Title: Rising Above: A Memoir About Family Betrayal, and Growing Into Forgiveness
Author: Bruno DeLuca
Publisher: Authorhouse
ISBN: 978-1-5246-5962-2
Pages: 108
Genre: Memoir/Christian/Spiritual
Reviewed By: Tiffany Ezuma
Pacific Book Review
One of the most important relationships a person will have in their life is their relationship with their parents, particularly their relationship to the parent of the same gender. This book, Rising Above: A Memoir About Family Betrayal, and Growing Into Forgiveness, by Bruno DeLuca explores that subject matter in depth as the author comes to terms with his rocky relationship with his father, Giovanni.
Starting before DeLuca was even born, he recounts how his Italian immigrant father came to Canada at the age of 16 in order to start a new life for himself. That’s where he eventually met DeLuca’s mother and started a family; two sons, Bruno and his brother, Rocco. Early on in the memoir, it’s easy to see that Giovanni was a hard-working man, as he started over numerous times before becoming successful with his bakery which he made the two boys work in. But at the same time, the reader will begin to see the narrative that even though Giovanni wanted the best for his family, he was somewhat distant with his sons, quick to temper and cheated on his wife.
Over the course of the memoir, DeLuca does a good job of weaving in the different aspects of his father’s personality to create a full picture of the man even though he did not always understand his father or his actions, or even himself for that matter. It’s interesting to read as DeLuca gets older and became a pastry chef himself because of the way his own personality diverges.
Overall, this memoir is a concise yet powerful exploration of one of the most personality defining relationships a man has in his life. It’s relatable to anyone who has ever sought approval from a parent and to anyone trying to move on from a toxic relationship. DeLuca’s faith will also be appealing to anyone who’s looking to deepen their own relationship with Christ and see how someone else uses Bible teachings in their life.
