Once Upon a Time in West Toronto

by Terri Favro

A gritty tragi-comic fairy tale of sexual obsession and longing, based in equal parts on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone, Once Upon A Time In West Toronto is the story of outsiders reinventing themselves in Toronto's immigrant neighbourhoods from the 1970s to the present. It follows the adventures of Ida, an Italian proxy bride who came to Canada married a man she’d never met,, only to run off with his son; her lover, the brilliant ditch digger, Marcello; Bum Bum, a virtuous thief; and various hustlers, forgers and whores. A companion book to Terri Favro's award-winning novella, The Proxy Bride, the book uses historical events in Italy and Canada to create a fast-paced and entertaining read that is both heartrending and hilarious.

“A sinewy and sensuous modern tale complete with compelling characters—a few bad guys and several lost souls—a wonderful addition to the stories about Italian Canadians and the trials of immigration. Favro puts her writing gifts to great use here, holding up a mirror to the troublesome past and shining a light on the difficult truths with sharply skilled prose.”

—Eufemia Fantetti, author of A Recipe For Disaster & Other Unlikely Tales of Love

“In Once Upon a Time in West Toronto, Terri Favro deftly weaves together multiple spellbinding narratives over the span of six decades, expertly covering the full spectrum of human experience from love and revenge, to loyalty, honour and forgiveness. Set during Toronto’s coming of age – against the political backdrop of the rise of feminism and the immigrant experience – Once Upon a Time in West Toronto is a novel filled with wry humour, unflinching honesty and unforgettable characters. Terri Favro is a wonderful story teller who knows how to wring every last drop of emotion from each sentence. Filled with action and suspense, as well as heartbreak and insight, this novel is a page-turning delight.”

—Bianca Marais, author of Hum If You Don’t Know The Words

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy

248 pages, Paperback

Published October 5, 2017

About the author

Growing up in an immigrant neighbourhood in Canada's Niagara region, Terri Favro was always told that "if there's a nuclear war, we'll be the first to go", due to the proximity of the Niagara hydroelectric station. Her earliest influences were superhero comics, Warner Brothers cartoons, robots, MAD magazine, Narnia, Middle Earth, her Nonno’s deliciously violent Italian fairytales and the Atomic Bomb. Her life’s ambition was to write satirical comics while living under a lunar geodesic dome.

Not much has changed. Terri is now the author of three novels, a pop-science book about robots, and comic books she creates with her visual artist husband. She’s fond of red wine, cycling, cats, Sinatra standards from the ‘50s and her sons.

Although the lunar dome thing didn’t pan out, Terri enjoys stargazing in east end Toronto whilst sipping a wet dirty martini. Or two.

Terri is currently completing edits to "The Sisters Sputnik", the sequel to her critically acclaimed speculative fiction novel "Sputnik's Children" (ECW ) which was longlisted for 2020 CBC Canada Reads and chosen as one of the Globe & Mail's 100 Best Books of 2017, CBC Books Top 10 Canadian Fiction Books of 2017, and Quill & Quire Best Books of 2017.

Reviews

[Lisa Nikolits · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utterly captivating and beautiful book. Ida, Marcello and Bum Bum's lives overlap, interconnect and tangle in a way that will have you exclaiming in delight and weeping in sorrow. Few writers capture the complex Catholic experience as masterfully as Terri Favro who paints a poignant picture of the complicated clash of religion and love. Mapping lives from 1969 to 2013, the story brings to life the women's rights movement of the '70's and the pain brought about by the AIDS in the 80's. The story is also a love story to Toronto's West End, and it is so wonderfully written that you can taste the Asagio cheese and smell the freshly ground espressos. Favro's writing is also so touching and funny that you will find yourself smiling at the originality of simile perfection and graceful metaphor. This book is like the perfect snow globe of so many lives; lives we have lived, lives we are living, or might have lived. Tragedy meets the redemption of the human spirit and, as we move from Venice to Shipman's Corner, from love to loss and back to love, we realize that, with all its ugliness and hardship, the world truly is a beautiful and mysterious place.

