I could not follow this story. It was difficult to tell if it was fiction or nonfiction. There was an overwhelming amount of information that I could not process quickly enough to stay engaged and interested.

I struggled to enjoy this book. I think poetry just isn't my style of literature, even if it is prose poetry. There were a number of quite interesting anecdotes included, especially the one about the robber who left his full name behind. I was also impressed with the hard work and honesty of the Murphy family. However, the frequent repetition of information got to be too much for me.
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

Our Immigrants’ Son is a story of the Murphy family. It begins in 1845 with the immigration of Patrick and Mary from Ireland to the U.S., and it proceeds to interweave historical facts with events in the lives of various family members.
The book is touted as poetry - it's actually prose. It also includes a significant amount of historical facts along with fictional license that assumes facts about the family's activity, thoughts and feelings. It also doesn't go in order. The first chapter starts with the immigration, and the author revisits and expounds on that story later in the book.
I appreciated all the pictures and documentation that made the characters come to life.
The author did get a bit preachy in parts and tells readers they "should" do certain things. I don't prefer lectures in my reading.
At the end of the book, the author offers insights into how readers can write their family story. Here, he includes helpful advice and information.
Overall, I round this book from 2.5 to 3 stars. It was just "okay" and not outstanding for me.

Our Immigrant's Son by John Francis Patrick is a detailed and well-documented family history of his family. There are both stories and assumptions bringing together a life well lived. It was touching and real and reflective of a tremendous amount of work and the fortitude to write the book. It is interesting, although not as interesting as a member of the family would find it. It is terrific non-fiction history written from a personal point of view.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Our Immigrant's Son by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #ourimmigrantsson