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BOOK REVIEW: Over Bridges Across Tables By Lucia Barbini Falcone Falcone Books / Trafford Publishing, 2005. 212 pp. In Over Bridges Across Tables, Lucia Barbini Falcone produces a collection of inter-related short stories about Murano, Italy. Told from the point of view of a fictional Anna Marchini, these stories are in large part based on the life of the author, and while there is a tone of nostalgia to many of the pieces, they move beyond simple sentimentality to offer the reader a more complex look at the universal human condition. Anna, the narrator of each story, has returned to Italy from the United States to aid her ailing mother, and upon her return, she realizes "life on the island has . . . changed." This leads her to recount her childhood memories of the island and the colorful characters of her past. She fondly remembers relatives, friends, and townspeople with whom she grew up on the small island, but her stories are more than a simple nostalgic reminiscence of a time past. They illustrate many of the challenges and struggles of life, illustrated through the memories of childhood. A central figure in the book is Papa Nico, Anna's father. Rather than a sentimental portrait of fatherhood, the author makes Nico into a more full, complex character. He is a factory worker who can converse on Dostoyvesky and Dickens. He is a loving father and husband, who works hard to provide for his family, but he is also an extravagant dreamer who never quite reaches his goals. So while Anna's memories are filled with stories of her father's eccentric and affectionate ways, they are also filled with memories of poverty and struggle and of her mother, the more practical one, stretching the family's income to pay the rent and to feed her large family. Anna's father, however, does teach his daughter about the more important things in life. Anna remembers her father, "An incurable dreamer, if Papa had followed his instincts from time to time, he would have blasted off the fondamenta, jumped into a high-speed motorboat, and taken a few detours in the lagoon of Venice. Instead, he kept his dreams in the kitchen on top of the credenza. He stared at them, talked about them during and after dinner and kept them alive in his mind while he savored with much gusto the now, and what he perceived to be the most important things in his life: a united family, friends, God, and food. Not necessarily in that order." The majority of the stories in Over Bridges Across Tables revolve around Anna's childhood adventures. The reader will encounter her special friendship with Tina, her loving aunts and uncles, and the many townspeople of the small island. Anna's memories illustrate Murano during a simpler time when neighbors watched out for each other's children, everyone knew each other's names, and everyone worked together to preserve the values and traditions of the community. In "A Walk through Murano," the reader follows Anna through Murano as she comes across Signor Rino's shop, where her mother buys linens for her daughters' dowries, and as she meets her Uncle Nano outside the osteria, where he sits with his friends while playing cards and talking politics. As Anna crosses town, the reader understands why "the islanders felt blessed that they could live in peace and raise a family away from the crime of a big city." However, Anna's memories are also filled with the challenges of everyday life. On a small island, gossip could ruin one's reputation and "there was no place to hide. Someone, somewhere, was always looking." The neighbors who would watch after your children were also the ones to gossip cruelly about an unexpected pregnancy or a wayward glance. In one story, "The Facts of Life," Anna learns that life and death are inextricably woven together. Giulietta, a simple girl, follows the advice of her mother and marries a drunk, "who spent all his free time drinking and singing from one Osteria to the next." Eventually, Giulietta becomes pregnant, and it seems the entire town is present to witness her labor, including Anna. However, the labor is not going well and, despite the prayers of the town, the baby dies in childbirth. From this tragedy, the young Anna learns that "no matter what happens, life somehow goes on." Perhaps, this is the central message in the book. An important image throughout the book is the island's cemetery. This is where Anna and Tina sneak away to talk privately and to tell stories. Anna remembers it with much fondness because it is a place of friendship in her memory even though as a child, Anna is forbidden to go there by her mother. At the end of the book, an older Tina tells Anna on a return visit to the cemetery that it is where she has buried her father, her husband, and her brother. Therefore, the cemetery comes to represents both the love and friendship so important in our lives and the tragedies we must overcome if "life somehow goes on." Anna's memories offer the reader much. One can learn about the culture and society of Murano, experience life in a small Italian town, and feel the presence and importance of loving family and friends. Over Bridges Across Tables serves as a reminder of what is important in life and of the importance of memory. The author, Lucia Barbini Falcone, was born and raised in Murano and now lives in Walnut Creek, California. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. She is the recipient of the Eisner Award in Prose, awarded for the "highest achievement in the creative arts" and has received honors from Writer's Digest. Over Bridges Across Tables can be purchased directly online at http://www.trafford.com/05-1443 -- where one can read excerpts of the book -- or at Amazon.com. Local bookstores can also order the book for interested readers. Italian Catholic Federation, 675 Hegenberger Road, Suite 230, Oakland CA 94621 tel: 888/ICF-1924; 510/633-9058; fax: 510/633-9758; Email: info@icf.org Website designed by HYPERSPHERE