Thursday, April 14, 2011

MY FATHER'S FORTUNE : A LIFE
by Michael Frayn

Tom Frayn was an ordinary man who lived his life extraordinarily. He grew up in a house consisting of two rooms with six other people all of whom were extremely deaf in North London. Tom left school at the age of fourteen and became an asbestos salesman. Everyone liked him. He was smart, quick on his feet, used very interesting vocabulary and had an enchanting smile.
In a few years, he is married and then a son and a daughter are born. By the time he is middle-aged, he has lost his hearing.
Tom pulled himself out of poverty and became a self-made man. He was not much for emotions and kept his feelings to himself. Through all of his trials and tribulations, he never once complained.
My Father's Fortune is a beautiful tribute to a humble, hardworking man who never asked for much and always made do with what he had. It's both funny and sad and the writing is terrific.
Highly recommended.