Life Is So Good - Richard Glaubman

Life is so good- Oral

Author- George Dawson and Richard Glaubman

Good Afternoon Ms. McCafferty, I made this appointment because I passionately believe that the book, Life is so good written by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman should be on the Carey booklist for Year 9 students. Life is so good is a magnificent part biography, part autobiography of a 103 year old black man named George Dawson who went to school to learn to read and write when he was 98 years old.

George Dawson may be 103 but he can still walk without a cane and can remember his life with an uncanny ability. That is why there is so much detail in this book. Life is so good tells of his hard life from when he was only 6 years old and living on a farm in the outer region of a town called Marshall in Southern Texas. In an early chapter there's a scene where a young black man called Pete is hung for rape without a trial, when he didn't even go near the girl. This is an example of how the black men in America were treated back then.

As the story progresses the reader is told that George has to work the fields because he's the oldest, while his younger brothers and sisters get to go to school and learn to read and write. George lives a life of working very hard and getting paid very little but his motto is:

"Life is so good. I do believe it's getting better."

When George turns 18 he feels as though he has explore the land, so he simply packs up and leaves, without a clue of where he's heading. After a train ride or two he ends up in Mexico where he is all confused because whites and blacks are eating and talking together, and catching the same buses and trains together as well. After living and dealing with segregation all his life this is something completely different for him and he struggles to adjust to the new style of life.

As the story nears the end the past catches up with the present and it goes on to describe George's dedicated student lifestyle. He writes: "Every morning I get up and I wonder what I might learn that day. You just never know." George also reflects on the attitude of people these days: "People worry too much. Life is good, just the way it is."

In summary I think this book would be a great book to