Review
From the book jacket:
In April 1903, the steamship
Republic
spills more than two thousand immigrants
onto Ellis Island. Among them are Diamante,
age twelve, and Vita, nine, sent by their
poor families in southern Italy to make
their way in America. Amid the chaos and
splendor of New York, the misery and
criminality of Little Italy, and the shady
tenants of Vita's father's decrepit Prince
Street boarding house, Diamante and Vita
struggle to survive, to create a new life,
and to become American. From journeys west
in search of work to journeys back to Italy
in search of their roots, to Vita's son's
encounter with his mother's home town while
serving as an army captain in World War...
Beyond the Book
Melania G.
Mazzucco was born in Rome in
1966. She earned a degree in
Italian literature from La
Sapienza University and a degree
in cinema from the Experimental
Center for Cinematography. In
addition to her four novels (of
which, only
Vita appears
to have been translated into English) she
has written award-winning works
for the cinema, theater, and
radio. Originally written in
Italian and published in Italy,
Vita won the 2003 Strega Prize,
Italy's leading literary award.
She currently
lives in Italy.
