What do you think?
Rate this book
Last Stop on the 6
Angela Campanosi fled her home in the Italian-American enclave of Pelham Bay, the Bronx, after an accident left her brother, Jimmy, an up-and-coming actor, paralyzed. Now, ten years later, on the eve of Jimmy’s wedding, anti-war activist Angela returns home from LA to grapple with the guilt, secrets, and idiosyncrasies that make family, family. What could possibly go wrong?
357 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 9, 2021
12 people are currently reading
1346 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Dunn
3 books79 followersPATRICIA DUNN (AKA T.M. Dunn) is the author of the novel, "Last Stop on the 6" (Bordighera Press, Nov. 9, 2021) and the young adult novel, "Rebels by Accident" (Sourcebooks Fire, Dec. 2014). Her debut psychological thriller, use the "Her Father's Daughter/T.M Dunn" is coming out with Crooked Lane Books, on July 18, 2023.
Her writing has appeared in Salon, The Village Voice, The Nation, LA Weekly, and The Christian Science Monitor. She has also been published in the New York Times best-selling anthology, Love, InshAllah: The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women (Soft Skull); and elsewhere. Dunn has served as the senior director of the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, where she holds an MFA in creative writing. She is the co-founder of The Publish and Promote Your Book Conference, and The Joe Papaleo Writers Workshop in Cetara, Italy. She is also one of the founding members of keytothecastleworkshop.com, which takes writers and artists to the Amalfi coast for a week-long generative story telling experience.
Patricia, raised in the Bronx, travels the world, writing, and teaching, or is at home in Stamford, CT with her family, 26 plants, and Blanqui--the rescue dog that rescued her.
For more information on Patricia, or to sign up for her newsletter, please go to her website: TMDUNNAUTHOR.COM
Her writing has appeared in Salon, The Village Voice, The Nation, LA Weekly, and The Christian Science Monitor. She has also been published in the New York Times best-selling anthology, Love, InshAllah: The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women (Soft Skull); and elsewhere. Dunn has served as the senior director of the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, where she holds an MFA in creative writing. She is the co-founder of The Publish and Promote Your Book Conference, and The Joe Papaleo Writers Workshop in Cetara, Italy. She is also one of the founding members of keytothecastleworkshop.com, which takes writers and artists to the Amalfi coast for a week-long generative story telling experience.
Patricia, raised in the Bronx, travels the world, writing, and teaching, or is at home in Stamford, CT with her family, 26 plants, and Blanqui--the rescue dog that rescued her.
For more information on Patricia, or to sign up for her newsletter, please go to her website: TMDUNNAUTHOR.COM
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
April 7, 2022
Angela Campanosi fled her home in Pelham Bay, the Bronx, 10 years previously after an accident left her brother, Jimmy, paralyzed and she now lives in Venice Beach, Ca. Her mother (or "Mommy" as Angela refers to her) sends her a plane ticket to return to Pelham Bay for Jimmy's wedding. Things in the Marchesi-Campanosi-Petrolli household are totally chaotic and the members of this extended family are very unique.
This book takes place in the early 2000s and was a really good book, well written with believable characters. Kinda like the Brennans only with an Italian-American flair and a lot more dysfunction. There are some laugh-out-loud moments and still others that will tug at your heartstrings. For those of you (like me) who don't know, the title refers to Pelham Bay being the first or the last stop on the number 6 subway line between Pelham Bay and Manhattan, depending on your direction of travel. The book is a fairly fast read and covers many issues including opposition to the Iraq war, drug addiction, rape and alcoholism but mostly it's about family and love. There was some repetition of Angela's belief that Jimmy should not be getting married which annoyed me after a while but that's a minor quibble. I would rate this book a 3.5, rounded up to 4 in deference to the author who spent 20 years writing this book.
Although I personally wasn't offended by it, there are a lot of f-bombs in the book!
Thanks to Bordighera Press via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
This book takes place in the early 2000s and was a really good book, well written with believable characters. Kinda like the Brennans only with an Italian-American flair and a lot more dysfunction. There are some laugh-out-loud moments and still others that will tug at your heartstrings. For those of you (like me) who don't know, the title refers to Pelham Bay being the first or the last stop on the number 6 subway line between Pelham Bay and Manhattan, depending on your direction of travel. The book is a fairly fast read and covers many issues including opposition to the Iraq war, drug addiction, rape and alcoholism but mostly it's about family and love. There was some repetition of Angela's belief that Jimmy should not be getting married which annoyed me after a while but that's a minor quibble. I would rate this book a 3.5, rounded up to 4 in deference to the author who spent 20 years writing this book.
Although I personally wasn't offended by it, there are a lot of f-bombs in the book!
Thanks to Bordighera Press via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 28, 2021
This book is one of the few books I've read this year that is going on my 'comfort book' shelf. These are the books that I periodically pull out to read to give myself a lift or soothe myself. This was also a quick read, one that you could probably do in a day or less. As an added bonus, if you have Kindle Unlimited it will be a book that you can read under the Unlimited rules.
This book is filled with what some may feel is inappropriate language. It is set against the backdrop of the start of the Gulf War. This book also deals with some very serious issues that may be hot buttons for some. Drug addiction, rape, and alcoholism, to name a few.
I loved this book tremendously! I don't know if this is because of my Italian heritage; well, Italian Hungarian (almost the same thing family-wise!!!)
This is a growth story, a story about what happens when we run away from our troubles and what happens when we lie and/or assume too much.
This story was funny, sad, exciting, and frustrating but primarily amusing. At least it was funny if you know anything about this type of Italian enclave.
I could visualize these characters without the author getting overly wordy. I could smell the gravy bubbling on the stove without a lot of descriptive terminologies. Instead, the author writes with a conciseness that I very much appreciate and love.
This is one of the best books I have read lately, and my kudos go out to the author.
*ARC was supplied by the publisher Bordighera Press, the author, and NetGalley.
This book is filled with what some may feel is inappropriate language. It is set against the backdrop of the start of the Gulf War. This book also deals with some very serious issues that may be hot buttons for some. Drug addiction, rape, and alcoholism, to name a few.
I loved this book tremendously! I don't know if this is because of my Italian heritage; well, Italian Hungarian (almost the same thing family-wise!!!)
This is a growth story, a story about what happens when we run away from our troubles and what happens when we lie and/or assume too much.
This story was funny, sad, exciting, and frustrating but primarily amusing. At least it was funny if you know anything about this type of Italian enclave.
I could visualize these characters without the author getting overly wordy. I could smell the gravy bubbling on the stove without a lot of descriptive terminologies. Instead, the author writes with a conciseness that I very much appreciate and love.
