Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Revere Beach Boulevard
Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Roland Merullo
Class/Genre: Mystery Ethnic
Henry Holt, Sep 1998, $23.00, 320 pp.
Since the mid-thirties, the Imbesalacqua family has been a fixture in Revere Beach, Massachusetts. However, as the working class Italian town begins to decline, the fortunes of the Imbesalacquas also wane.
The patriarch Vito sadly watches as his beloved spouse for well over five decades is dying. His Peter's real estate business is crumbling as property value falls. Peter also owes large sums of money to the local gambling syndicate and his successful sister refuses to pay them off as she has done in the past. As his parents rally around him, Peter lies to his loved ones. However, everyone else has kept improprieties secret for years and ultimately this family may be paying the price for these discretions.
REVERE BEACH BOULEVARD is a tremendous ethnic novel that digs deep into the various mental processes and behavior of individuals. Providing a sensitive focus on a second generation Italian-American family, Roland Merullo provides readers a close up and personal look into the psyche of gambling addiction, family loyalties, and true crime bosses. This is must reading for anyone who enjoys a suspense-laden, unique but accurate look into the Italian-American community
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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