Reviewed by Tatum Walker
I love a family saga. A meandering tale of love, loss, trauma, triumph, etc. Some of my most recent favorites include This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman and the 2012 TV series Parenthood. I find it particularly difficult to find one of great quality, though. In such a character driven story, I’m looking for a clear voice, a compelling cast, and an interesting story. One of these elements are often sacrificed in favor of another, but a great family saga contains all of the above. Purgatoire by Liz Prato was one of the greats.
In Purgatoire, Prato highlights the ripple effects of migration and the ways in which one man’s decisions have the power to affect a family for decades to come. Written from multiple perspectives, the book sheds light on various members of the family, writing one extended story with many different pens. The book has elements of magical realism, woven into a sparkling tale of love, loss, and survival.
Purgatoire follows a large group of characters. Set in Colorado mining towns, it is the story of a family of Italian immigrants told over the course of sixty-five years. Each chapter is told from a new perspective, sometimes first-person point of view, other times third. The chapters themselves vary in length, and each doesn’t necessarily feature a self-contained tale. In this way, the book felt a bit like a short story collection. Told through personal narratives, letters, interviews, and ghost stories, Prato paints a picture of a family haunted by the disappearance of their patriarch.
The first section follows a modern-day mother navigating her husband’s mental health crisis in the wake of their crumbling marriage. Her husband’s mental state, and in turn the state of their marriage, sets the tone for most of the characters we’ll follow later on. The women in these stories are resilient, strong, capable mothers. The men are troubled…a quality ever apparent in the relationships they have inhabit.
The second woman we meet Sabe, is a young mother of two sons and one late daughter. After receiving a letter from husband Tobia who went ahead to America in search of a new life, she decides to make her way to the states. She leaves her sons behind in the care of their grandparents with a promise to send for them soon. Following the disappearance, or abandonment, of her husband Tobia, Sabe builds a new life for herself. She becomes a dancer to support herself and save money to send for her sons. At her new place of work, she meets Joe Mago who she marries later in the same chapter. Together, she and Joe run the store in town. They save enough money to bring over her children with only a few minor hiccups (namely in the form of a brand-new truck). Sabe’s sons, who anglicize their Italian names to be Nash and Pete, are featured in other chapters of the story.
Sabe’s family line, the Parellas, make up only half of the focus of this story. Another family, the Ossanas, become interspersed, making up the other half of the book. Maria Ossana and her husband Frank also make the journey to America from Italy, and their daughter Perina later marries Pete, Sabe’s youngest son. In Maria’s chapter, we see a mother longing for her child. Her son Richard stayed behind in Italy to attend school for music. Over the course of Maria’s chapter, we learn that Richard is happy in Italy. He has two very close friends with whom he lives, and he enjoys his studies tremendously. However, war ends the harmony that had existed in his life.
In another section of the book, we hear from Joe Mago firsthand. Our previous encounters with Joe had been through the lens of his wife Sabe. In Joe’s chapter, we see a man beaten down. The Joe we knew before is forever changed after the events of his section of the story, leading to consequences for his stepsons, and his future daughters in law.
Aside from the two families, Purgatoire also features a fantastical (and immortal) cat and a group of unnamed ghosts known only as Las Animas. Through the eyes of the cat, we learn that Pete, Sabe’s son, has married Perina. They live together with Joe and Sabe. The cat informs us that things between them are not ideal…Pete has an unquenchable anger, and it is often directed at his fragile wife Perina. Perina’s fragility is mainly created by her constant contact with the dead. Since she was a child, she has been able to speak to Las Animas. They talk to her constantly, warning her of events that have not yet unfolded. Similarly, her brother Richard is troubled, though his mental state cannot be attributed to ghosts. His time in the military scarred him, and he never acclimated to life in America.
Later in the book, Steve is sentenced to prison. His conviction comes during Prohibition, and though his crimes were nonviolent, he is forced to serve 18 months. We learn of Pete’s imprisonment through interviews conducted with his family. While Pete’s brother Steve is unkind to his wife, speaking down to her and their children, Pete is a kind and compassionate spouse. In an interview with his wife, we learn that Pete is a doting husband and father, less affected by their family’s past than his brother. Pete’s wife Matilda is a teacher. Through her interview, we learn that she teaches night classes on citizenship and literacy. In her interview, she tells the journalist that men are more likely to “allow” their wives to take classes if they think it will help them get better jobs.
She says, “Allow. That word gives me a headache. My husband never has to allow me to do anything. You know what he says? He says, “You are the brains, I am the muscle.”
On the contrary, Steve talks down to his wife Perina constantly. He criticizes her cooking, cleaning, parenting, etc. The two brothers could not be more different: one filled with pride and vitriol, the other with love and adoration.
Purgatoire was a true joy to read. Prato did a marvelous job of depicting how the choices of one man can affect dozens. Additionally, the way she contrasted members of each family shows that individual agency makes all the difference. In the case of Pete and Steve, each brother was given the same set of circumstances. And yet, they had wildly different lives.