North Of The Port

by Anthony Bukoski

As in his earlier works, the dozen stories in Bukoski's fifth collection depict the joys and woes of the Polish American immigrant families living either in the East End of Superior, Wisconsin, or in south Louisiana, where some Poles migrated to work the cane fields. Bukoski's lower middle-class families are sustained by their neighborhood (now in decline), by the Polish fraternal lodge, by their parochial school training, and, in some cases, by their abiding spiritual faith.

Genres: Short Stories

192 pages, Hardcover

First published April 22, 2008

Reviews

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magical realism set in a real, gritty but much-loved port town of Superior, WI, which by the end of the book feels like the navel of the world. The author was born in Superior, is a graduate of UWS, and teaches there in the English department. Interesting, sometimes surreal stories, all involving Polish-Americans, most set in Superior, WI. I live in the Duluth-Superior area, and this made the book especially enjoyable for me, because the fictional stories are set in a real community, in a real place, with bars and churches and rivers and shrubs and weather and history I've seen, or can see, now that I know where to look. I could swear I've seen some of the people in the stories walking around town or riding the bus. (Though I could have seen their distant relatives in Hoboken, Philadelphia, Baltimore, etc.) This obviously gave the stories a special kick for me, but they are good on their own terms too.

[Rachel Swearingen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come.


"This was in Poland, where things happened that are secret. My sister was the white eagle that saved us, the eagle that is the symbol of Poland. Now we live in Wisconsin. It is 1952, summer. We have moved here from the South." From "A Guide to American Trees"

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The book consists of numerous short stories of life in small town Wisconsin. There is some humor in these short stories about Polish immigrants and Catholics on Lake Superior. If you don't have that connection, it would probably not be of great interest.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories about the Polish community in Superior, WI

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old world catholic, Polish community in Superior, WI.

[Monte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories of Polish American immigrant families living in Superior Wisconsin