Covered in Flour – 1968: A Young Boy’s Perspective on School, Family, and Changing Times is a slice-of-life novel by Charles Presti highlighting a year in the life of a third-grader, Carlos Pozzi.

Review

“…every note—high or low, right, or wrong—is essential in creating our own beautiful song.”

– Charles Presti, Covered in Flour – 1968: A Young Boy’s Perspective on School, Family, and Changing Times

Covered in Flour – 1968: A Young Boy’s Perspective on School, Family, and Changing Times accurately reflects this sentiment. As a third grader, Carlos Pozzi’s life centered on playing with his sisters, cousins, and friends, attending Sunday morning Masses, and having countless family get-togethers. Concepts of world politics or racial injustice were foreign to him, as were the subtle cracks in a seemingly happy family. Yet, as their new teacher, Ms. Veezi, introduced him to the conflicts of the real world, Carlos began to realize that everything was not as perfect as he had imagined.

The novel, while fictional, was nonetheless inspired by personal experiences, making it rich in emotions. Divided into multiple short chapters, it described a formative year in Carlos’ life. It was a year when he became more aware of the sociopolitical scenario of the time and more intuitive of the shifts in family dynamics. I loved how Presti showed the gradual emergence of this consciousness by creating a montage of events. Some profound moments altered Carlos’ perceptions readily, while others took shape in his impressionable mind in due time. I admired Ms. Veezi’s innovative ideas of including popular TV shows and books in her curriculum to educate young scholars. The knowledge of the differing worldviews of the politicians was also enriching.

One of the main themes in this novel was to show how the family environment could influence a child’s growth. Starting from Carlos’ parents’ courtship, Presti also elaborated on the home lives of the grandparents and various aunts and uncles, giving us a holistic picture of his close-knit family. The death of a loved one left a lasting sense of grief, whereas fun-filled moments with the cousins left a deep-seated memory of unbridled joy. Learning to make delicacies as per the family recipes gave Carlos a lesson in upholding traditions.

What I loved the most was how candidly Presti expressed Carlos’ emotions, be it his shortcomings in the athletic department or his misgivings about the hidden conflicts in his family. His shame over his father’s racial slurs and derogatory behavior was palpable. Presti carefully showed how the inevitable clash between Ms. Veezi’s idealism and Carlos’ father’s prejudices affected the little boy. Yet, he learned to accept the negatives as unavoidable parts of his learning experience. The instances of abuse and family drama made him realize that families were as complicated as an individual was. He drew inspiration from his mother, a calm and composed yet strong presence all his life. Presti did not fail to showcase the positive sides of Carlos’ father, including his immense bravery and sense of duty. These apparent contrasts proved that there were a lot of grey areas in a person, and we had to accept both the faults and virtues of our loved ones. 

Covered in Flour explored the world through a child’s eyes. We could easily relate to Carlos’ bewildering experiences as he grasped that the rosy image he constructed did not exist. The parents were not superheroes but flawed human beings harboring anger, frustrations, and prejudices. The world was not always a safe haven but a restless place full of hatred and intolerance. Although the novel spanned only a year of Carlos’ life, it was nonetheless an eye-opener rich in profound, heartfelt moments. 

Book Details

• Title: Covered in Flour 1968: A Young Boy’s Perspective on School, Family, and Changing Times 
• Author: Charles Presti
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Theme: Coming of Age, Racism, Society, Family
• Publication Date: October 10, 2023
• ISBN or ASIN: B0CKWCXLBV
• Number of Pages: 225
• Minimum Audience Age: 12

Book Themes

(Note: 0=none, 1=a few, 2=considerable, 3=pronounced, 4=excessive)

• Sexual themes: 0
• Religious themes: 3
• Violence, self-harm, etc.: 3
• Crude language, expletives, swearing, etc.: 4
• Other adult themes: 3

Rating

• Content: 5 stars
• Writing Style: 5 stars
• Appeal to Target Audience: 5 stars
• Uniqueness: 5 stars
• Editing: 4 stars
• Other factors: 5 stars
• Overall: 4.8 out of 5

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