Portofino
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Calvin, the irrepressibly endearing hero of Frank Schaeffer’s Calvin Becker Trilogy, is the son of a missionary family, and their trip to Portofino is the highlight of his year. But even in the seductive Italian summer, the Beckers can’t really relax. Calvin’s father could slip into a Bad Mood and start hurling potted plants at any time. His mother has an embarrassing habit of trying to convert “pagans” on the beach. And his sister Janet has a ski sweater and a miniature Bible in her luggage, just in case the Russians invade and send them to Siberia. His dad says everything is part of God’s plan. But this summer, Calvin has some plans of his own . . .
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1 primary book#1 in Calvin Becker Trilogy
Calvin Becker Trilogy is a 1-book series first released in 1992 with contributions by Frank Schaeffer.
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Short Review: an autobiographical novel of a missionary family's vacations in Italy. This is clearly a fictional version of the Schaeffer family and the start of Frank working out his demons that he later was more explicit about in his two memoirs. One of Frank Schaeffer's strengths as a writer is that he can have characters do and say horrible things without losing compassion for the character themselves. But, I think because I have read his memoirs first, there is an uncomfortable feeling reading the book. I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop all the time.
On the whole there is less anger and more compassion in this book, especially for his mother, if anything it is the sisters that look worse in Portofino than in the memoirs.
But Frank is a talented writer and the story is a decent one. But I need another six months or so before I try to read another one.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/portofino/