Grace Mattioli

Grace Mattioli's novel, The Bird that Sang in Color, is the story of Donna Greco who sought the conventional successes in life, compared to Vincent, her free spirit of a brother. The story spans decades, from their childhood in the 1970s to the near present. Donna spends years feeling bad about what she sees as her brother’s failure to launch, until she finds a sketch-book he made of his life and it prompts her to do some soul searching of her own. This is a heartfelt family story told with grace and humor.… (altro)

A beautiful journey, this story covers am important, personal story that will make the reader question what brings true happiness. Full of emotion and heart, Mattioli takes you on en epic journey, led by a strong narrator who at times isn’t sure of herself. Just like real life, each member of the family presented in this book is unique and complex, with their own beliefs and motivations. How they interact and play off each other is fascinating to see, and how they affect each other more so. A captivating read.… (altro)

This is a very interesting book and one that I would recommend.
For two reasons,
Firstly the story of the journey across America itself is interesting for those of us who have never been there...or maybe even if you have. The trip is beautifully crafted by the author in that you are able to get a sense of all of the places and just how different they and their peoples are as this brother and sister traverse the country from North East to South West.
But secondly the main thrust of the book is the enlightening and broadening effect of this journey across America on Cosmo and Silvia, and as a result on their relationships with others in their family, as well as on their outlooks for the future. This is especially true for Cosmo who has never really undertaken such a rash decision before in his life.
In addition this book would be good for any who find themselves in a similar situation and makes for a very uplifting and positive read. In fact this is manifestly superior to any so called self-help book in this regard.… (altro)

Olive Branches Don't Grow On Trees is a poignant portrait of an extremely dysfunctional southern New Jersey Italian-American family, and the attempt by the middle daughter to bring the family together for a celebration in the hope that they could extend the olive branch and make peace with each other and become a family. Thoughtfully written in the third person narrative, the author weaves a tale that deals with the dynamics of a family with a history of dysfunction that has completely shattered and torn them apart. The focus of the story is on twenty-three year old middle daughter, Silvia Greco, who vacillates between wanting to unite the family and wanting to escape from the dysfunction once and for all. With her life in limbo and unsure of what to do with herself, Silvia accepts the challenge to bring her family together for one night, which is no easy feat, it becomes her main purpose, and along the way it will provide healing life lessons.

The author has created a strong cast of characters who are realistic and complex people with personalities and issues that the reader can relate to, because the Greco family could be anyone's family members. Frank is the alcoholic father who is a distinguished local judge, but who also has a tendency to go off on rages. Then there is Donna the mother, she is a part-time college professor who finally has left her marriage after suffering years under Frank's abusive behavior. Oldest daughter Angie is her father's favorite of the children, but she broke his heart when she married a Wall Street financial investor and moved to North Jersey. She has a distant relationship with her mother and has a strained relationship with younger brother Cosmo. Cosmo is the second born child, he is brilliant but rebellious, an underachiever who is seen as a failure in his father's eyes. Then we have our protagonist, Silvia, the classic middle child who is the peace keeper of the family, yet she was the hyper child that just couldn't settle down. Finally there is the baby of the family, eighteen year old Vince, the soon to be high school graduate who will be attending UC Berkeley. Vince was the easiest and most pleasant of the children, the perfect child in his mother's eyes. When you put all these different personalities together plus add in the ethnicity of being Italian-American, it is no wonder that there is so much dysfunction and combustible tension in the family. I found these characters to be quite intriguing, their individual complexities along with their dialogue and interactions made the storyline a powerful and compelling read.

Olive Branches Don't Grow On Trees is a story that will take the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. The author weaves a tale that is a moving and realistic portrayal of a dysfunctional family with enough drama and humorous family situations that will keep the reader engaged and entertained, while providing a witty sense of humor and subtle messages of life lessons to extend the olive branch and learn to live, love and forgive.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review, and for hosting a virtual book event on my book review blog site.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/09/olive-branches-dont-grow-on-tr...… (altro)