This is one of the best books I have read lately, and my kudos go out to the author.
*ARC was supplied by the publisher Bordighera Press, the author, and NetGalley.
November 19, 2021
“Can you ever really go home again?”
Okay, confession time first!
From the very first page, this storyline reminded me so much of one so very similar, written by an author who hailed originally from New Jersey (not a million miles away from The Bronx), and which I was fortunate enough to review some years ago. That book, was by the author’s own admission, part fiction, part autobiography and part self-actualization, so I made some rather rash assumptions and spent copious amounts of time trawling Patricia’s website and any interviews she had given, for any inkling that Last Stop On The 6 might be in any way personal to her.
Oh! How I wish I had read the very, very last page of my download first, as the question which had been hanging in the air from the moment I read the first words of the story, would have been answered right away and I could have stopped torturing myself, wondering how I could objectively do true justice to any review of quite so personal a story.
From the very first sentence, this story hit the ground running and the adrenalin fuelled levels of angst and ‘what the f***’ ( that word is used quite copiously throughout, but always in keeping with the usual language and behaviour of the characters and never gratuitously) action never let up until the ‘fat lady had finished singing’, or in this case, until the wedding of the year had been successfully conducted, and for once the lights went out on a peaceful scene of domesticity – but I suspect only until the next time, which I’m sure won’t be too far away!
I laughed ’til I cried. Then cried ’til I laughed, and all the emotions in between, sometimes without ever really knowing why, but possibly just because my senses were on such overload and so flooded with the narrative and dialogue surrounding this surely one-of-a-kind, original, quirky and very dysfunctional family and their day-to-day comedy of errors, called life. Their troubles are heartfelt, and take on serious fundamental issues, but at the same time they don’t seem to take themselves too seriously, it really is all just so much ‘noise’ and posturing. Although I think that just about every family has a tale to tell, or maybe more than one, which resonates with at least some of the multitudinous issues which Angela, her family unit and circle of close friends have to deal with, to have this many catastrophes all come together, in a pressure cooker environment which always sounds fit to explode at any moment, really does just beggar belief and had me suspending all sense of reality in the situation, whilst unable to stop reading and not being able to turn the pages fast enough, to see what happened next! It seemed as though just about every one of the Ten Commandments and the Seven Deadly Sins were all broken at the same time, in a vast kaleidoscopic image of fractured pieces! A terrible life-changing event from the past, threatens the potential for a brighter future, unless Angela can come to terms with the fact that she has the power to shape and change her own destiny, rather than follow the deprecating path of self-doubt and guilt she has set for herself, especially when she learns that her brother Jimmy, the subject of her guilty conscience, has a flipping huge secret of his own. Given Angela’s random thought processes and knee-jerk actions, when she knows the truth, whether Jimmy will live long enough to make it to the altar, is anybody’s guess!
This was a multi-layered, highly textured and tactile, intense storyline, which despite its seemingly haphazard construction, was in fact thoughtfully and seamlessly structured, fluid, fluent and beautifully rich in atmosphere. At times sad and poignant, it asks the question, “do we ever really leave home, yet can we ever truly go back?” I was totally immersed in the day-to-day life of the characters, invited into their world like a long lost friend, as the visuality and depth engendered by the author’s words brought them to life and lifted them from the pages. Wonderfully quick-witted, penetrating, unconventional and unique, replete with numerous observational, descriptive and anecdotal everyday incidents, this was real-life storytelling at its very best, told with consummate ease and authority, but always from the heart.
The package however, would be nothing without its cast of disparate, colourful and highly emotionally charged, larger-than-life characters, who each have an important and pivotal role to play in the eventual end game. Each is well drawn and defined, complex and volatile, raw and passionate and are not quite always reliable witnesses with a good code of ethics. However they are also addictive and amusing, vulnerable and searching for a sense of belonging, have a great dynamism and synergy between them and are generally genuine and believable behind that bluff exterior. The constant sniping and feuding is like an unconscious normality for them, they just can’t help themselves, so used to it have they become. But deep down, although they have often been beaten by the injustices of life and circumstance, they still have the one quality which Angela is about to discover conquers all – Love!
I look at the svelte image of author Patricia Dunn and have to assure her, that I’m sure I am not alone when I admit that we women of a certain age and expanded girth, like Mommy, still keep a small handful of those ‘slutty’, slinky size 6 & 8 little numbers, tucked right at the back of our wardrobes, as a reminder of way back when and what might be again when we shed the excess stones and can get back into them!! Okay! I will admit that the Dallas, Dynasty style shoulder pads, which did come back into fashion again briefly a couple of seasons ago, were finally consigned to the vintage online shop of my local hospice charity and I now have the balls to admit that the chances of me ever seeing size 6 again, is a pie-in-the-sky fantasy dream, but along with Mommy, I still covet those one or two items, for old-times sake!
Whilst my own, and possibly not too many of my fellow readers’ own personal experiences, could quite mirror or live up to the extremes of life in the Marchesi – Campanosi – Petrolli household, this book definitely took me on a totally unique and individual rollercoaster journey, which left me feeling a little battered, bruised and slightly queasy. So I recommend you read this one for yourself and see where your journey leads you!
To check out the full post, including all those tantalising extracts and meet the author facts, visit...
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
Okay, confession time first!
From the very first page, this storyline reminded me so much of one so very similar, written by an author who hailed originally from New Jersey (not a million miles away from The Bronx), and which I was fortunate enough to review some years ago. That book, was by the author’s own admission, part fiction, part autobiography and part self-actualization, so I made some rather rash assumptions and spent copious amounts of time trawling Patricia’s website and any interviews she had given, for any inkling that Last Stop On The 6 might be in any way personal to her.
Oh! How I wish I had read the very, very last page of my download first, as the question which had been hanging in the air from the moment I read the first words of the story, would have been answered right away and I could have stopped torturing myself, wondering how I could objectively do true justice to any review of quite so personal a story.
From the very first sentence, this story hit the ground running and the adrenalin fuelled levels of angst and ‘what the f***’ ( that word is used quite copiously throughout, but always in keeping with the usual language and behaviour of the characters and never gratuitously) action never let up until the ‘fat lady had finished singing’, or in this case, until the wedding of the year had been successfully conducted, and for once the lights went out on a peaceful scene of domesticity – but I suspect only until the next time, which I’m sure won’t be too far away!
