damian lopes Curriculum Vitae Order ContactWriting
The Mango Stone
Novel by damian lopesWork in Progress
The Mango Stone follows three generations of a Goan family over several decades as they migrate from South Asia to East Africa, Britain and finally to Canada. Each move brings with it altered expectations which lead both to cultural and inter-generational conflicts. These conflicts take place in a context of great colonial upheaval. The focus is on two characters: Xavier Lobo, the patriarch of the family, who was born in Goa (then Portuguese India) but left home for East Africa; and Peter, Xavier’s eldest son, who was born in East Africa and whose aspirations take him to Britain. The work ends in the early seventies with the death of Xavier in Canada, where the family has followed Peter.
Story telling – the telling of tall tales in particular – is a vital part of Goan culture. This novel takes advantage of this tradition by blending the oral and literary, tall tales and reflective narrative. Each chapter moves fluidly through time, memory and myth to examine the characters' losses, the predicament of the present. While the cultures explored may be new to many readers, conflict bridges the unfamiliar.
Five selections from earlier drafts of The Mango Stone have appeared in Descant, The Toronto Review, and West Coast Line. Previous working titles for this work include St Anthony’s Children, and History: my father told me. The author wishes to thank the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and City of Barrie for support which allowed for the writing and editing of much of this work.
