Propelled by forces beyond her control...forced to accept the unacceptable, Maddalena searches for the secret to survival with an indomitable courage that inspires all who read her story. Her journey from a tiny picturesque village in the Italian Apennine Mountains, to the storm and stress of the Chicago slums in the 1930's is a true story told through the eyes of Angelina, her daughter. The reader is filled with compassion and admiration for Maddalena as she fiercely battles poverty and abuse and at her determination to not only feed & clothe her nine children, but also to educate and protect them in a gang-ridden neighborhood.
"From the sunshine of the beautiful Italian beaches to the harshness of the Italian mountain winters, the author gives a vivid description of life in the Old Country and contrasts it to the vastly different experience the immigrants' had in America. She draws a heartfelt, colorful picture of Maddalena, who meets formidable challenges with unconditional love and reveals the true meaning of 'family'".
JoAnn Marie Wood O'Connor,
Author of Remembering A Collection of Daddy's Favorite Songs and Poetry
"The portrayal of Maddalena, from her earliest girlhood in Italy to her struggle in the tenements of Chicago, will touch the heart of the reader. Her courage in spite of all odds is truly inspirational. The book, with its vivid characterizations, evokes the lives of the Italian immigrants in Chicago's Near West Side in the l930's. Poignant and powerful."
Judith Patterson
Author of the forthcoming Kaleidoscopic Fragments of a Wandering Heart
"The story of Maddalena touched my heart deeply because it shows how the choice to love is powerful enough to overcome a life of hardship and poverty most of us can't imagine. I feel Maddalena's invincible summer alive in me and all women everywhere."
Linda Jean McNabb
Author of One Again, A True Story of a Different Kind of Forgiveness
"Angela's command of the English language and her storytelling ability create the life-story of her mother with lyrical vitality. One wonders how any person could have survived the continuous assaults Maddalena endured. Her story brings new life to the womens' movement."
Harold L. Doerr
Author of A Square of Daffodils, Capitalism, And Why Children Don't Learn