I laughed ’til I cried. Then cried ’til I laughed, and all the emotions in between, sometimes without ever really knowing why, but possibly just because my senses were on such overload and so flooded with the narrative and dialogue surrounding this surely one-of-a-kind, original, quirky and very dysfunctional family and their day-to-day comedy of errors, called life. Their troubles are heartfelt, and take on serious fundamental issues, but at the same time they don’t seem to take themselves too seriously, it really is all just so much ‘noise’ and posturing. Although I think that just about every family has a tale to tell, or maybe more than one, which resonates with at least some of the multitudinous issues which Angela, her family unit and circle of close friends have to deal with, to have this many catastrophes all come together, in a pressure cooker environment which always sounds fit to explode at any moment, really does just beggar belief and had me suspending all sense of reality in the situation, whilst unable to stop reading and not being able to turn the pages fast enough, to see what happened next! It seemed as though just about every one of the Ten Commandments and the Seven Deadly Sins were all broken at the same time, in a vast kaleidoscopic image of fractured pieces! A terrible life-changing event from the past, threatens the potential for a brighter future, unless Angela can come to terms with the fact that she has the power to shape and change her own destiny, rather than follow the deprecating path of self-doubt and guilt she has set for herself, especially when she learns that her brother Jimmy, the subject of her guilty conscience, has a flipping huge secret of his own. Given Angela’s random thought processes and knee-jerk actions, when she knows the truth, whether Jimmy will live long enough to make it to the altar, is anybody’s guess!
This was a multi-layered, highly textured and tactile, intense storyline, which despite its seemingly haphazard construction, was in fact thoughtfully and seamlessly structured, fluid, fluent and beautifully rich in atmosphere. At times sad and poignant, it asks the question, “do we ever really leave home, yet can we ever truly go back?” I was totally immersed in the day-to-day life of the characters, invited into their world like a long lost friend, as the visuality and depth engendered by the author’s words brought them to life and lifted them from the pages. Wonderfully quick-witted, penetrating, unconventional and unique, replete with numerous observational, descriptive and anecdotal everyday incidents, this was real-life storytelling at its very best, told with consummate ease and authority, but always from the heart.
The package however, would be nothing without its cast of disparate, colourful and highly emotionally charged, larger-than-life characters, who each have an important and pivotal role to play in the eventual end game. Each is well drawn and defined, complex and volatile, raw and passionate and are not quite always reliable witnesses with a good code of ethics. However they are also addictive and amusing, vulnerable and searching for a sense of belonging, have a great dynamism and synergy between them and are generally genuine and believable behind that bluff exterior. The constant sniping and feuding is like an unconscious normality for them, they just can’t help themselves, so used to it have they become. But deep down, although they have often been beaten by the injustices of life and circumstance, they still have the one quality which Angela is about to discover conquers all – Love!
I look at the svelte image of author Patricia Dunn and have to assure her, that I’m sure I am not alone when I admit that we women of a certain age and expanded girth, like Mommy, still keep a small handful of those ‘slutty’, slinky size 6 & 8 little numbers, tucked right at the back of our wardrobes, as a reminder of way back when and what might be again when we shed the excess stones and can get back into them!! Okay! I will admit that the Dallas, Dynasty style shoulder pads, which did come back into fashion again briefly a couple of seasons ago, were finally consigned to the vintage online shop of my local hospice charity and I now have the balls to admit that the chances of me ever seeing size 6 again, is a pie-in-the-sky fantasy dream, but along with Mommy, I still covet those one or two items, for old-times sake!
Whilst my own, and possibly not too many of my fellow readers’ own personal experiences, could quite mirror or live up to the extremes of life in the Marchesi – Campanosi – Petrolli household, this book definitely took me on a totally unique and individual rollercoaster journey, which left me feeling a little battered, bruised and slightly queasy. So I recommend you read this one for yourself and see where your journey leads you!
To check out the full post, including all those tantalising extracts and meet the author facts, visit...
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
December 31, 2021
I was so lucky to read an advanced copy of this book, because I absolutely adored it. A daughter who fled and now returns home is a plot that I always gravitate to -- but in Dunn's expert hands, this subject takes on all kinds of new dimensions. The book is fresh and quirky, at times funny and at other times keenly moving, and entirely unique. I felt like I was watching one of those unforgettable movies, where you want to know what happens next but also hate that the end is approaching so quickly! Angela, the main character, is an apt and witty guide through a family history that's fraught yet totally relatable and filled with the people you wish you could visit with again and again. Ultimately, through Angela's journey, Dunn reveals the most telling and wise observations about where you find family and where you find home. I highly recommend this very original book and can't wait for Dunn's next one!
November 7, 2021
Normally I shy away from books that fall into a category I label “misery of the human condition.” I would rather read non-fiction and any fiction would lend itself to be more of what others might term escapist fare. However, something in the description of this book caught my imagination, although at first I cursed myself for choosing this book, especially when the main character was deeply involved with the politics of America in 1991. On pages in, I was determined to slog through the story and hate the book.
And then something happened. I began to understand the character of Angela as well as her motives, and the emotional crisis she battled caused by returning to her family after 10 years. Author Patricia Dunn chose to handle this in a serious way while allowing Angela’s personality to tilt the presentation with a healthy dose of everyday humor. Angela’s sometimes-rambling train of thought meshed within conversation is a perfect view of how our brains work – not always in a linear fashion, and many times thinking the exact opposite of the conversation. This works well when she is interacting with her family. There is disfunction in every family, and Ms. Dunn exploits this while still presenting her characters in a manner that endears them to us.
I finished the story quickly, and while the ending was not how I thought it would be, I was satisfied. The entire plot was engaging, and although the author could have created a much more dramatic (translation: depressing) story, I appreciated the humor throughout that kept a serious subject on the light side. Five stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Meryl Moss Media for a complimentary electronic copy of this title.
And then something happened. I began to understand the character of Angela as well as her motives, and the emotional crisis she battled caused by returning to her family after 10 years. Author Patricia Dunn chose to handle this in a serious way while allowing Angela’s personality to tilt the presentation with a healthy dose of everyday humor. Angela’s sometimes-rambling train of thought meshed within conversation is a perfect view of how our brains work – not always in a linear fashion, and many times thinking the exact opposite of the conversation. This works well when she is interacting with her family. There is disfunction in every family, and Ms. Dunn exploits this while still presenting her characters in a manner that endears them to us.
I finished the story quickly, and while the ending was not how I thought it would be, I was satisfied. The entire plot was engaging, and although the author could have created a much more dramatic (translation: depressing) story, I appreciated the humor throughout that kept a serious subject on the light side. Five stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Meryl Moss Media for a complimentary electronic copy of this title.
September 14, 2021
Patricia Dunn's newest novel The Last Train on the 6, is filled with humor and wit and heart. This book is a TV series waiting to happen. Writing funny is hard. Writing visual comedy that can only be seen in the reader's mind - even harder. Patricia Dunn manages to do both with seamless ease. I laughed out loud- many times.
