Small Memories

<p>"Small Memories is a . . . nourishing last gift from a great writer."--<em>Washington Post</em></p><p>Shifting back and forth between childhood and his teenage years between Azinhaga and Lisbon this is a mosaic of memories a simply told affecting look into the author's boyhood: the tragic death of his older brother at the age of four; his mother pawning the family's blankets every spring and buying them back in time for winter; his beloved grandparents bringing the weaker piglets into their bed on cold nights; and Saramago's early encounters with literature from teaching himself to read by deciphering articles in the daily newspaper to poring over an entertaining dialogue in a Portuguese-French conversation guide not realizing that he was in fact reading a play by Moliere.</p><p>Written with Saramago's characteristic wit and honesty <em>Small Memories</em> traces the formation of an artist fascinated by words and stories from an early age who emerged against all odds as one of the world's most respected writers.</p><p>"Like a nostalgic progenitor bestowing his wealth of life experience upon a younger generation Saramago digs deep into his peasant roots to sketch a rough outline of the little boy who would become one of the greatest Portuguese-language writers"--<em>Portland Oregonian</em></p>