In "Peter Bacho's World," (see "For Further Reference") Alex Tizon says that Bacho is a loquacious, rambling speaker but his writing tends to be clear. In "A Matter of Faith," Bacho's clear, usually plain language can be subtle and at the same time convey a great deal of information. Buddy is fairly plainspoken, and the imagery of his narrative tends to be focused on his immediate experiences. Yet, the attentive reader can learn a lot about Buddy from his plain language. For instance, his discussion of his time in "juvy" reveals his reason for being in San Francisco: the city represents his "moving on" like his father—he is trying to fashion a new life for himself. And like his father, he may not have made the best choices. Herein lies much of the tension in his narrative: his journey back to Seattle is a...