When we first meet Angela Campanosi, she about to have her first prison sleepover. instead, this native Bronx girl, returns to her studio apartment in Venice California. Slipped under her door she finds an envelope containing a one-way ticket to JFK and a note informing Angela that her brother is getting married. Angela's mother Rose has summoned her daughter back home. Bringing Angela's self-imposed exile of ten years to an end. Prison would have been better than going back to the old neighborhood.
Angela is met at the airport by Billy a friend who is like family. One by one we meet the family, friends like family and friends of the family, with a few frenemies in the mix. There are mix-ups and mishaps, miscommunications, missed signals and a whole lot of costume changes. At times The Last Stop on the 6 is truly cringe worthy - in the best possible way.
Each stumble exposes the venerability of Angela and the Campanosi clan. Making them even more endearing and lovable. Without spoilers, all I can say is the Art Opening was beyond creative and inventive. Big reveals are shown at just the right moment without any preamble or post explanation. Families, where would we be without them. This book is Pitch Perfect.
When we first meet Angela Campanosi, she about to have her first prison sleepover. instead, this native Bronx girl, returns to her studio apartment in Venice California. Slipped under her door she finds an envelope containing a one-way ticket to JFK and a note informing Angela that her brother is getting married. Angela's mother Rose has summoned her daughter back home. Bringing Angela's self-imposed exile of ten years to an end. Prison would have been better than going back to the old neighborhood.
Angela is met at the airport by Billy a friend who is like family. One by one we meet the family, friends like family and friends of the family, with a few frenemies in the mix. There are mix-ups and mishaps, miscommunications, missed signals and a whole lot of costume changes. At times The Last Stop on the 6 is truly cringe worthy - in the best possible way.
Each stumble exposes the venerability of Angela and the Campanosi clan. Making them even more endearing and lovable. Without spoilers, all I can say is the Art Opening was beyond creative and inventive. Big reveals are shown at just the right moment without any preamble or post explanation. Families, where would we be without them. This book is Pitch Perfect.
August 20, 2021
Delighted to have had the chance to read an advance copy of Last Stop on the 6! The intricate dynamics of this Bronx family are very similar to most families in one way or another. Mothers and daughters, fathers and daughters, oh stepfathers, too, as well as a neighbor boy former crush, and many old friends who think they still know "everything" about you. To say the pages of Last Stop on the 6 sped by is an understatement. Once Angela returns home to the Bronx each family encounter unfolds into the next. Most important of all was finding out where Jimmy had gone and why? I kept turning pages desperate for the mystery to be revealed. Without giving anything away I have to say I felt I had joined Angela's family by book's end ... and was so happy to be included. Angela is an activist for today, a strong woman, a sister with love in her heart, and became my friend through Last Stop on the 6!
November 9, 2021
Author Patricia Dunn used her experiences growing up in The Bronx as inspiration for Last Stop On the 6, and her authentic voice shines through to create an excellent novel about an Italian-American family living in Pelham Bay.
Angela Campanosi travels from Los Angeles to The Bronx so she can attend her estranged brother’s wedding. It’s her first time returning to her childhood home in 10 years. She brings along a giant pile of experiences and a number of standard East Coast tropes. The rest of the book unpeels assumptions and snap judgements to weave a compelling story.
Patricia Dunn calls her memories as a child in The Bronx her ghosts. It’s easy to see Angela wrestling with similar ghosts with mixed results. Some of her ghosts included imperfect memories and assumptions as Angela comes to terms with her adult realizations. Most of the characters have changed, but the biggest change ultimately is Angela.
Dunn did a wonderful job bringing The Bronx and the Campanosi extended family to life. I was drawn into the story by her vivid portrayal of the neighborhoods. Her dialogue is well-written, adding credibility to her characters by making the conversations as convoluted and messy as most families do. She admirably depicts her characters’ growth in a way that feels genuine.
Instead of contriving a happy ending, Dunn reminds us that family relationships are always a work in progress. She wraps up the loose ends of the plot while acknowledging that growing up requires a re-evaluation of relationships. After all, remember what happens when we ass-u-me.
I would like you to make one assumption - assume that you want to read Last Stop On the 6.
Thank you, Meryl Moss Media Group and Bordighera Press for providing an advance review copy of this excellent book.
November 12, 2021
I so enjoyed this immersion into both the family depicted in this novel, as well as the Bronx. The story is emotionally gripping, but written with a sense of humor and a real love for the characters and the setting. I highly recommend it!
October 29, 2021
I breezed through this book! The main character's voice is deeply endearing, poignant, funny, and personal. I kept feeling like I was listening to a dear friend's story unfold. Last Stop on the 6 is the story of a woman coming home to deal with her deep secrets and complicated family past. I never knew what it was like to grow up in a large, Italian family in the Bronx. When told by Dunn, the story felt universal in its themes and yet specific in its details. After reading Last Stop on the 6, Angela felt like someone I knew my whole life. I can't wait to read it again!
November 17, 2021
Angela Campanosi left Pelham Bay in the Bronx after an accident left her brother Jimmy paralyzed. Ten years later, Angela returned from LA for Jimmy's wedding, but the groom disappeared and left behind a cryptic note. Angela’s mother won't tell Jimmy’s fiancée, her father goes on a bender, her ex-boyfriend runs the family exterminating business, and her stepfather just wants to feed everyone. It's up to Angela to find Jimmy, learning about herself and the family she left behind.
I was honestly drawn to this by the title, because I used to ride the 6 train all the time. This is New York City of 1991, and I can practically hear the cadence of Angela's speech as she talks and moves through her old Bronx neighborhood. Her family doesn't talk about any of the changes that had happened in the ten years she's been away, so she clung to her guilt for the entire time. This leads their secretive behavior to be interpreted in the worst possible way. She's sure that her brother doesn't want to get married. Or he owes the mafia money. Or that someone is dying. Discovering her family's actual motives undoes a huge portion of her sense of self, because she was always sure she had helped to ruin her family. Believing it was her fault her brother had an accident, she crossed the country, never returned, and dove into being an activist. Angela didn't fear getting arrested, she only feared being close to family.
The characters here are exactly that: characters. I say this in a good way, because they're memorable. Angela always refers to her mother as Mommy until told otherwise, while her father is Dad and her stepfather is Mike. The superstitions of the Italian Catholics are funny in a way, because I've known people with similar ones, and they never make sense when you try to explain them. In the manner of most kids in the 70's, Angela, Jimmy and Billy essentially raised themselves by playing out in the streets and hanging out; which is partly why they never really learned how to lean on adults when in trouble or discuss things. It didn't help that Dad wanted so badly for Jimmy to make it in Hollywood, and Angela felt that work was the only way to get his attention. Real trouble got swept under the rug, and it's only when Angela's fed up and lets all of her thoughts out that her family's truths can be discussed.
