Merullo, Roland. In Revere, In Those Days. Shaye Areheart Books, 2002.
Reason read: Merullo was born in September. Read in his honor.
Anthony Benedetto is a sweet kid (almost too sweet) growing up in Revere, Massachusetts. His is a world where his extended Italian-American family is everything. When Benedetto loses both his parents in a plane crash his grandparents are quick to take him in. Recognizing Anthony’s sweet nature his grandfather teaches him to play hockey to avoid street fights Anthony would inevitably lose. This love of hockey is the foundation for Anthony’s young life and carries him through high school and college.
Anthony is also surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins; an army of people who support him in every possibly way. These characters are not without their flaws and Anthony must navigate his confusion surrounding their actions. An uncle who gambles too much. An aunt who commits infidelity. A cousin who insists on dating the wrong boys. He loves them all, but does not completely understand their self destructive ways.
Merullo’s imagery is everything. An example: most people would take the easy route and describe a waning relationship as people “drifting apart.” Merullo says “melt” instead. In Revere, In Those Days is beautiful and I cannot wait to read his other works.
An an aside, I ran my first half marathon in Alton Bay.
Author fact: Like his protagonist, Anthony Benedetto, Merullo went to Exeter and Brown. I wonder if he played hockey.
Book trivia: this should be a movie.
Music: “O Signore,” “Lenta Va La Luna,” “O Sole Mio,” “Silent Night,” The Impressions, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” “Lenta Va La Luna, Lenta La Luna Va,” Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla,” and Bach.
BookLust Twist: from Book Lust in the chapter “Italian American Writers” (p 129).
~*LunaSea*~ 