Revere Beach Boulevard

Revere Beach Trilogy #1

by Roland Merullo

Vittorio (Vito) and Peter Imbesalacqua, father and son, opposites in so many ways, have never had an easy time with each other. From the moment Vito arrived in the United States from Italy in 1936 he did his best to live as a good man--hard-working, deeply-religious, frugal and honest. Peter, on the other hand, now forty years old, his real-estate business in shambles, has bent the rules and battled a gambling addiction for most of his adult life. With his family's help, he always just succeeded in averting disaster, until now. Revere Beach Boulevard--a novel both literary and suspenseful--tells the story of a family that rallies around an errant son, even as a dark secret that has blighted all their lives comes to the surface. For Peter it means having the courage to stand up to Eddie Crevine, a Mafia thug to whom he is in debt and who now threatens his life. For Peter's sister, Joanna, it means admitting that she shares some of her brother's anger at their parents. For Vito and his wife, Lucy, it involves dealing with the aftereffects of a youthful indiscretion, a moment of unchecked passion that changed all of their lives in ways that can never be undone. Revere Beach Boulevard is a rich and heartfelt novel that looks deeply into the secret places in men and women's hearts, places only great fiction can reveal.

Genres: Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

ROLAND MERULLO is an awarding-winning author of 24 books including 17 works of fiction: Breakfast with Buddha, a nominee for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, now in its 20th printing; The Talk-Funny Girl, a 2012 ALEX Award Winner and named a "Must Read" by the Massachusetts Library Association and the Massachusetts Center for the Book; Vatican Waltz named one of the Best Books of 2013 by Publishers Weekly; Lunch with Buddha selected as one of the Best Books of 2013 by Kirkus Reviews; Revere Beach Boulevard named one of the "Top 100 Essential Books of New England" by the Boston Globe; A Little Love Story chosen as one of "Ten Wonderful Romance Novels" by Good Housekeeping, Revere Beach Elegy winner of the Massachusetts Book Award for nonfiction, and Once Night Falls, selected as a "First Read" by Amazon Editors.

A former writer in residence at North Shore Community College and Miami Dade Colleges, and professor of Creative Writing at Bennington, Amherst and Lesley Colleges, Merullo has been a guest speaker at many literary events and venues and a faculty member at MFA programs and several writers’ conferences. His essays have appeared in numerous publications including the New York Times, Outside Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Newsweek, the Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Magazine, Reader's Digest, Good Housekeeping, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Merullo's books have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, German, Chinese, Turkish, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovenian, and Czech.

Reviews

[P.H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in between a lot of Stephen King and politically motivated writers when I first decided I would become a writer. I really enjoyed it, and it was in the local section at the library. I enjoyed the story about the gambling son, I enjoyed everything about it, and I remember it wasn't too long a read. Don't buy it, though, get it from the library.

[Cathyhobbes Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a novel based in Revere MA. I loved it because it's about an Italian-American family with a son with a gambling problem. It's extremely well written, realistic and passionate.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author! His characters are so believable; you can't help but be totally drawn into the story full force!

[Betty Burke donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. The setting and characters rang true and brought back many memories. Loved the entire trilogy. Merullo is a very good writer and highly evocative.

[Will G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story about an Italian immigrant family and the secrets they hold and how it impacts them as they go through life played out during a one week crisis. The story was pretty good but it was told through various family members chapter by chapter. As the reader though, it was up to you to understand whose point of view you were reading through as the book never made it clear.

[Jim C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the first book of a trilogy. Even though this is the first book it is a stand alone novel as it has a finale and wraps up the story plots. This one takes place in the city of Revere Ma which is just outside Boston. We see the inner workings of an Italian family whose son has a gambling problem and is in trouble with the local Mafia.

My rating might be a little biased here. I am Italian and I live right next to Revere. This book was right in my world and I felt like I could have been a character in this novel. It was nice to read about the landmarks of Revere which have been part of my life. Also this book made me feel nostalgic as this book takes place in the past and some of the places don't exist anymore but still hold memories for me. As for the story and the characters it was a little slow at the beginning. The author nailed the characters perfectly with their Italian customs and he portrayed the atmosphere perfectly. Even though this is basically a mob story it is so much more. It shows humans with their imperfections but also their ability to love. We get everything from addiction, unfaithfulness, and keeping secrets from loved ones. Even through all these imperfections the sacrifices and love for family are the aspects that shine.

I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward the next one. It helped that it was in my neck of the woods and Revere itself was a character in this book. One doesn't need to be familiar with Revere to enjoy this book as this book is about human emotions and how we act.

[Eugene Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this novel last year and I have retained a strong impression of it and a feeling for it since then, which I think is evidence of how the author had a powerfully human story to tell and he told it so well. The characters are real people with real problems in a family with secrets, but what I really liked about it was that they were people you could care about because they were compassionately portrayed, with penetrating psychological insight, by the author. Thus they were believable, they were people like you and me, you wanted them to overcome, and you were surprised by the revelations in the book that, towards the end, helped to explain how and why they came to dramatic conclusions to their dilemmas and to their personal odysseys. It helps if you come from Revere, as I do, but it's not necessary, as the city is so sharply drawn as to be almost another character in the story. I also share the ethnic Italian-American background of the story, but again, this novel rises above the particular class and derivation of the people in it to a universality that applies to all groups at all times and places. I will gladly re-read this novel at some point and I am looking forward to reading the other two books in the author's Revere trilogy, as well as his other books. I think this writer is well worth spending time on and that anyone who does will be rewarded.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a tough read. Not because it didn't hold my attention. Very well written. It was tough because it hit so close to home. As many people who wrote reviews I grew up in the areas that the story is placed in. I knew and was friends with people exactly like the characters. Addiction, trying to love and be loyal to someone who is destroying themselves and everyone around them is not light reading. At the end of the story, although things "turned out" I could not help but feeling still a little lost.