I enjoyed seeing this dysfunctional family at work. It's a bit of a train wreck, in that you can't look away from what you know isn't going to work out, and I wanted to shake some of them to have them talk to each other. But that's me in 2021 wanting to affect 1991 characters, and culture has changed in thirty years. Still, I liked seeing this look at the City and the state it was in at the time, as well as this slice of life.
I was honestly drawn to this by the title, because I used to ride the 6 train all the time. This is New York City of 1991, and I can practically hear the cadence of Angela's speech as she talks and moves through her old Bronx neighborhood. Her family doesn't talk about any of the changes that had happened in the ten years she's been away, so she clung to her guilt for the entire time. This leads their secretive behavior to be interpreted in the worst possible way. She's sure that her brother doesn't want to get married. Or he owes the mafia money. Or that someone is dying. Discovering her family's actual motives undoes a huge portion of her sense of self, because she was always sure she had helped to ruin her family. Believing it was her fault her brother had an accident, she crossed the country, never returned, and dove into being an activist. Angela didn't fear getting arrested, she only feared being close to family.
The characters here are exactly that: characters. I say this in a good way, because they're memorable. Angela always refers to her mother as Mommy until told otherwise, while her father is Dad and her stepfather is Mike. The superstitions of the Italian Catholics are funny in a way, because I've known people with similar ones, and they never make sense when you try to explain them. In the manner of most kids in the 70's, Angela, Jimmy and Billy essentially raised themselves by playing out in the streets and hanging out; which is partly why they never really learned how to lean on adults when in trouble or discuss things. It didn't help that Dad wanted so badly for Jimmy to make it in Hollywood, and Angela felt that work was the only way to get his attention. Real trouble got swept under the rug, and it's only when Angela's fed up and lets all of her thoughts out that her family's truths can be discussed.
I enjoyed seeing this dysfunctional family at work. It's a bit of a train wreck, in that you can't look away from what you know isn't going to work out, and I wanted to shake some of them to have them talk to each other. But that's me in 2021 wanting to affect 1991 characters, and culture has changed in thirty years. Still, I liked seeing this look at the City and the state it was in at the time, as well as this slice of life.
August 25, 2021
Last Stop on the 6 combines two qualities I love in a book: it's heartfelt, and takes on fundamental issues, but at the same time, it doesn't take itself too seriously. In fact, there are so many lines that are laugh-out-loud funny, I never wanted to put it down. I loved the narrator, Angela, who is a smart-mouthed, down-to-earth activist, trying to run away from her own origins. Of course, the more she tries to run away from her family, the more impossible it becomes to do so--and I didn't want her to because...what a family! A mother who runs a real estate business from her bedroom; a father whose exterminator has a faux rat tail sticking out the back--everyone in this family is extremely "colorful," and also truly lovable. Like so many families, they have their tragedy, and although Angelas's attempts to "make it right" between family members often backfire, it's clear that everyone in this family loves each other. I felt like I knew these people by the end of the book, and I was glad to be in their company. I also loved getting Angela's insider tour of her Italian American neighborhood, full of characters who fit the stereotypes, but also exploded them. Best of all were the moments that Angela came to terms with feelings she had been running away from. This is the story of Angela's homecoming. It has a lot of heart, and it's tons of fun.
December 12, 2021
LAST STOP ON THE 6 by Patricia Dunn is filled with energy, family, heart, and survival amidst the humor that the main character brings with her from the beginning of the book right through to the end. The fast pace of the story is so fitting as activist Angela returns home to The Bronx from LA after being summoned by her mother and becomes reacquainted with relatives and people in the neighborhood after years on her own. The unique plot of this novel is filled with shocking roller coaster twists and turns and personal histories revealed as characters deal with their own circumstances. This amazingly witty author creates scenes that make you cringe, scare the life out of you, and then surprise you enough to laugh out loud and commiserate. Especially skillful is the way Dunn has tied in the political climate of the 1990s throughout. By the end of the book, I was ready to take a seat at the Campanosi table (as long as I didn’t have to crawl under it or breathe in any exterminating chemicals), have some of Mike’s gravy, and peek in a closet for that slutty dress. I’d love to see a Netflix Series about this Italian family. Of course, the art exhibit must be included!
November 3, 2021
What a ride! LAST STOP ON THE 6 was a deeply moving read. From the moment Angela tells us about the mysterious envelope that arrives at her place in LA, she had me turning pages to find out what was going to happen. Set in 1991 at the start of the Gulf War, Angela's political activism resonated with me-- especially in this time when everyone is much more politically engaged. Angela's struggles with her family, her missing brother who is about to get married, the father who gets along so well with Angela's stepfather, the mother who knows everything but is hiding everything too-- made me cheer her on and feel so much for her because who doesn't feel like a child again when they return home even when they're very capable adults? I also loved seeing this side of the Bronx that is rarely depicted in books and movies. The whole neighborhood comes alive. Dunn's dialogue is so crisp and riveting I was hoping the book would never end.
September 5, 2021
I’m always honored to be asked to read an advance copy of a book. Angela, the main character, ran away from her complicated Italian American family in New York 10 years ago. Typical family misunderstandings and assumptions. Superstitions. Everybody knows everyone’s business in this neighborhood, yet just about everyone has a secret. Who you were as a kid is rarely who you are as an adult. The bond of family. I want some of Mike’s gravy!!! While there is a lot of language and politics, there is a tremendous and quirky wit. Some of the visuals are so great that you wish you could actually be there! This is one book that just might be incredible on audio with authentic accents!
November 9, 2021
This is a smart and entertaining story that anyone can relate to. Patricia Dunn writes with love, elegance and great sense of humor. I'm already missing this Bronx family so much!
September 17, 2021
I loved this book. Don’t shy away from it because it takes place in “THE BRONX” or because it is about a Catholic family, and you are not Catholic. It could take place in any city, anywhere, and could be about anyone, so long as it is in an environment with a bustling life, nosy neighbors and lots of conflict and dysfunction! The characters could be interchangeable with characters of a multitude of backgrounds.
