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Leaving Pico
After his Pico mother leaves her Portugese immigrant community of Provincetown, Massachusetts, with a Lisbon man, her son Joachim finds comfort in his grandfather's stories about their ancestor, Carvalho the Navigator.
224 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 11, 2014
Literary fiction
1950's Provincetown MA. Locals v. summer people. Picos v. Lisbons. A narrative story told from the POV of a pre-teen - Joachim, but in very flowery adult language. Joachim lives in an extended family household. Un-married mother. Alcoholic, storytelling grandfather from Pico, great aunt from Pico who married an Irishman named Paddy - well at least he's Catholic like the rest. The old Portuguese traditions are revered and lots of incense, saint worshipping and praying goes on in the conflicted household. Especially when Joachim's mother takes up with Carmine a Lisbon. And warring goes on over the fence with a neighbor who is a Lisbon. Picos stay with their own!
This is also a coming of age story as Joachim learns about the birds-and-the-bees and is brought into the fold of manhood by his grandfather and taken to a men's drinking hang-out to hear THE stories....and see roughness first hand on the docks between men. Joachim also experiences the LOSS of his mother as she runs off with Carmine and the mysterious death of his grandfather. **But not all is lost.
1950's Provincetown MA. Locals v. summer people. Picos v. Lisbons. A narrative story told from the POV of a pre-teen - Joachim, but in very flowery adult language. Joachim lives in an extended family household. Un-married mother. Alcoholic, storytelling grandfather from Pico, great aunt from Pico who married an Irishman named Paddy - well at least he's Catholic like the rest. The old Portuguese traditions are revered and lots of incense, saint worshipping and praying goes on in the conflicted household. Especially when Joachim's mother takes up with Carmine a Lisbon. And warring goes on over the fence with a neighbor who is a Lisbon. Picos stay with their own!
This is also a coming of age story as Joachim learns about the birds-and-the-bees and is brought into the fold of manhood by his grandfather and taken to a men's drinking hang-out to hear THE stories....and see roughness first hand on the docks between men. Joachim also experiences the LOSS of his mother as she runs off with Carmine and the mysterious death of his grandfather. **But not all is lost.
October 18, 2016
I read it because I will read anything about Provincetown, but I loved it because it is such a beautiful story about a boy and his family (mainly his relationship with his grandfather).
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews