In his memoir, All Souls, Michael Patrick MacDonaldbrings readers to the poverty-stricken Old Colony Projects in the Irish-Catholicneighborhood of South Boston, where drugs, violence and death dominate thelandscape. Young MacDonald had a hard life. His mother, a fiery woman, cared forten kids. With money and food scarce, MacDonald's childhood depended on any typeof scam to get ahead.

Over the years, Southie got worse. Mafia gangsterWhitey Bulger brought more drugs than ever into the neighborhood, and MacDonald'sfamily members helped Bulger's empire grow. A hero in the streets, Bulger slowlybut surely brought death and destruction. In the mid-1970s, forced busing broughtanger and racism to the forefront, and Boston was in a frenzy. Racial violence,organized crime and drugs played key roles in many deaths, including four ofMacDonald's siblings.

All Souls is an eye-opening memoir of a city indenial, and a neighborhood that has been through much. MacDonald got out, and ismaking a positive difference. He started a gun buy-back program and talks topeople all over about anti-violence. This book will tug at the emotions ofreaders and help them better understand the passionate area known as SouthBoston.