[Kate Spears · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is described as a love story, but it's much deeper and darker than your typical love story. I became a fan of Merullo's writing in another of his works (A Little Love Story) and this one was great too. Told from many different perspectives but unified through the voice of Father Domenic, it chronicles a family's struggles with addiction, independence, culture and past secrets. I think it would make a fantastic film.

[Mike Radice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread this and changed my mind about the book. It's a very rich, complicated book, and unlike the others. One of things I like about Merullo's books are that they are so different from one another. Most authors wrote subsequent books that sound and are structured the same as the prior books. Not Merullo.

[Sherri Moldaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book and found it hard to put down. Finished it in like 2 days. It make me nostalgic for a simpler time. I was scared at times....I was sad at times....it made me feel alot of different emotions. It is a book that will leave you thinking about so many things long after you are done reading it. Excellent writer.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you grew up in or near Revere, MA you will enjoy reading about different parts of the city mentioned in the course of building the story about a second generation Italian family with secrets which were obvious from the start of the book.

[Ann-marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny how this works, I read this book years ago and remembered liking it very much. A good get lost in a bit of local color book.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful writing, well crafted plot: not incredibly complex, not too simple, everything makes sense. A well thought-out book about family relationships, addiction and life. Very good writer.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

good story and really well written

[Jack Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book several years ago and went back for a second bite - it was just as good the second time around because of the really great writing of Merullo.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still reading it. Very intresting.

[Barbara Woodard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lived in Revere when I was very young, and have been back to visit a few times. The writer painted the perfect picture of the town. In fact, two scenes had main characters parked in front of where my old house was, so I almost felt a part of the story! As the author says at the beginning, the story is fiction, but the town is real. The story has a lot of suspense, a few twists. It depicts what could have been a fairly realistic life of mobs, addictions, gambling issues and the traditional Italian family scenarios of this town. I didn't experience it at my young age, but have heard similar tales of such life from my older siblings who were old enough to know. It was written from the perspective of the various main characters. Often the conversations were written with the native "Boston accent". As a native Bostonian, I was able to follow the conversations. It may be a little confusing at times if you are just looking at the spelling rather than the pronunciation. The most confusing thing for me was, at the beginning of a new chapter, it wasn't always apparent which character was speaking until the 2nd or 3rd paragraph. Occasionally, I needed to go back & reread the previous paragraphs to get back "into" that characters head. The last section of the book, when the writer was tying up the loose ends, I couldn't put it down! I thought I knew how the story would end...but I was completely wrong!!! It kept me excited all the way to the end! The writing, the visual descriptions and the authentic use of the native Boston and Italian accents made this story very believable!

[Atara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revere is next to Boston, known for its immigrant Italian population, the beach, Kelly's Roast Beef, Bell Circle Rotary, and the Cyclone roller coaster. I grew up near Revere, ate Roast Beef sandwiches from Kelly's, navigated around Bell Circle, and rode the Cyclone several times. There is something about reading a book when you don't have to imagine things the author writes about because you know them. Revere Beach Boulevard is a fictionalized story of one week in the life of an Italian family and the gambling son who owes $20K to a member of the criminal underworld and is desperately trying to find money to pay his debt and not have his knees broken or worse. Merullo's writing is brilliant, draws readers into the story, and keeps them there.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I loved it. Partly because I live in an adjacent town and spend a lot of time on Revere Beach, and partly because the writing is so great.

Mr. Merullo related the thoughts, feelings and actions of his characters so that they became real to me - as if I knew them in real life. Beautiful!

It took me a little while to get used to the first person perspective of each character, but I did like it. A lot.

And the last several chapters were as suspenseful and scary as any I've ever read.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad I discovered this author with Breakfast With Buddha...Revere Beach Boulevard is a completely different kind of book, though equally excellent. It's almost a thriller but it has too much depth and humanity to be one. And for anyone familiar with Revere, there's an added level of enjoyment. Altogether a satisfying read--like a good meal with all the tastes and textures covered.

[Tom Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book that contains some of the best writing that I have come across in a long time. Some don't appreciate the story being told from different narrators. I think it was a brilliant tool so that the reader could really understand the inner thoughts of all the characters. All in all, a novel that I will remember.

[Rita Mahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent Roland Merullo. Having lived near Revere Beach for several years, this book rang very true for me. The mob, gambling debts, unfaithful husbands and wives, secrets galore. Keeps you on the edge of your seat for sure. This is the first in a trilogy so can't wait to get to number two.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of all enjoyed the setting! The characters are well developed and the plot keeps moving. Could only have been written by someone who knows Revere like the back of their hand. Could picture the layout of the town - the boardwalk, race track - an ode to an earlier time and place.

[Les Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting Writing Style

I found this book to be very interesting both in story line and writing style. I read it as a result of an article that the author had written in a golf magazine. I will read other books by him.

[Tresa Casaletto · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are from the Boston area, this is a nostalgic view of the seedy past of Revere. A quick read that brought back memories of the 1990s, I enjoyed both the dramatic storyline and the characters.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. A bit dated and I found the parts written in dialect frustrating to read. And for a couple of the characters, I found them almost impenetrable. I got the gist but it interrupted the flow of the story.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

gritty mob drama

A gambler, a priest, a cop, a mother and father! Put it all together in a small, gritty city, like Revere with lots of mob related doings and you have yourself a fine read.

[Eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this book! Loved how each chapter is told from a different characters perspective. Aqesome quick read. If youve been to Revere you will find the settings interesting too.

[Maryellen Cyr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gambling is for chumps. Usury is bad. Every family is flawed. Everyone is worthy of redemption.