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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Stella Fortuna is born in a small Calabrese village, independent,strong minded but subject to the traditional Italian way of submitting to men. Told over a one hundred year period, social changes are slow to impact Stella’s family. From Italy to America, Stella’s story is engaging. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Recommended for readers of generational sagas.
The preface almost made me put down this book and not even start, but I already bought it and can’t return it. This was a depressing, sad book about a family in a poor mountain Italian town starting in the early 1900s. There was no plot, it just went on and on about mundane life with her fathers abuse peppered in. It’s not really about death at all, which is a shame because the title is intriguing. Book #41 in 2023
This is an interesting, and difficult (upsetting) story of an Italian family.
CW: rape, abuse, child abuse, incest, pedophila
CW: rape, abuse, child abuse, incest, pedophila
4.5/5 stars: ★★★★1/2
"History marches on, and names and destinations change, but not the injustices we let one another suffer."
This is the story of Stella Fortuna, who died seven, or maybe eight (depending on how you count them) times. The story is essentially the tale of 4 generations of Italian women with Stella at the center, beginning in Italy and continuing on in the United States. Their lives are hard, the men and world around them is cruel, and sometimes they are even cruel to each other. Stella is a testament to all of these things as we watch her life in beautiful, but also often painful, detail. Whether she was cursed, haunted, or just unlucky, Stella spent her entire 100 years dying and living the consequences. I'll let you readers decide what that means.
This is beautifully-written and so well-researched that it felt like a real story of a real woman rather than fiction. The only thing I didn't enjoy was just how sad it was. TW for rape, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, mental illness, alcoholism, depression, death....the list could go on. This was hard to read at times, but it was so gorgeous and made me appreciate the life I have been given and the people around me who believe and respect me and my choices. Stella and women like her may not have had many choices, but they paved the way for many of us, men and women alike, who have so much more power to live without, or despite, abuse, and proudly be who we are.
"History marches on, and names and destinations change, but not the injustices we let one another suffer."
This is the story of Stella Fortuna, who died seven, or maybe eight (depending on how you count them) times. The story is essentially the tale of 4 generations of Italian women with Stella at the center, beginning in Italy and continuing on in the United States. Their lives are hard, the men and world around them is cruel, and sometimes they are even cruel to each other. Stella is a testament to all of these things as we watch her life in beautiful, but also often painful, detail. Whether she was cursed, haunted, or just unlucky, Stella spent her entire 100 years dying and living the consequences. I'll let you readers decide what that means.
This is beautifully-written and so well-researched that it felt like a real story of a real woman rather than fiction. The only thing I didn't enjoy was just how sad it was. TW for rape, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, mental illness, alcoholism, depression, death....the list could go on. This was hard to read at times, but it was so gorgeous and made me appreciate the life I have been given and the people around me who believe and respect me and my choices. Stella and women like her may not have had many choices, but they paved the way for many of us, men and women alike, who have so much more power to live without, or despite, abuse, and proudly be who we are.
Started slowly and I struggled to get past the first 100 pages. But, I loved the second half of the book. Really felt for the main character and enjoyed learning her story.
Love the beginning, like the idea of the marriage and having a family ending a life and blurring and fast forwarding, but didn't like the actual execution there.
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very long book, great story about the struggle of an immigrant family, but extremely sad. No light at the end of the tunnel. The main character is rather unlikable and very negative. However the story is very descriptive and well written, I did want to keep reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma