Blais, Madeleine. Uphill walkers; portrait of a family.

Grove Press, dist. by Publishers Group West. 264p. c2001.0-8021-3892-6. $13.00. SA

Blais paints a vivid picture of being raised in an Irish/Catholic family in this autobiography. As she tells it, her childhood of poverty, plus the unexpected death of her father, created a strong sense of determination in the whole family. They were, in a phrase, walking up hills, overcoming obstacles and becoming stronger for it. As the oldest of six children, Blais had to assume extra responsibilities in caring for the younger ones. And although she found herself naturally resenting her siblings at times, there is always a great sense of pride and love that comes through.

Her brother Raymond spent much of his adult life in and out of mental institutions. In the '70s there were not the medications or insights into his disease, which took form as manic episodes. The whole family pitched in to make sure that Raymond received the best care they could afford. There was an overlaying sense of tenderness when they dealt with his problems. Not long before his death Blais writes: " ... we all had to fight not to see him as just a series of ailments and diseases: he was manic-depressive, he was an adult-onset diabetic, a self-medicating alcoholic, a cancer patient, and a dental nightmare." The tragedy and strain of this kind of illness made a deep and lasting impression on all of them.

Her mother was the strong constant for the family. It is through her--despite her obvious feelings of being overwhelmed at times--that the children were able to develop their strong sense of individuality, Their mother often found solace in her books: "Our mother's hankering for a life of the mind was honorable and heartfelt. It took the form of incessant reading ... " Her love of the mind and learning (she was a teacher) was instilled early on into her children. Blais is a writer of direct but poetical prose. She describes her mother's Catholic philosophy in these words: " ... everywhere she looked she found evidence of ineffable sadness, the mateless mitten discovered after the winter thaw, the sight of baby grass stirring in a spring breeze, the sound of a child scratching away at a violin, the hum of the wind in an empty parking lot."

This is often a funny story of how siblings grow up. But more than anything it is an insight into the lives of everyday people and how they survive what life gives them. Sally M. Tibbetts, LRC, Maine Township H.S., Des Plaines, IL