Summary

LAST STOP ON THE 6 is the return of the prodigal daughter to a world of long-buried hurts, political complexities, and female resilience. Dunn introduces characters of all possessing questions for which there are no easy answers - only the slow and steady re-awakenings of familial bonds and moral responsibility.

Angela Campanosi fled her home in the Italian-American enclave of Pelham Bay, the Bronx, after an accident left her brother, Jimmy, an up-and-coming actor, paralyzed. Now, ten years later, on the eve of Jimmy’s wedding, anti-war activist Angela returns home from LA to grapple with the guilt, secrets, and idiosyncrasies that make family, family. What could possibly go wrong?

For starters, the groom has disappeared, leaving behind only a cryptic note and his rotating collection of plastic patron saints on his nightstand. Angela’s asthmatic mother insists on keeping Jimmy’s fiancée in the dark; her father, three years sober, goes on a bender; Angela’s ex-boyfriend has taken over running the family exterminating business; and her stepfather just wants to feed everyone, even vegetarian Angela, some of his meat gravy.

Angela embarks on a search for Jimmy through the old neighborhood, discovering in the process that our perceptions about people—even ourselves—can be wrong, and that family is something far more potent than blood.

Set against the backdrop of the Gulf War and the millions of people who filled the streets in protest (reminiscent of today’s activism), LAST STOP ON THE 6 is a hilarious, subversive, deeply moving tale.

Review

Last Stop on the 6 introduces readers to Angela Campanosi. First impressions might be cliche but this tough born and raised Italian American represents everything a native New York would be proud of.

After an accident leaves her brother paralyzed, running away from guilt and her past, Angela finds herself at an emotional crossroads when he is given a one way to come home. Fast forward, the day of reckoning comes when she finds out her brother is getting married. Angela returns to her past, facing hardships with pain dealing with the secrets of her past, unsettled familial angst and unspoken truths.

Just the title alone brings back memories of the area. For the time I lived in New Rochelle, I can remember taking the 6 all the way to where the setting of this book takes place. It's a reminiscent feeling when a setting can resonate with you. The author took me to a place that I recognized and can appreciate. One of the highlights of the book that I found endearing was the resilience of Angela. Her exterior may be tough but she has been through some things that have definitely made her stronger and shaped who she is.

Much of that strength came from the experiences of her past, her neighborhood and family. Her family definitely had its flaws like any other with some complicated obstacles thrown in the mix. The author created an authentic narrative that was honest, had moments filled with heart break, humor and showed the good, bad and ugly of what could be any family.

Forgiveness for yourself and for others can truly change a person's life. The relationship evolution of Angela and her brother and independently with her mother are two important narratives in the book that really dove deep for these characters. You feel the foundation of their family blended with the influence of the heart of the community. There's something special about books rooted from communities such as this. It has a different vibe and voice that commands your attention to be heard. Overall, I enjoyed the experience and thought it was a nice read.

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