Memories of a Catholic Girlhood

            
             Memories of a Catholic Girlhood is a novel depicting the accounts of author Mary McCarthy's real life stories, to the best of her recollection. The tale opens with a lengthy introduction to the reader that states, although all of the main concepts and events are real, the exact conversations and exchange of words may be slightly embellished. She states that she relied much on her own memory, and partly on the vague contradictory testimonies of aunts and uncles. .
             McCarthy was born in Seattle in 1912. She was the oldest of four children, and was born to Mary Preston and Roy McCarthy. Up until 1918 Mary McCarthy lived a truly indulgent and idyllic childhood. Her father's parents were wealthy and lived in Minneapolis, while her mother's parents were also wealthy and lived in Seattle. Her parent's marriage was opposed from the beginning; Roy's family were devout Catholics and her mother's were Protestants. There was also the condition of her father's heart, it was said to be damaged during highschool football and the doctor said he could die at any moment. Nevertheless, the two were very much in love and despite all opposition they were married.
             McCarthy has very fond memories of these years spent with her parents. Neither of her parents brought in an income of their own, yet they each received healthy, monthly allowances from each of their parents. However, her father was a recklessly extravagant man constantly showering the family with gifts and fancy foods. His parents eventually grew tired of his constant requests for money, so they made a fateful decision and sent his brother Harry to bring the family back to Minneapolis where they could keep a better watch of his finances. It was 1918 during the horrible influenza epidemic. On the train ride McCarthy remembers everyone being sick. They boarded the train on October 30 and a week later her mother died in Minneapolis, her father passed away the following day.