Norumbega Park

Richie Palumbo the most prosaic of men gets lost one night in 1969 while driving home with his family. He finds himself in the town of Norumbega—hidden remote and gorgeous at the far edges of Boston''s western suburbs. He sees a venerable old house and without quite knowing why decides he must have it. The repercussions of Richie''s wild dream to own a house in this town lead to a forty-year odyssey for his family. For his son Jack Norumbega becomes a sexual playground—until he meets one ungraspable girl and begins a lifelong pursuit of her. Joannie Richie''s daughter finds that the challenges of living in Norumbega encourage her to pursue the contemplative life. For Stella Richie''s wife life in Norumbega leads to surprising growth as both a sexual and a spiritual being.Norumbega Park—by Anthony Giardina the critically acclaimed author of White Guys—is about class and parental dreams sex and spirituality the way visions conflict with stubborn reality and a family''s ability to open up for others a world they can never fully grasp for themselves.