This novel is about the ordinary/extraordinary Campanosi family. The matriarch is skilled in the art of instilling guilt and love, both at the same time. She is well versed in the art of suffering, until she gets her way, that is; then she makes a miraculous recovery and no longer retires to languish on her bed. She is dominant, controlling and sometimes insufferable, but she is loved and respected. The patriarch, a sometimes-reformed alcoholic, is obsessed with making his son Jimmy a famous actor. It could be his ticket out of the Bronx. Jimmy, however, would rather play soccer. And then there is Billy, whom both parents embrace as their own when his life is torn asunder. He is the son and brother from another mother. Enter Mike, husband of the now divorced matriarch. He is a kind man and a fabulous cook who tolerates this odd combination of humans, including living with the sometimes-reformed drunk, ex-husband, too. The main character, Angela, is indomitable, though guilt ridden. She is a vegan, she is motivated to do good, to bring peace to a troubled world, but for ten years, she has run from herself. She is broke and wants to crawl out from under the shadow of her sibling. After her brother’s tragic accident which left him in a wheelchair, she ran toward the California dream her dad once had for him. When her mother invites her to her brother’s wedding, she is determined to be his savior again and to save him from making the mistake of marrying a woman, Julie, who is going off to war. She has not spoken to him for a decade, but true to herself, she jumps to her own conclusions believing she knows what is best, and she is determined to do her part. From California, she returns to “the” Bronx and with her, brings mayhem and madness. It will be impossible for a reader not to find a character, or some part of one, to identify with, and to recognize, as a part of themselves or their own family.
This is a story about family and what it means to be a part of one, in a magical place called “the” Bronx, beginning with a childhood world that is filled with challenges, and continuing up until the time of the first Gulf war, when additional challenges had to be faced. Told with the light hand of an author whose staccato sentences spill out with humor and insight, the novel is hard to put down. Still in spite of the wit, it also clearly presents the angst of family life, and life in general. Some of those moments are more apt to signal tears than laughter. What are the limits of family loyalty, guilt, devotion? How far should one go to escape shame or show love? All of these concepts and more are explored deftly as the characters come of age, even if it is a bit late in life. Who among us has not made a false assumption leading to faulty decisions which have altered the course of our lives? Who has not experienced grief, loss or any kind of tragedy? Who has not had a recalcitrant relative who was either unwilling or unable to reform their ways? Who was never bullied or abused? Who has not been against war and supportive of peace? Once, they were called flower children; today they are called activists or community organizers. There are none of us that can lay claim to a perfect life.
Nothing in this book is one dimensional. Do not be fooled. It is funny and a joy to read, but it also has profound messages. So pick up this book and walk down the memory lane of your own life or of your ancestors. You will not regret it. We have all walked some part of the way in Angela’s shoes or Jimmy’s or Mike’s or Billy’s or any of the others’ footwear. You will love this book, no matter where you hail from. Humanity lives large on every page.
“Last Stop on the 6”, takes place in a unique borough, the only one that that has an honorific in front of it, “the” Bronx”, but it could also have been Brooklyn, maybe even Queens or any other place that was thriving at the same time, that had that same kind of volcanic personality. The book was really nostalgic for me. I am from Brooklyn, and my husband is from the Bronx. My tennis racquet fell off the proverbial truck. Without that truck, I would not have learned to play tennis. Racquets were luxuries. We sat on stoops and consoled each other. We played pranks on people and played stickball in the street. Busybody ladies confiscated our balls when they went astray. My dad climbed to our roof, once a year, and rescued the balls that landed there, throwing them down to their “rightful” owners. My home was a two-family with a basement apartment making it an illegal three. One thing the author didn’t mention was tar beach. They were the apartment rooftops that everyone climbed to in order to cool off. Some slept on fire escapes. There was no universal air conditioning. People actually met outside and talked.
My husband and I beat the odds. We were considered G.U., geographically undesirable, but we courted and married. When I return to the area, I always go to Arthur Avenue, a haven for Italian culture. I could taste the bread, the pastries, the special olives and marvelous burrata when the author brought it up. The magnificent movie theaters, the elevated trains, they were all part of my life. I was my own brother’s savior, and for years, we too, did not speak. When Angela’s mom told her to marry a Jewish man because although he would cheat too, he would take better care of her, I remembered my husband telling me a story about a friend who wanted to go into business with him because he knew Jews were all successful in business. The stereotypes were rampant. The charm of the story and its characters is that they are totally, superlatively real! The story explodes with humor on every page. The dialogue is animated and alive, never boring. The novel is infused with so much humanity and reality, you will find your own self somewhere, on some page, as the characters touch your heart. Immerse yourself in it and enjoy.
This novel is about the ordinary/extraordinary Campanosi family. The matriarch is skilled in the art of instilling guilt and love, both at the same time. She is well versed in the art of suffering, until she gets her way, that is; then she makes a miraculous recovery and no longer retires to languish on her bed. She is dominant, controlling and sometimes insufferable, but she is loved and respected. The patriarch, a sometimes-reformed alcoholic, is obsessed with making his son Jimmy a famous actor. It could be his ticket out of the Bronx. Jimmy, however, would rather play soccer. And then there is Billy, whom both parents embrace as their own when his life is torn asunder. He is the son and brother from another mother. Enter Mike, husband of the now divorced matriarch. He is a kind man and a fabulous cook who tolerates this odd combination of humans, including living with the sometimes-reformed drunk, ex-husband, too. The main character, Angela, is indomitable, though guilt ridden. She is a vegan, she is motivated to do good, to bring peace to a troubled world, but for ten years, she has run from herself. She is broke and wants to crawl out from under the shadow of her sibling. After her brother’s tragic accident which left him in a wheelchair, she ran toward the California dream her dad once had for him. When her mother invites her to her brother’s wedding, she is determined to be his savior again and to save him from making the mistake of marrying a woman, Julie, who is going off to war. She has not spoken to him for a decade, but true to herself, she jumps to her own conclusions believing she knows what is best, and she is determined to do her part. From California, she returns to “the” Bronx and with her, brings mayhem and madness. It will be impossible for a reader not to find a character, or some part of one, to identify with, and to recognize, as a part of themselves or their own family.
This is a story about family and what it means to be a part of one, in a magical place called “the” Bronx, beginning with a childhood world that is filled with challenges, and continuing up until the time of the first Gulf war, when additional challenges had to be faced. Told with the light hand of an author whose staccato sentences spill out with humor and insight, the novel is hard to put down. Still in spite of the wit, it also clearly presents the angst of family life, and life in general. Some of those moments are more apt to signal tears than laughter. What are the limits of family loyalty, guilt, devotion? How far should one go to escape shame or show love? All of these concepts and more are explored deftly as the characters come of age, even if it is a bit late in life. Who among us has not made a false assumption leading to faulty decisions which have altered the course of our lives? Who has not experienced grief, loss or any kind of tragedy? Who has not had a recalcitrant relative who was either unwilling or unable to reform their ways? Who was never bullied or abused? Who has not been against war and supportive of peace? Once, they were called flower children; today they are called activists or community organizers. There are none of us that can lay claim to a perfect life.
Nothing in this book is one dimensional. Do not be fooled. It is funny and a joy to read, but it also has profound messages. So pick up this book and walk down the memory lane of your own life or of your ancestors. You will not regret it. We have all walked some part of the way in Angela’s shoes or Jimmy’s or Mike’s or Billy’s or any of the others’ footwear. You will love this book, no matter where you hail from. Humanity lives large on every page.
“Last Stop on the 6”, takes place in a unique borough, the only one that that has an honorific in front of it, “the” Bronx”, but it could also have been Brooklyn, maybe even Queens or any other place that was thriving at the same time, that had that same kind of volcanic personality. The book was really nostalgic for me. I am from Brooklyn, and my husband is from the Bronx. My tennis racquet fell off the proverbial truck. Without that truck, I would not have learned to play tennis. Racquets were luxuries. We sat on stoops and consoled each other. We played pranks on people and played stickball in the street. Busybody ladies confiscated our balls when they went astray. My dad climbed to our roof, once a year, and rescued the balls that landed there, throwing them down to their “rightful” owners. My home was a two-family with a basement apartment making it an illegal three. One thing the author didn’t mention was tar beach. They were the apartment rooftops that everyone climbed to in order to cool off. Some slept on fire escapes. There was no universal air conditioning. People actually met outside and talked.
My husband and I beat the odds. We were considered G.U., geographically undesirable, but we courted and married. When I return to the area, I always go to Arthur Avenue, a haven for Italian culture. I could taste the bread, the pastries, the special olives and marvelous burrata when the author brought it up. The magnificent movie theaters, the elevated trains, they were all part of my life. I was my own brother’s savior, and for years, we too, did not speak. When Angela’s mom told her to marry a Jewish man because although he would cheat too, he would take better care of her, I remembered my husband telling me a story about a friend who wanted to go into business with him because he knew Jews were all successful in business. The stereotypes were rampant. The charm of the story and its characters is that they are totally, superlatively real! The story explodes with humor on every page. The dialogue is animated and alive, never boring. The novel is infused with so much humanity and reality, you will find your own self somewhere, on some page, as the characters touch your heart. Immerse yourself in it and enjoy.
November 18, 2021
What could be more appropriate as we quickly approach the holiday season than a book about family. In Last Stop on the 6, Angela left her extended Italian American family ten years ago vowing to never return. But after being guilted into returning for her brother’s wedding, she discovers (a) why she left and (b) why she should stay.
Last Stop on the 6 is a heartwarming tale of why family is important and why running away is never a lifelong solution. Angela’s big Italian family has the foibles of all of us while also being occasional laugh-out-loud funny or sincerely poignant. Sometimes, it’s both at once! Don’t miss this quirky comfort read. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars!
Thanks to Bordighera Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Last Stop on the 6 is a heartwarming tale of why family is important and why running away is never a lifelong solution. Angela’s big Italian family has the foibles of all of us while also being occasional laugh-out-loud funny or sincerely poignant. Sometimes, it’s both at once! Don’t miss this quirky comfort read. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars!
Thanks to Bordighera Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
September 27, 2021
I’m honored to have been given the opportunity to read an advance copy of Last Stop on the 6 by Patricia Dunn. This book is a joy to read. The protagonist Angela is unexpectedly summoned back to her family home in the Bronx, New York, after having spent ten years living in Los Angeles. She reluctantly returns to attend her estranged brother’s wedding, and learns that the groom is missing. The story takes many unpredictable twists and turns, often with hilarious results, as everyone is trying to figure out where groom is. There are many colorful characters who the reader can readily visualize, some realistic, some exaggerated caricatures, all very entertaining. You know these people. Many unusual things transpire as you take a trip into a very real, yet sometimes surreal world. Readers will not be able to put this book down. It contains everything from moving emotional scenes to comedic, almost slapstick ones, at just the right times. Do yourself a favor and escape into this highly entertaining book. You will not be able to nor want to put it down. Five stars.
January 1, 2022
The great thing about this awesome book is that the author made me proud to be from the Bronx..and I want to thank you for that because until holding the book in my hands I wasn’t . I never told anyone I was from the Bronx…I live and teach in Italy ,after I read it I brought it to school with me and showed it to my classes and told them, I’m from the Bronx and proud of it! So for them I’m Melly from the block…it was so great to talk to them about growing up in the Bronx in the 70s / 80s…so thank you Patricia Dunn for making me relive my childhood… Carmela (Melly) leo
December 17, 2021
Wonderful read
September 8, 2021
Review of eBook
It’s been ten years since Theresa Angela Campanosi left Pelham Bay for Venice Beach, California. Blaming herself for an accident that paralyzed her brother, Jimmy, she believed no one really wanted her to return. But her mother sends her a one-way ticket, telling her to come home for Jimmy’s wedding.
Will Angie, avowed anti-war activist, find a way to deal with the guilt, the secrets, and the eccentricities of her family if she goes home? And can you really ever go home again?
Families and friends and neighbors and superstitions and the place where you grew up all contribute to Angie’s trepidation as she returns to the Bronx after ten years away. Angie’s world, filled with assumptions and misunderstandings, has helped define her for a decade; now she’s discovering that “making it right” isn’t necessary and isn’t what’s expected of her when she returns home.
In a dysfunctional family that may not be as dysfunctional as everyone suspects, anything can . . . and does . . . happen, taking the reader on a journey into the heart of family love, acceptance, and complicated chaos. It is a truth that, in a neighborhood such as Angie’s, everyone knows everything about everyone else and, at the same time, everyone manages to keep his or her own secrets.
Filled with laugh-out-loud humor, unexpected revelations, and the kind of stuff that makes families family, the quirky yet heartfelt narrative is sure to resonate with readers. There are some Italian-American stereotypes and clichés within the telling of the tale, but Angie’s recrudescence is the one thing that promises to set her free from the onus of her peccability.
Readers will find much to appreciate in this story of family filled with foibles, accedence, and love.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book from Meryl Moss Media Group
It’s been ten years since Theresa Angela Campanosi left Pelham Bay for Venice Beach, California. Blaming herself for an accident that paralyzed her brother, Jimmy, she believed no one really wanted her to return. But her mother sends her a one-way ticket, telling her to come home for Jimmy’s wedding.
Will Angie, avowed anti-war activist, find a way to deal with the guilt, the secrets, and the eccentricities of her family if she goes home? And can you really ever go home again?
Families and friends and neighbors and superstitions and the place where you grew up all contribute to Angie’s trepidation as she returns to the Bronx after ten years away. Angie’s world, filled with assumptions and misunderstandings, has helped define her for a decade; now she’s discovering that “making it right” isn’t necessary and isn’t what’s expected of her when she returns home.
