump rope, adults telling stories abuot the "good old days." Falls Memories serves as a reminder that the people affected by the Troubles are not so much different than the rest of us.