In Revere, in those days Book

Revere is a seashore town in Massachusetts, and the narrator of this story, Anthony Benedetto, tells the story of his life. Anthony's family is a close-knit one. He and his parents share a two-family house with his grandparents, and when his parents are killed in a plane crash, Anthony simply moves downstairs and is raised by his grandparents. He is especially close to his Uncle Peter, and Peter's daughter Rosalie is Anthony's best friend, although they part ways as Rosalie runs with a bad crowd as they grow older. For me, the relationship between Anthony and his grandfather is the key to the story. He helps Anthony deal with the grief of losing his parents, but more importantly, Grandfather understands that Anthony is trying to reconcile his Italian ancestry and values with 20th century American life. Anthony is a good boy, smart in school, and Grandfather has plans for him. He teaches Anthony to ice skate and play hockey. He encourages Anthony in his education and Anthony wins a scholarship for high school at Phillips Exeter Academy in NH. From the blurb in the cover, "As the New World calls to him, Anthony gradually grows up and away from Revere but finds that it is as much a part of him as his eye color and the size of his hands. His eventual realizations - that geography is destiny, that suffering is universal, and that he is able to pass on, to his own children, the priceless Benedetto inheritance of warmth and caring - form the essence of who he becomes as a man."