Tribal Lores

Tribal Lores by Archimede Fusillo (Walker Books Australia) PB RRP $19.99 ISBN 9781760651954

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

There are numerous tribes in this hefty 420-page YA novel, but the principal ones are an Italian and Australian family who are next door neighbours. 

Fusillo explores the dynamics of these families as they interact with one another. In one house is Frankie, the book’s narrator, the eldest son of Italian parents and brother of Stefano (about to start high school but unwilling to Anglicise his name). In the other house are the Marshalls – mum, dad, Lochie, sister  Catherine, and Lochie’s half-sister, the 17-year-old pregnant Em, and her layabout hippy partner Ray. There is also a long-dead sister, Amelia, who is still mourned by the family. Frankie, who is 16, says, ‘what I have at home is a tribe. We’re like related, but we’re not, sort of…’ Frankie and Lochie, too, have another tribe – their friends China, Go, and Spicks who they play – and fight – with.

This is basically a book about relationships, with interesting characters such as Frankie’s cousin, Gabbie, a wheelchair-bound lesbian, and Uncle Zio Peter, a gambler who is constantly borrowing money from his dad. There are secrets in Lochie’s family, too, such as his dad’s alcoholism. As Frankie tries to navigate relationships, he observes, ‘Every tribe has a certain level of chaos that (runs) through their lives.’ Thus, the book explores the notion of extended family linked by culture as well as by blood.

The book starts on Australia Day with Frankie’s family invited to the Marshall’s for a barbeque. Frankie’s mother takes a mass of Italian food including buffalo mozzarella arancini, prosciutto, and almond crispelli. Immediately, of course, the cultural differences are apparent.

Despite tensions simmering just below the surface for both boys and their families, Frankie and Lochie have a bond that connects their different worlds. Archimede Fusillo has written a raw and powerful coming of age novel and it is easy to appreciate his honest and raw approach to portraying family dynamics as well as the dynamics of the boys’ friendship group which has its problems.  

At times, the plot is slow-moving, especially the scenes between Frankie and Andrew (China) Wang. However, teenagers who enjoy a nostalgic coming of age story that explores culture and growing up, are sure to find much to like in this book.

 

Dead Dog in the Still of the Night

Dead Dog in the Still of the Night by Archimede Fusillo (Ford Street Publishing)

PB RRP $18.95

ISBN 978-1925000344

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

Dead Dog in the Still of the Night is Archimede Fusillo’s fifth novel for the young adult readership. Like his other novels, this story takes us on a very real and relatable journey through the turbulent life of Primo.

Primo is trying to finish his VCE, but things at home aren’t making it easy. His Italian father, riddled with paranoia and delusions from the onset of dementia, is an ailing womaniser now in a home. His Irish mother is exhausted and depleted, not only from looking after his father, but also from years of forgiving her husband’s infidelities that have torn the family apart. Primo’s brother, Adrian, has followed in his father’s footsteps and has moved back home after his wife caught him cheating with another woman, Crystal, who is now making things even more difficult for Adrian. If that weren’t enough, Primo’s own relationship with his girlfriend Maddie is on unsteady ground. 

Primo is angry at his father and brother for their actions, disappointed that his mother kept forgiving his father and confused at how his life became such a mess. Buckling under the pressure of it all, Primo makes the wrong decision to take his father’s dust collecting, prized Fiat 500 classic red car – Bambino – out for a drive to see Maddie. But the car far from impresses Maddie and after an argument about a broken promise, Primo reels the car out of control and crashes the passenger door. Desperate to fix it before anyone in the family finds out, Primo asks his best mate, Tones, for help. The crash leads Primo and Tones down an unredeemable path that isn’t so easy to turn back. A series of events – a dead dog, a mindless scare, the bashing of his brother Adrian, confrontations with Crystal’s brother and the unravelling of the family – force Primo to make some hard decisions about the type of life he wants.

This story races through uneasy terrain, shedding light on and raising questions about family, trust, friendship, promises, betrayal, forgiveness, strength, consequences, finding oneself and the choices we make. Fusillo does this with a touch of heart-warming grace. The characters in Dead Dog in the Still of the Night fly off the page and dialogue is colloquial and fast-paced. His turn of phrase, written in such a hard hitting and artful manner, takes readers right into the heart of this story and keeps them there.