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Marie Graham has driven from Northampton and the funeral of her
much-loved great aunt, Clara Pelletier, to Montreal to find her
dear Uncle Charlie in the Sisters of the Sacred Heart nursing home,
where he has lived for over twenty-five years. Their reunion is
bittersweet. Uncle Charlie, nearly ninety-three, is failing. His
greatest wish is to know everything that happened to the family
that he left behind when he disappeared after serving his prison
sentence for the accidental killing of his brother. Marie tells him
the story of their French-Canadian family from the time right after
World War II until 1980. All the joy and sorrow are here, all the
choices made and the consequences described. This is a tale of
lives lived in a time of change when old ways gave way to new
challenges and new possibilities. Pete returned home from the war
determined to pursue his dream of a successful business. Angela
learned from her experience working in a bomb factory that she
likes the feeling of accomplishment she experienced then and seeks
to find that again. Clara demonstrates her capacity to love and to
survive whatever life deals her. Marie and Amy and Petey are
examples of how the strength of strong family bonds guide each new
generation. These are characters to capture your interest and your
heart.
This is a continuation of a story about a family of
French-Canadians living in Northampton, Massachusetts. If you have
not already met these characters in "Forgive me, Father," meet them
here. The time now is 1941. Newsreels shown before every movie
pictured Hitler making speeches, storm troopers marching through
villages and bombs raining down on England. Newspapers were full of
front page stories of Japanese soldiers wreaking havoc as they
swept through the Asian continent. Men discussed the probability of
going to war and women wept at the thought. Pete Billieux and Ray
Carpenter declare it is their duty to enlist as the family clusters
around the radio listening to the news of the attack on Pearl
Harbor. Despite the pleas of the women the men go to war. This is
the story of the women left behind to learn how to drive a car,
handle money, grow a "victory" garden and work in a bomb-making
factory. It is also about the lives of two men, following different
paths, who endure boredom, frustration, venality, fear and pain. In
letters back and forth between stations in England, France, North
Africa, Sicily and Northampton, each of them remember the
importance of family and the endurance of love. This book covers
the time period between 1941 and 1945. The country was swept with
patriotic fervor. Every man in the service felt that the cause was
just, that the evil of Hitler and his Nazi Party and the
warmongering of the Japanese Military leaders must be stopped.
Factories ran night and day to produce the necessary equipment to
win the war. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the war would
be won, even knowing that the cost in lives of brave young men
would be high. This is a tale ofordinary heroes, gallant men and
women. They are complex individuals, full of contradictions,
passionate in their commitments, courageous, infuriating and
exasperating, all at the same time. You will recognize them from
your own family histories and remember them long
This is a story about four generations of French-Canadians living
in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1937. The country is still in the
throes of the Great Depression. Living together, sharing chores,
following old traditions, they are facing a major change as the
elderly matriarch of the family is slowly dying. The turmoil that
often accompanies inheritance issues grips them. Tensions between
the oldest son and the youngest son about the disposition of
property after Maman's death erupt in violence and tragedy. The
younger daughter, a widow, lives at home, works in a hosiery
factory and enjoys amorous adventures with traveling salesmen. One
of those relationships brings an unexpected twist to the story. The
tale is enriched by details of French-Canadian culture, Catholic
Church rituals and the atmosphere of the period just before World
War II. Although many people struggled to find jobs during that
period, the majority carried on, adjusted their living
accommodations, shared their resources and lived their lives in the
same way people before them met adversity. They endured. These are
complex characters, full of contradiction, passionate in their
commitments, poignant in their grief. Readers will recognize them
in their own families and remember Charlie, Oscar, Tillie and Clara
long after they turn the last page.
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