Comments on: The Night Gardener http://davidthayer.booksquare.com/archives/2006/10/10/529/ One more bite of the apple. Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:24:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Ipofrigio http://davidthayer.booksquare.com/archives/2006/10/10/529/#comment-67429 Ipofrigio Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:30:05 +0000 http://davidthayer.booksquare.com/archives/2006/10/10/529/#comment-67429 I know I am dumb, but I am halfway through the novel and still couldn't make out Ramone's ethnicity: his first name (Giuseppe) gives him away as Italian; the surname rings Hispanic. While talking to his (black) colleague Rhonda, who is putting down a PD speaker on TV for being white and blonde, Ramone happens to say: "My mother was white" - probably meaning that his father was Hispanic? Or rather black? It would not be such a big deal with some other authors, but in Pelecanos, where race issues are always in the forefront and red-hot, this seems crucial. Thanks, Marco I know I am dumb, but I am halfway through the novel and still couldn’t make out Ramone’s ethnicity: his first name (Giuseppe) gives him away as Italian; the surname rings Hispanic.

While talking to his (black) colleague Rhonda, who is putting down a PD speaker on TV for being white and blonde, Ramone happens to say: “My mother was white” - probably meaning that his father was Hispanic? Or rather black?

It would not be such a big deal with some other authors, but in Pelecanos, where race issues are always in the forefront and red-hot, this seems crucial.

Thanks, Marco

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