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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TW: Child SA/SA
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The descriptions in this book were so vivid that I felt like I was watching a movie instead of reading. Even the details that weren't stated, such as the arrangement of the furniture in Stella's living room and the colors of buildings in the village where she was born, came alive for me. It's not often that a narrative evokes such a strong visual experience. I'm amazed to read that this is a first novel; the depth of character development and ability to tell a complex story with many characters in a logical progression promises an exciting future for Grames.
MILD SPOILER - A few other reviews spoke about Stella as a woman who wanted more out of life than the traditional wife and mother role she was taught in early 20th Century Italy. I didn't see it exactly that way. Stella certainly didn't want to be a wife or mother, but she also didn't seem to have any other plans or dreams. She had no interest in education, failed to learn English after arriving here, or become literate. She worked unfulfilling factory jobs simply because she needed to earn a living. Before reading this I had just finished a book about an 18th Century woman thwarted in her driving desire to be an artist. That sort of passion wasn't for Stella. Instead, I saw her as someone emotionally frozen by traumatic events, buffeted around by events out of her control, but still being a survivor. I kept wishing Stella would latch onto a dream, maybe develop a plan for her future, but that wasn't the story the author was telling.
Beyond being a complex family tale, Stella's story is the story of the immigrant experience in America. The radical contrast between life in the native country and what they were were plunged into in America was exacerbated by the societal changes all Americans experienced through the 20th Century, especially post WWII.
MILD SPOILER - A few other reviews spoke about Stella as a woman who wanted more out of life than the traditional wife and mother role she was taught in early 20th Century Italy. I didn't see it exactly that way. Stella certainly didn't want to be a wife or mother, but she also didn't seem to have any other plans or dreams. She had no interest in education, failed to learn English after arriving here, or become literate. She worked unfulfilling factory jobs simply because she needed to earn a living. Before reading this I had just finished a book about an 18th Century woman thwarted in her driving desire to be an artist. That sort of passion wasn't for Stella. Instead, I saw her as someone emotionally frozen by traumatic events, buffeted around by events out of her control, but still being a survivor. I kept wishing Stella would latch onto a dream, maybe develop a plan for her future, but that wasn't the story the author was telling.
Beyond being a complex family tale, Stella's story is the story of the immigrant experience in America. The radical contrast between life in the native country and what they were were plunged into in America was exacerbated by the societal changes all Americans experienced through the 20th Century, especially post WWII.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fabulous quick read, brilliantly organized, following the life history and near-death experiences of Calabrian-born Mariastella Fortuna from pre-birth (c. 1899) to the present day, living as a centenarian in Connecticut. Despite being raised in a stifling patriarchal family within a machismo society, "Stella" is best described as a feminist, with her adamant radical notion that women are human beings. Although her belief system is brutally contested by others, Stella Fortuna bitterly defies all who try to thwart her. Warning: incest, pedophilia, emotional & physical & sexual violence towards women.
This book is incredibly well researched and written. You can tell the author comes from an Italian family. There were so many things she'd write where I'd think "Oh yeah, that sounds incredibly familiar!" (I'm Italian, if you hadn't figured that out already). Stella is such a bright yet sad character. I loved Assunta and Tina. I hated the men in the book (Italian men are...something else). My biggest complaint is that it was a wee bit too long, but overall it's a wonderful book.
I’m not sure how to rate this book. The writing was beautiful and the characters were so well developed that I felt they were real. The story was tragic — overwhelmingly so at times. Yet the author pulled out from a hyper-focus on any particular tragedy by having the book span more than 100 years. The preludes and aftermaths have plenty of time to play out around each circumstance.
As I read the book, I thought I’d rate it a 3 because so much of the story was just so sad. But when I think of all that was accomplished in the telling of the stories, I think it deserves at least a 4.
As I read the book, I thought I’d rate it a 3 because so much of the story was just so sad. But when I think of all that was accomplished in the telling of the stories, I think it deserves at least a 4.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated