Customer Reviews

Stories Grandma Never Told: Portuguese Women in California

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I purchased this book for my husbands Portuguese grandmother, who is getting on in years and doesnt read much anymore. She read the entire book in two days! I also looked through the book, and was very impressed with the authors keen insight into the traditional Portuguese ways and customs. I will also purchase another copy for my daughter, so she can learn as much about her Portuguese heritage as possible, when she is old enough to understand it.I would like to instill a sense of pride in my daughters various ethnicities, and this book will be a fun and interesting was for her to learn about the struggles and challenges her grandparents faced as immigrints in earlier times.

tHIS BOOK IS A MUST FOR EVERY PORTUGUESE WOMAN/MAN TO READ. BEING OF PORTUGUESE DESCENT. I REALLY RELATED TO THESE STORIES. BOTH OF MY PARENTS WERE IMMIGRANTS TO THE USA FROM THE AZORE ISLANDS. I TRULY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK OF TO ANYONE WHO IS OF PORTUGUESE HERITAGE..BROUGHT BACK MANY MEMORIES OF MY GRANDPARENTS &PARENTS. EVEN THOUGH I WAS BORN IN THIS COUNTRY, I REMEMBER THE FESTAS, SOPAS, LINGUISA, HOLIDAYS OF THE PORTUGUESE PEOPLE. HOPEFULLY, I HAVE PASSED ON SOMETHING TO MY OWN THREE CHILDREN..

I enjoyed Stories Grandma Never Told on a purely nostalgic level. Each chapter brought back anecdotes that my grandparents and parents told me of their experiences in immigrating to California from the Azores. I was surprised at how similar the book's subject's stories were to those that were told by my grandparents. Above all, I was reminded at how wonderful it is to have a strong cultural identity in one's background.

However, I realized early that the reason I was enjoying this book was because I was supplying much of the emotional energy. I certainly wasn't helped by the writing, which could best be described as pedestrian. The writing was exceptionally lacking in providing each of the interviewed subjects with a distinctive voice, thus making it difficult to distinguish one interviewee from another. Because of the Lick's inability to make any of her sources seem unique, the special qualities of the Portuguese culture also seem indistinguishable from those displayed by other European cultures. As a result, I'm not sure that any non-Portuguese reader of this book would find it interesting or informative.

You should read (and probably own) this book if you are Portuguese. It will bring back many good memories of ancestors, as well as reminders of the struggles they endured in order to be successful in their new home. But, if you're not Portuguese, you will most likely not find anything that distinguishes these stories from those told by the Italians, the Basques, or any other nationality that immigrated to the United States. Consequently, Stories Grandma Never Told has to be considered a missed opportunity in sharing the special qualities that come with being Portuguese.

This book is very helpful, especially if your mother and/or grandmother was an immigrant. Information gives good detail into our heritage and the spirit and hardships faced by our ancestors.
I will be sharing information with my children and grandchildren.Stories Grandma Never Told: Portuguese Women in California

I am not Portuguese but my husband is. If you are a woman of Portuguese descent or have married into a Portuguese family, read this book. I was laughing from the very beginning but it also taught me a lot. Portuguese women in the United States, whether immigrants or born here, will find their stories in this book. Thought you were the only one who struggled to grow up in America with parents from the old country? You are not alone.

Loved it.

This book is written in a style that reminds me of a graduate thesis, the subject of course being the Portuguese who immigrated to California. The title is slightly misleading because, while there are a lot of stories, most of it relates to you perspectives from specific women and their experiences as immigrants. It is through these specific women that Lick recaptures what it was like to immigrate from Portugal and the Azores, the traditions, culture, and country they left behind, and what they found once they got here. Being of Portuguese descent, this book was incredibly insightful about what my foremothers went through when they immigrated to America, and what the Azores were (and are) like. It gave me a wonderful perspective on a world I might otherwise have never really known. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

As the daughter of Portuguese immigrants, I had very high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it failed to deliver in terms of quality. Although it was a very admirable concept, the book was very poorly written and organized, embarrassingly so. The book is worthwhile in terms of its ambition, that is, to document the lives and contributions of Portuguese immigrant women. If taken simply for that, it certainly has some value. Do not expect any eloquence or flow, however.

I was extremely disappointed with this book. It was almost completely anecdotal, with very little analysis. Anyone interested in this subject should read Portuguese Spinner, which is beautifully written and organized and which provides some real insight into the culture of Portuguese immigrants. I found this book rambling and pointless, sad to say.

As the daughter of Portuguese immigrants, I had very high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it failed to deliver in terms of quality. Although it was a very admirable concept, the book was very poorly written and organized, embarrassingly so. The book is worthwhile in terms of its ambition, that is, to document the lives and contributions of Portuguese immigrant women. If taken simply for that, it certainly has some value. Do not expect any eloquence or flow, however.