Helpful Score: 1
The first part of this novel was enjoyable -- the author has clearly spent a great deal of time in Italy, and is able to give the reader a good sense of a place without being wordy. Unfortunately, the bulk of the story relies too heavily on a string of "oh, isn't that convenient" events and characters with overly-modern speech and philosophies, which snowball until the story becomes nearly unreadable. The need for "suspension of disbelief" is great here, but the story is not fantastic enough to create such a suspension. Despite the weighty topics including immigration, rape, abortion, and 19th century medical practices, the book ends up feeling very light and more like a short story (which is what the author wrote originally for the main character).
Note: This review was based on an Advance Reader's Edition.
Note: This review was based on an Advance Reader's Edition.
Helpful Score: 1
"If you leave Opi you'll die with strangers," said her mother to Irma Vitale. Yet she leaves Opi, not when her brother does, but later upon the advice of Father Anselmo and Zia Carmela, her aunt. Afraid to go and afraid to stay after her father made sexual advances, Irma takes the dowry her father gives her and gold from Zia and begins her trip to America.
For a naive peasant girl, the trip holds many experiences. She is robbed, losing the gold, and what little she has, but she gets to Cleveland where her brother, Carlos, said he would be. Finding no Carlos, she takes a job sewing collars, saves her money, and sets off for Chicago only to be robbed again. Returning to that job, she finds it difficult to save because many of her collars are taken or refused by the boss. When she has an opportunity to steal from the boss, she does so, heading for Chicago fearfully, sure that around every corner is a policeman ready to arrest her.
At last she can fulfill her dream of becoming a dressmaker of fine clothing but she runs out of money and, at last, desperate, mends a woman's plaid dress in the park and finds herself pleading to be hired by the woman's dressmaker. Although the exchange is demeaning and painful, eventually she is hired by the French woman who makes the woman's clothing. But Chicago holds more trauma and Irma is brutally raped. When she finds herself pregnant, she goes to a woman for an abortion. That woman, Sophia, becomes a friend and Irma discovers that helping others with medical problems is more fulfilling than dressmaking. The story, takes another turn when Sophia woman dies. Devastated and grief stricken, Irma leaves for San Francisco hoping to study to become a nurse, another difficult endeaver.
Sad or happy, Irma's story tugs at the heart as the reader finds oneself identifying with her experiences, good and bad. This is a wonderful, realistic and inspiring tale. I loved it.
For a naive peasant girl, the trip holds many experiences. She is robbed, losing the gold, and what little she has, but she gets to Cleveland where her brother, Carlos, said he would be. Finding no Carlos, she takes a job sewing collars, saves her money, and sets off for Chicago only to be robbed again. Returning to that job, she finds it difficult to save because many of her collars are taken or refused by the boss. When she has an opportunity to steal from the boss, she does so, heading for Chicago fearfully, sure that around every corner is a policeman ready to arrest her.
At last she can fulfill her dream of becoming a dressmaker of fine clothing but she runs out of money and, at last, desperate, mends a woman's plaid dress in the park and finds herself pleading to be hired by the woman's dressmaker. Although the exchange is demeaning and painful, eventually she is hired by the French woman who makes the woman's clothing. But Chicago holds more trauma and Irma is brutally raped. When she finds herself pregnant, she goes to a woman for an abortion. That woman, Sophia, becomes a friend and Irma discovers that helping others with medical problems is more fulfilling than dressmaking. The story, takes another turn when Sophia woman dies. Devastated and grief stricken, Irma leaves for San Francisco hoping to study to become a nurse, another difficult endeaver.
Sad or happy, Irma's story tugs at the heart as the reader finds oneself identifying with her experiences, good and bad. This is a wonderful, realistic and inspiring tale. I loved it.
Helpful Score: 1
My work's book club chose this book this month. While I am typically stuck into 2 genres: historical romance & modern fantasy/ sci-fi, I could not put this one down! I loved Irma's story. Having grown up into a small town and moved to CA recently, I found I really could relate to her journey, and was suddenly VERY, very thankful for the modern conveniences such as cars. This was such a heartwarming, happy, sad, and wonderful story! It's also a great reminder that we, the modern world, have it so much easier than when this great country was just beginning.