[Carole Giangrande · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a smart and engaging read - a humorous and affectionate take on the Italian neighbourhoods of West Toronto and the colourful characters that brought them to life. The storytelling is fun and fast-paced and was, for me, a great airport traveling companion. Stuff it in your backpack for your next big trip; the witty writing and plot make the pages turn by themselves.

[Jim Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely give 5 stars, but this novel has it all: a well thought out story, characters both good and evil (and some in between), humour, pathos, etc. And it takes place in Toronto and Italy. Che bella!
Part opera buffa and part opera seria, Once Upon a Time in West Toronto contains smiles and sadness, triumphs and tragedies as Ms Favro's heroes (flawed, but very likeable) carve out a life in Toronto in the simpler times of the 1970's. A five-star effort and a recommended read.

[Heather Babcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

...and what a time it was! Favro's novel has it all: action, sex, love, tragedy, miracles and most of all extremely well written, sympathetic and engaging characters! I love reading books that are based in my home town of Toronto and this one really intrigued me as it takes place in the mid-1970s, just before I was born and just as the CN Tower was being erected; the now long gone Seahorse Inn, a place of almost mystical lore, figures prominently in the novel's early scenes. In "Once Upon a Time in West Toronto", Favro writes honestly and refreshingly about the daily lives and struggle of the working poor:

"They hardly ever turn out the lights, even at night, because when they do, the other residents, the roaches, swarm out in numbers big enough to fill a football stadium (or at least Benny imagines them that way, like the cartoon bugs in a Raid commercial, filling the grandstands with tiny flags waving)." - (page 79)

1930s writer Mike Gold once said that in order to write honestly about poverty, one must write about bedbugs. I think he would agree though that cockroaches are a fine substitute.

The characters in Favro's book, especially Benny, the runaway hustler with a heart of gold, are so relate able and so vividly written that by the book's end they feel like family.

If you're looking for a read that is equal parts gritty, heart-tugging, sensual and exciting then you will want to spend some time with "Once Upon a Time In West Toronto". Highly recommended.

[Chris Kuriata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd been introduced to the characters of Marcello and Ida in Favro's previous novella THE PROXY BRIDE, which left me disappointed at the ending because I wanted more time with these characters. I was delighted to have their story continue in this novel, although given the events they endure, reading it was a "be careful what you wish for" moment.

I admire the neatness of Favro's prose style in this book. It isn't sparse, she fills the page with details, both the exterior of the setting and the interior of the characters, that immerses me in the moment, creating the sensation and mood and even temperature of these specific motel rooms and late night car rides, and one particular trip of doom.

[Teresa Gaito · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Once Upon a Time in West Toronto" is a brilliant read! To be able to follow mysterious Ida, traditional Marcello, fumbling Bum Bum, with all of their imperfections and genuine natures was an exciting journey. I praise the descriptives, metaphors, twists and turns, and sentimental flashbacks to Toronto's businesses, politics, fashion, music, TV shows and immigration scene, through the years. A relatively short but intense read, packed with mystery and intrigue, life and death, various shades of the Roman Catholic Church, and love and hate. I can only hope that new characters like Sophie and Lily spark more stories.
Bravo Terri Favro!

[KTMac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on the description, I expected an Orpheus and Eurydice retelling, set in 1970s Toronto and toned/flavored as a western. This book is not that, being altogether more orignal. Favro instead takes up the themes of sex and death, love and grief, belonging and outlaws, to offer an intergenerational immigrant tale. The book is well-paced, well-written, thoughtfully conceptualized and richly peopled. A quick and rewarding read, but not, by my reading, an entry into the collection of Orpheus and Eurydice retellings.

[Hannah Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing, suspenseful novel this is! The powerful draw of desire for sex, for respect, for a chance is here with the main characters, and one scene with a young woman and a shady renovator who has put the woman's husband in danger will make you cheer.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. As to be expected from the title, it's a little melodramatic, but deeply entertaining. It seems to capture a moment in time perfectly. Looking forward to finding more work by this author.

[Chris Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story mainly set in Little Italy back in the 1970s.