20 Jan / Uncle Rico’s Encore: Mostly True Stories of Filipino Seattle by Peter Bacho [in Booklist]
“Each morning when I rise, I pause to remember the preciousness of what I have lost, and I cherish it.” Septuagenarian Peter Bacho, whose first novel, Cebu (1991), won the American Book Award, commits those memories to the page in poignant, affecting “mostly true stories.” Bacho’s memoir opens with a literal “Lay of the Land” – a map highlighting six Seattle neighborhoods of his childhood and marking his experiences with a pedophilic priest, a local hero, the titular Uncle Rico, Vietnam War-bound friends, and Pinoy communities.
“Was It That Long Ago” features his mother before she succumbs completely to dementia, why marshmallows are necessary for fishing, mentors and saviors, and his insistence that his 8-year-old self killed Pope Pius XII. “On Boxing, Mother, Violence, and Writing” turns darker with failed relationships, chasing dangerous dreams, and the raw need “to either become a writer or admit it was a fantasy.” Mortality haunts the fourth and final section, “A Close Call, Memories, a Last Goodbye.”
Spanning the 1950s to now, Bacho’s mosaic, communal Filipino American memoir expresses unexpected humor, lingering regret, deft insight, and profound gratitude.
Review: “Fiction,” Booklist, January 1&15, 2022
Readers: Adult
Published: 2022