Angela's Ashes is Frank McCourt's moving memoir of growing up in the slums of Limerick, Ireland. It is one of my favorite books and I can tell you that there's not any book like it.

What began as a simple exercise for McCourt to document his life growing up in Limerick, Ireland, has become one of the highest selling books in the 20th century. "All I wanted was my own Library of Congress number," said McCourt when I interviewed him in August 1999.

Angela's Ashes has remained on the New York Times bestseller lists for the last two years and won Frank a Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1997.

Having just completed 'Tis, his long awaited sequel to Angela's Ashes, which was released on September 21st, Frank has already begun a hectic 20-city tour to promote the book, which Publishers Weekly has already proclaimed to be as good as Angela's Ashes.

Kirkus Reviews writes, "Those whose hearts went out to the little boy who suffered so in Limerick might be put off by the hard-drinking, carousing grownup. But there's no denying McCourt's engaging wit. Is it as rewarding as Angela's Ashes? `Tis."

'Tis is "a story of bewilderment, fear and timidity in America," according to Frank. It begins where Angela's Ashes left off when Frank returns to America at the age of 19 in 1949.

Noting that Irish-Americans often find themselves boxed in within their own ethnic communities even in such cosmopolitan cities like New York, Frank admits that two of the best things to have happened to him were getting into the US army, which "forced him into the American mainstream", and teaching, which "reinforced it."

'Tis follows him into his 30-year teaching career, and although he has been retired from teaching since 1987, Frank remains a staunch supporter of public education and teachers' rights.

Frank recently appeared on '60 Minutes' with Ed Bradley on September 19 to help launch 'Tis. The '60 Minutes' episode featured Frank back in Limerick, Ireland -- the setting for his bestselling memoir, Angela's Ashes.

These days, McCourt lives in New York with his wife, Elen Frey McCourt. He has been busy since last year promoting his latest book, 'Tis, as well as attending speaking engagements.

The movie adaptation of Angela's Ashes was also released last year, and is now available on video and DVD.