<DIV>“Small Memories is a . . . nourishing last gift from a great writer.”—<I>Washington Post</I><BR><br> Shifting back and forth between childhood and his teenage years, between Azinhaga and Lisbon, this is a mosaic of memories, a simply told, affecting look into the author's boyhood: the tragic death of his older brother at the age of four; his mother pawning the family's blankets every spring and buying them back in time for winter; his beloved grandparents bringing the weaker piglets into their bed on cold nights; and Saramago's early encounters with literature, from teaching himself to read by deciphering articles in the daily newspaper, to poring over an entertaining dialogue in a Portuguese-French conversation guide, not realizing that he was in fact reading a play by Molière.<BR><br> Written with Saramago's characteristic wit and honesty, <I>Small Memories</I> traces the formation of an artist fascinated by words and stories from an early age who emerged, against all odds, as one of the world's most respected writers.<BR><br> “Like a nostalgic progenitor bestowing his wealth of life experience upon a younger generation, Saramago digs deep into his peasant roots to sketch a rough outline of the little boy who would become one of the greatest Portuguese-language writers”—<I>Portland Oregonian</I></div>