Giving Up Stealing ... for Lent!

by Charles Madden

56 years of marriage and 11 children! The Maddens of Baltimore will surprise you, comfort you, make you laugh until you cry, and make you cry until you laugh again! From games of “pitch” to petty... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 0975854291
• ISBN13: 9780975854297
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Requiem Press
• Length: 111 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Simple home spun stories

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (5/06) The youngest of eleven children Charles Madden has recorded family stories handed down through the years. Some happened even before his birth. Other incidents are from his early childhood, his teens, and later years. His parents lived out a genuine faith in God. The love demonstrated toward each other throughout their lifetime is another precious heritage they left their family. These themes are carried throughout the numerous antidotes and memories Brother Charles shared in his narrative. Two examples of this love are included in a postscript to the recorded stories. At his brother John's wedding as his parents were being escorted down the aisle before Mass, someone commented, "Look, that's the groom's parents; they've been married thirty-five years and they're still holding hands." After the death of his father his mother in her first moments of grief said, "Fifty-six years and it's over already...fifty-six years and it's over already..." The stories are not in any chronological order but tend to move from one topic to another as a new memory along the same subject matter came to mind. Brother Charles often reveals his tongue in cheek humor as he delivers a punch line or surprise ending to one of his tales. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends all play a part in the memoirs of this very real family. Madden has captured a view into the virtues and vices, the joys and grief experienced in his family. He expressed it this way: "The family is the first school of love. Although these delightful vignettes were written for the author's family, the book will be enjoyed by every Catholic parishioner, especially those in the city of Baltimore. The stories also have a more universal appeal. I highly recommend the book to the many readers who have come from larger families, or have experienced the benefit of incorporating extended family into their everyday lives. This is a delightful enjoyable book.