Seraphine: A Provincetown Story

by Julianne Papetsas

Seraphine is an ordinary Portuguese fisherman who finds himself a part of many extraordinary events. He and his family live in "The Town at the End of the World" where they experience the modest life of a seafaring family. But the idyllic simplicity of Depression-era Provincetown is shaken by the Second World War and the transition of the quiet fishing village to a bustling resort town. As Seraphine struggles with his sense of belonging in an ever-changing town, he experiences inexplicable events and fulfills heroic feats that prove nothing less than the strength of the human spirit. Seraphine is a novel that explores and condenses Provincetown history and lore into the framework of one family and their evolving life in the early part of the 20th century. It is full of playful humor, biblical allusion, local color, and immigrant sagas. Best yet, it is illustrated by the author with twenty-five black and white charcoal drawings that further capture the nostalgia of the tale.

436 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2011

Reviews

[Paddy K · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's a long book. some very good imagery, artistically written. It is composed of two books, the first mostly giving background stories of the main family, like Lost. The second, more of a continuous storyline. I may have liked it better if I grew up in Provincetown since the book references the town's lore often and I had no basis for why the characters were doing what they were doing in the first book.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book to learn about the history of Provincetown. The author truly has a love for her hometown, and brings this to life. the characters each had their charm and added to this delightful story, worth a read if you want to learn about Provincetown history.