I just finished, "Home is an Island" and read about the author (I seem to do things in reverse order!). The dust cover says he "immigrated to California in 1922, learned English only after arriving in America and went on to study law and became a municipal judge in the San Joaquin Vally."
Since the book ends with Jose leaving the Azores, I was curious as to what happened to Jose. I am assuming Jose was Alfred Lewis' experience in his homeland until he left for America. Now, I am pretty sure he did not return to Pico and his beloved, Maria da Serra. Celeste Perry [email protected] From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, July 5, 2012 4:41 AM Subject: Re: [AZORES-Genealogy] History of the Azores Thanks Celeste, I will try and find those two books, and I too, would like to learn more about the life of our ancestors on the islands. AVA In a message dated 7/3/2012 1:21:26 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time (Mex, [email protected] writes: I have just finished reading "Dark Stones" by Dias de Melo. I am currently reading "Home is an Island by Alfred Lewis and both of these books have given me more understanding of what life was like for those that lived in the Azore Islands at the time my grandparents (and before their time) came to the USA. > Because I lived in their home and listened to the stores told about their >life before they immigrated, I thought I had a pretty clear picture of what >that life was like. In 1989, I visited the continent where my grandfather was >born and the village where was born where they received electricity in 1980. >I saw things I had no idea existed; and, things were more "modern" than when >my grandfather lived there. > Although Terceira is more updated (I think the airbase has made for that >change), from my first trip to Porto Judeu where my grandmother was born in >1999 and subsequent visits until 2009, I still saw bread being baked in what >looked like a fireplace behind a house and stayed in hotels that had no heat >in the rooms. In the winter of 2003, I thought I would freeze. The >temperature was about what we have here in Hayward; however, with no heat in >the room, tile floors, and cement walls, I truly got a feel for what my >ancestors felt in their little villages with few things we take for granted. > These 2 books have given me a sense of what the poor had to put up with. I >got the feeling that if one person had 2 trees in a certain orchard, they felt >superior to someone who had no trees. If a child learned to read, he was >looked upon as someone who was "showing off;" and, there have always been >bullies who taunted those who tried to better themselves. >Celeste, Hayward, CA > Celeste Perry [email protected] >To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >[email protected]. Follow the confirmation directions when >they arrive. >For more options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail >(vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at >http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right >that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership."-- To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. Follow the confirmation directions when they arrive. For more options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." -- To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. Follow the confirmation directions when they arrive. For more options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership."
