Books: History - Let It Go Louie, Croatian Immigrants On Puget Sound
Author: Gary Loverich and Barbara Winther Publisher: Bainbridge Island Historical Society, 248pp, 2009 ISBN: 0-9715147-2-0 www.bainbridgehistory.org This is a story of love! It is a beautifully written story of a proud people who immigrated from Croatia and built new lives in the Puget Sound area. As Gary Loverich and Barbara Winter explain in the preface, “Our book focuses on the Croation families who initially settled on Bainbridge Island in the early 1900’s.” It is a fascinating account of migration, of the immigrants’ deep commitment to the livelihood of fishing, of the skills used to build fishing boats, as well as the memories and stories of the families on Bainbridge Island taken from extensive taped interviews and written records. The title of the book is derived from an early saying. Author Gary Loverich explains: “Tom Loverich, an early relative, liked to fish and visit with Mike, and often Mike fished for sand dabs with the Loverich kids, Ed and Francis. In the mid 1920’s, shortly after one of Mike’s friends, Louie, had drowned, the folks in the boat started talking about the disaster. As the boat drifted, Mike with his hand line bumping along the bottom snagged onto something other than a fish. Mike jumped up in the boat nearly tipping it over. He peered into the water and shouted ‘let it go, Louie, let it go’—a saying that has echoed through four generations of Loverichs.” Since then, when any fishing line becomes snagged, it has become a tradition to announce Mike’s exclamation loudly and vigorously—“Let it go Louie!” Over two dozen Croatian family histories are described, in addition to descriptions of their love, devotion, and commitment to Croation culture. These accounts are, in the reviewer’s mind, one of the most significant aspects of this book. Over two hundred photos from family albums and the Bainbridge Island Historical Society illustrate the many stories. There are extensive appendices covering everything from net mending to recipes, to sports, nicknames, and fishing traditions in Croatia in the early 20th century. There is a comprehensive glossary, as well as a bibliography and index. “Let it Go Louie” is a major contribution to the history of the Croatian culture in the Puget Sound area. I highly recommend it. Reviewed by Gary M. White, Maritime Historian & Author, Browns Point
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