In a dysfunctional family that may not be as dysfunctional as everyone suspects, anything can . . . and does . . . happen, taking the reader on a journey into the heart of family love, acceptance, and complicated chaos. It is a truth that, in a neighborhood such as Angie’s, everyone knows everything about everyone else and, at the same time, everyone manages to keep his or her own secrets.
Filled with laugh-out-loud humor, unexpected revelations, and the kind of stuff that makes families family, the quirky yet heartfelt narrative is sure to resonate with readers. There are some Italian-American stereotypes and clichés within the telling of the tale, but Angie’s recrudescence is the one thing that promises to set her free from the onus of her peccability.
Readers will find much to appreciate in this story of family filled with foibles, accedence, and love.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book from Meryl Moss Media Group
December 17, 2021
Oh, my gosh, that art show!! Those who have read the book will know what I mean. An over-the top, warm-hearted family story set in an Italian neighborhood in the Bronx. It's bawdy and a bit coarse in its language, but I smiled several times when I was reading it, and I can imagine readers laughing out loud. But this isn't just a comedy of misunderstandings. As exaggerated as they seem, all the characters have some depth and a lot of heart, and there is wisdom here, too--especially in a lovely timeshift that examines the MC and her brother and best friend as children, and in a conversation the MC has with her father toward the end of the book.
At its heart, this is a book about making peace--with your past, with yourself, with your family. It's about the small miracles love can conjure in a flawed, violent, and turbulent world. It's also about coming to face your own false assumptions, as the MC, Angie, learns to do. I was very touched when I found out exactly where, and why, her brother Jimmy was hiding from her.
Which isn't a spoiler, I hope! I personally didn't absolutely love this book the way I loved Rebels by Accident, but I liked it and was happy to read it. I hope it finds its audience--and that's almost everybody who enjoyed Moonstruck, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and other films of that sort. Recommended, and also for older teens who won't be phased by the language and innuendo (the main plot concerns Angie's trip back east to attend her brother Jimmy's wedding, and there's a rather raunchy stag party and flashbacks to an attempted rape, etc.)
At its heart, this is a book about making peace--with your past, with yourself, with your family. It's about the small miracles love can conjure in a flawed, violent, and turbulent world. It's also about coming to face your own false assumptions, as the MC, Angie, learns to do. I was very touched when I found out exactly where, and why, her brother Jimmy was hiding from her.
Which isn't a spoiler, I hope! I personally didn't absolutely love this book the way I loved Rebels by Accident, but I liked it and was happy to read it. I hope it finds its audience--and that's almost everybody who enjoyed Moonstruck, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and other films of that sort. Recommended, and also for older teens who won't be phased by the language and innuendo (the main plot concerns Angie's trip back east to attend her brother Jimmy's wedding, and there's a rather raunchy stag party and flashbacks to an attempted rape, etc.)
September 8, 2021
I very much appreciated being given the opportunity to read an advance copy of Last Stop on the 6 by Patricia Dunn. This is the story of Angela Campanosi, who escaped her close-knit Italian-American family in The Bronx after a horrific accident involving her beloved brother. Jimmy wanted to be a movie star, but after the accident, he wasn’t able to. Instead, Angela has found some small success in California, where she mostly spends her time and energy protesting the American buildup to the war in the Middle East (the book was placed in the 1990s). When Angela is commanded home by her mother, she returns to her childhood home and we are immersed in the world of her youth. It’s richly drawn, from her father’s successful business as an exterminator to the Mafia undertones in everything. Coming home, she lands in the middle of a mystery: where is Jimmy, anyway? His wedding is a couple days from now but nobody’s saying. As Angela introduces us to her weird world, she is learning to let go, to stop controlling everything (a lesson her mother must also learn), that sometimes it’s not about you and the guilt or other negative forces that drive you are misplaced. I especially enjoyed the sweetness of her relationship with her brother. The dialogue is hilarious, and everybody’s got a secret, deflecting Angela from her mission. It’s also heartfelt and emotional, catching the reader by surprise at times. Really well written novel about a young woman maturing. Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to enjoy this advance read.
September 6, 2021
5 stars! was really surprised by this book. Super Fast, plot driven read, that I didn't want to put down. Main character, Angela is headed home to the Bronx since moving to California ten years prior and an accident that left her brother injured. From the moment she steps into her family home they chaos begins and secrets start to unravel. Angela finds she has missed so much after being gone, and before she can figure out how she still fits in with her family, uncover their secrets, deal with her own guilt, she has to find her brother, who went missing right before she arrived. The Campanosi family is full of life and zest and all the quirkiness we know and love. I felt like one of the family by the end. And I need Mike's gravy recipe!! This book had it all, a bit of humor, some mystery and family drama. I will be recommending this book to everyone!
Thank you to @netgalley and @meryl_moss for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to @netgalley and @meryl_moss for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 27, 2021
If you're looking for an entertaining story with sharply etched characters and laugh-out-loud funny scenarios and that never makes fun of the characters even when it sort of is, this is your book! I admit that as a New Yorker--and a resident of the Bronx--I came to this book predisposed to like it. But actually, that's not true: New Yorkers--and especially residents of the Bronx!--are predisposed to approach everything cynically--and I still loved this book. It achieves that perfect combination of hard-edged and affectionate. I also really enjoyed Dunn's previous book, Rebels By Accident.
November 1, 2021
This is an insanely dysfunctional family, and I’m loving it! The lingo, the lyricism, the dialog, the interplay: I daresay I “know” some of these folks. But it feels real, not rehearsed or so refined it’s faked, and you’re right there in the thick of this family and its foibles. It’s messy, they’re mixed up, and as bad off as your stuff might feel, you count your blessings it ain’t this bad. And if your stuff is this bad, then this is the right kinda catharsis for you.
August 21, 2021
I was offered the opportunity to read an advance copy of Patricia Dunn's new novel - Last Stop on the 6 - and I'm so glad I did! Angela Campanosi is a compelling protagonist on a hilariously awkward journey of reconnection with the dysfunctional family she's tried desperately to leave behind. The Campanosi clan is unforgettable. I was amused and then quite moved by Dunn's sure-handed rendering of the staggering limitations and possibilities of familial love.
October 31, 2021
So much fun. Patricia Dunn invites us to take a spin with her family and her neighborhood, and it's a breathless, wacky, often poignant roller coaster ride, filled with love, generosity and remarkably observed details.
October 16, 2021
This novel was too much over the top for my taste. It tried too hard to be funny while dealing with serious issues like the gulf war, rape, family secrets, addiction, guilt and forgiveness.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews