The twenty seven stories in Saltport A Town on the Erie Canal reflect social and economic issues that Americans experienced during the second half of the twentieth century The elusiveness of the American Dream the rapid advances of technology and the changing roles of men and women at home and at work are just a few of the issues The Erie Canal once vital to the development of New York State flows through the book as a symbol of a simple and stable time before the middle of the last century when working with one s hands communicating personally and respecting nature were more common The stories include a variety of characters in the fictional town but two Italian families dominate the collection Although the twenty seven stories are complete and may be read in any order the experiences of the characters are arranged in chronological order from youth to old age Therefore readers should have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the works if they are read in the order presented in the book The first member of the Donatelli family who arrives in the United States settles in Saltport and works in the nearby quarries as a stone cutter In Italy his family had a wine making business and his dream is to continue the tradition in the United States Poor and uneducated he fails to achieve his dream but he succeeds at instilling his passion in one of his sons Vito who also carries on the family tradition of making wine After his father dies Vito and his wife Angelina live in his father s sandstone house in Saltport and have four children As a young man Vito works on the Erie Canal and like his father tends the vineyard behind the house and enjoys the tradition of making wine every year His children on the other hand do not like the work or the wine and help him because he forces them to do so Gino his older son does whatever his father expects of him and does not complain or challenge Vito in any way His younger brother Frank on th