The elegance of Madame Forza’s gown shop is a far cry from the downtrodden North End of Boston. Yet each day Julietta, Annamaria, and Luciana enter the world of the upper class, working on finery for the elite in society. The three beauties each long to break free of their obligations and embrace the American dream–and their chance for love. But the ways of the heart are difficult to discern at times. Julietta is drawn to the swarthy, mysterious Angelo. Annamaria has a star-crossed encounter with the grocer’s son, a man from the entirely wrong family. And through no intent of her own, Luciana catches the eye of Billy Quinn, the son of Madame Forza’s most important client. Their destinies intertwined, each harboring a secret from their families and each other, will they be found worthy of the love they seek?
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Sexual Content - 2/5
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Violence - 1/5
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Language - 0/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 0/5
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Summary
Overall Siri Mitchell did a masterful job incorporating early twentieth century history into this novel. The story is set around three Italian twentysomething females
whose families are relatively newly emigrated to Boston. Because America has become such a melting pot of cultures, we tend to forget the grave difficulty and the obtuse prejudice that certain immigrant groups faced. Mrs. Mitchell paints a vivid picture of the trials the Italians faced during this time periodon top of the prejudice the Italians displayed toward other Italians who did not originate from the same area of Italy. The novel is an insightful look into the day to day challenges and desires
of these Italian young women, as well as, being introduced to some of the expectations that befell young Italian women. Overall, it is a good read with three romantic twists as icing on the cake!
Violence Mostly talk of violence due to WWI and the anarchist movement that pervaded the time period.