McCarthy's work of remembering and then fact-checking has had a profound impact on me.

This memoir truly altered my perspective on memory and rememory. The concept that one can vividly recall something that might not be true at all is indeed both terrifying and captivating.

McCarthy's exploration forces me to seriously consider the boundaries of memory. It makes me realize that our memories are not always reliable and that we may not always be aware of the "truth" hidden behind a particular memory.

We often assume that our memories are accurate representations of past events, but McCarthy's revelations challenge this assumption.

Her work serves as a reminder that we should approach our memories with a degree of skepticism and be open to the possibility that they may not be as they seem.

By doing so, we can gain a more nuanced understanding of our past and ourselves.

The title of this book truly baffles me.

As I delved into it, I quickly realized that the majority of the content has little to do with a Catholic upbringing.

This became evident right from the first chapter. However, I chose to persevere and keep reading.

The story is a heartbreaking one, as the author lost her parents at a young age and was left in the care of abysmal families.

Some of these families were Catholics in name only, not in action.

Adding to my dissatisfaction is the misleading title.

Despite this, I give the book 3 stars.

The reason for this is that after each chapter, the author dedicates several pages to explaining how she embellished her upbringing to make it more interesting.

This really bothered me, as I suspect it led to her misconstruing many people, especially those of faith.

Life is indeed hard, and people can be cruel.

I sincerely pray that her soul found God's mercy in the end.

She is truly one of those remarkable individuals that I would have done almost anything to get to know.

Her mental acuity is simply astonishing. She has the ability to quickly analyze and understand complex concepts, making her a force to be reckoned with in any intellectual discussion.

Moreover, her writing is of the highest order. It is eloquent, engaging, and filled with deep insights. Her words have the power to transport the reader to another world, to make them feel emotions they never thought possible.

Every time I read something she has written, I am left in awe of her talent. I can only imagine the wealth of knowledge and experience she must possess, and I long to have the opportunity to pick her brain and learn from her.

She is a shining example of what it means to be truly intelligent and creative, and I am inspired by her every day.

I read this as part of the three-book collection of Mary McCarthy's memoirs.

It might seem a rather strange choice for a 63-year-old male who is an ex-Catholic. However, I hold Mary McCarthy's work in high regard and was eager to gain her perspective on her Catholic upbringing.

Her experience, though so different from mine, still had genuine echoes that resonated with me. It awakened a plethora of memories within me and served as a reminder that, despite not being an atheist, I had made the correct decision in distancing myself from that particular religion.

This is a truly enjoyable book that would likely appeal to just about anyone. I had expected and indeed do see some parallels to another one of my all-time favorites, Annie Dillard's "A American Childhood".

It is recommended reading from someone who rarely takes the time to write anything in these review spaces.