Review: Gripping Memoir About Overcoming Hardship and Believing in Yourself
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 22, 2013
"Everything Will Be All Right" is the story of one man's journey from crushing poverty in boyhood to success that he achieves against the odds. Douglas Wallace is born into a poor family, one of eight children, and while his mother is gentle and loving, his father is an abusive, abrasive alcoholic who drifts from job to job. The family moves from place to place, often barely surviving--the children have to work mopping floors and doing janitorial jobs at school to get lunch.However, early in his life, Douglas has a spiritual experience-- gentle voice telling him "Everything will be all right." It gives him an inner peace and confidence that he can break out of the cycle of poverty, and when a grade-school principle scoffs at Douglas for aspiring to be a lawyer, Douglas doesn't take that--or any future criticisms of his dreams--to heart.This is one of the rare inspirational novels that inspires without being preachy or saccharine--the author lays out the facts of his life and simply recounts how he overcame the odds, and his journey is at times heartbreaking. The author also vividly evokes life in the South--the gnats, the dirt, the embarrassment of poverty and both the pain and solace that family can bring; his imagery took me back into his childhood with him.This is a powerful story, it will resonate with readers who enjoy memoirs, stories about overcoming hardship, and Southern writers.