I Had a Father: A Post-Modern Autobiography

Geographic lushness and a sense of mystery pervade the 52-year-old author's mazelike search for his roots and for the true nature of his father, a chameleon of sorts who deserted his family. Blaise ( Lusts ), a Quebec-born novelist, offers rich descriptions of French Canadian culture and of his migration to the United States. He provides much insight into how geography confers character, as captured in such pithy phrases as ``border mentality.'' He also shows how one's lack of knowledge of one's homeland can also shape one's character. For Blaise, moving to a new locale is like having an affair: ``I don't pick up people, I pick up hometowns.'' Montreal, Florida and Pittsburgh are among the places he nostalgically chronicles--all places where his father, Lee R. Blaise, a furniture salesman, ladies' man, boxer, Rotarian and sociopath, traveled with and without his family. The narrative trails off toward the end as Blaise tells us what he has been up to lately, breaking the nice tension of his tale. (Mar.)