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Published Feb 2008
320 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
Francisco D’Sai is a firstborn son of a firstborn son—all the way back to the beginning of a long line of proud Konkans. Known as the 'Jews of India,' the Konkans kneeled before the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama’s sword and before Saint Francis Xavier’s cross, abandoned their Hindu traditions, and became Catholics. In 1973 Francisco’s Konkan father, Lawrence, and American mother, Denise, move to Chicago, where Francisco is born. His father, who does his best to assimilate into American culture, drinks a lot and speaks little. But his mother, who served in the Peace Corps in India, and his uncle Sam (aka Samuel Erasmus D’Sai) are passionate raconteurs who do their best to preserve the family’s Konkan heritage. Friends, allies, and eventually lovers, Sam and Denise feed Francisco’s imagination with proud visions of India and Konkan history.
"Starred Review. D'Souza puts a fresh spin on the theme of cultural alienation, and he achieves something even more universal as he shows how the characters are alone together in their family." - Publishers Weekly.
"Every page yields its pleasures - D'Souza is a natural. The only disappointment is that he has not orchestrated the lives of his three protagonists into a more focused narrative." - Kirkus Reviews.
"Starred Review. This vibrantly written novel, with colorful descriptions of India and the experiences of new immigrants in America, alternates between the hilarious and the heartbreaking; highly recommended for public and academic libraries." - Library Journal.
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Tony D'Souza is the author of the novel Whiteman, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist for First Fiction and winner of the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
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