The Marriage of the Portuguese

In this newly expanded edition of The Marriage of the Portuguese, first published in 1978, Sam Pereira encounters the world as it exists now, three decades later, and weaves poetry around his signature realization of sometimes painful, sometimes joyous experience. Often cynical and at times somewhat risque, this is the work of a man who has lived fully those three additional decades and survived them handily, having learned to accept life's uncertainties--indeed to embrace them--even as he recognizes that knowledge is at best fleeting.

In poems evocative of times past, The Marriage of the Portuguese is replete with images of seas both literal and metaphorical--the earth's oceans and the troubled waters of the emotions. Throughout, he maintains the dignity his ancestors demanded, while intentionally courting risks that are inescapable. This is the work of someone fully experiencing what it means to be human in a society that continually threatens that humanity. Caught up in familial complexities inherent in being third-generation Portuguese in America, Pereira's theme remains one of positive belief--even if not strictly the belief of his ancestors, nevertheless belief true to his rich Portuguese heritage.

SAM PEREIRA's books include Brittle Water and A Cafe in Boca. He lives and teaches in California's San Joaquin Valley.