I, Maria da Piedade Smyth (neฬe Silva), was born in Aฬgua de Alto, Saฬo Miguel, Acฬงores, Portugal on March 15, 1951.
In this memoir, I tell the story of my family of origin which is deeply embedded in my consciousness. I delve into the close-knit Silva family members who all emigrated out of the Azores and settled in Canada.
The motivating reason to emigrate was to seek economic opportunities but in my familyโs case it was also to find religious freedom.
I endeavour to show the powerful influence of childhood, persecution, and courage. I explore issues of abandonment, forgiveness, and redemption.
In the authorโs own words:
โI am the narrator of this memoir. I have organized the memoir into three parts. In the first part, family events are portrayed that happened before I was born: emigration patterns, religious conversion and persecution, marriages and deaths of the previous generation, and all decisions and actions, made by my grandparents that affected the next and subsequent generations.
In the second part, I record specific memories I have of my Azorean childhood experience. These are the memories I often think about, and they bring great joy and comfort to me, as I remember my happy childhood surrounded by extended family in a society that was devoid of television and offered many direct experiences with nature.
It was during these early years that I learned so much and began to develop a self-identity, and gradually found an emerging awareness and consciousness of myself in the world.
In the third part, I move to a more present time, with a focus on immigration to Canada and the reunification of the Silva family in Streetsville, Ontario.
I show how the past (memory) influences the present as well as the future (expectation).โ
