I found this book compelling and, in the end, an affirmation of the importance of family. The Peccatori children are traversing the difficult middle ground between their parent’s old world Italian lifestyle and the American inner city in which they live. It’s a familiar dilemma for children of immigrants no matter what the ethnicity.
The main part of the story occurs over the space of about two years in the late 1950’s. The oldest child, Santo, has just finished high school when the book opens. His sister, Victoria, is sixteen and a lot more interested in boys than in school. Then there are the two boys, Alfredo and Anthony, who are so close in age many people take them for twins. The infant son, Benito, who died in the summer of 1957, should have been the last child since his birth was very difficult. Another child, Nicholas, who was born after Benito’s death, introduces the book by talking about Benito and how his death transformed the family.
This book also raises the question of when is it right to conceal the truth and when should the truth be told no matter how difficult it is to do so. I don’t want to spoil the ending but I have to say that I think there is one secret that is kept too long.
I hope Tony Romano has more books in him because I think his writing will only get better and since this book was very well written that is something to be anticipated. ( )

Loved it! Wish it went on and on. Loved the unexpected twist, but none of them were too unrealistic. It could have been any family in this story. At times, I felt like it was my own! The ending was worth reading through all the background information at the beginning. Everything came together by the middle and the story stayed interesting until the end. The issues were very easy to relate to. It was also easy to fall in love with the characters even through there troubled times. ( )

received July 6, 2007

Sure handed writing and Italian-American family secrets made this really a joy to read. ( )