Adam's Breed

Set in an italian neighborhood in England with WWII as a backdrop, a child is born, fatherless and instantly motherless, into a family who can not love him. He is not one of them, and his grandmother and grandfather see him as the murderer of her child, thier daughter...but they raise him out of obligation, teach him to work in their deli, send him to good schools, and fulfill their obligations to him. Gian Luca does well, forges his way very well in everything he does, but a time comes when he can no longer offer himself to his own success...he begins to see himself, and others in a way that challenges his sense of place in life.. A beautiful book for those who appreciate the culture of food, the myth of neighborhood, the dynamic and extraordinary constitution of family, and how all of these things tie to each other and lead back to the individual man's relationship with living. This is a strange, and engaging book, so well written, and very unique. I wish there were a way to get this book back IN print! I buy this book as a gift often. A book you want to share with others.

This book sheds light on male identity, bi-racial attitudes and connection to place and time. Hall does an amazing job discussing how a man finds his identity when he is a bastard child. It is obvious she imparts her own feelings of attatchment and isolation into the main character - GianLuca. I thouroughly enjoyed this work and was amazed at some of the issues Hall addresses.