This book is what is called creative non-fiction, basically the skeleton of facts are there but some of the scenes and moments of daily life are surmised based on context. Here the author tells us the history of his family from his great grandparents in the Azores. In the beginning, we learn about life on the islands in pre-war Europe. We see the impact of isolation on the people of the islands and how the Catholic religion shaped how the people thought and acted. We learned what spurned their immigration to Canada and how it was to cope in a new culture.
The writing at times has a history textbook vibe, but that is the author giving us context for the times. It allows us to understand the circumstances upon which his family members lived, providing motivation for their choices. While the presentation of the facts and story is sometimes a bit choppy, it is written with such love, honor and respect. Any one of us would love to have a history like this written about our family.
Thanks to Love Books Tours and the author for the #gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.
This knocks another country off my reading around the world list – where’s the last book you read set?
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