Things You Get for Free
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
Things You Get for Free is a travelogue rich with charm and wisdom and sparkling with its author's singular wit. As a priest, Michael McGirr decides to take his charming and inimitable mum on the honeymoon she and her late husband never got around to having. He uses his six-week vacation to take her on a tour of Europe. Between meditating on their hilarious and illuminating travels and on the historical figures who dot their voyage -- everyone from Hemingway to Michelangelo to the quietly heroic people who inspire Michael's special brand of faith -- McGirr plunges deep into his family history, unearthing sickness and instability but also moments of great love and perseverance. Things You Get for Free is a deeply moving spiritual and intellectual journey, proving the truth behind a mother's favorite saying: "I know more than you think I do."
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0802140009
ISBN13:9780802140005
Release Date:March 2003
Publisher:Grove Press
Length:304 Pages
Weight:0.76 lbs.
Dimensions:0.8" x 5.5" x 8.4"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
Things you get from reading...
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
I had seen this book on the library shelf for about a year before I finally checked it out. What a marvelous book! I immediately recommended it to all my friends, and those who did read it, thanked me. Of course, I now own my very own copy. While Mr. McGirr possesses a keen sense of humor, especially about himself, he also writes very warmly. The story of his travels with his widowed mother is told with flashbacks to his family life and and his journey as a Jesuit. He describes what first drew him to the order. Over the course of the book it becomes very obvious that he is at odds with his vocation as a Jesuit. And, during the journey with his mother, he has spiritual experiences in places unconnected with the Church, and is often times left cold in places where one would imagine to find inspiration. The humanity of it all!! Thank you, Mr. McGirr for this wonderful book.
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
