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"Experience the Journey of an Italian Immigrant Family into
20th Century America."
Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty

       Confession is good for the soul even after the soul has been claimed...

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       Italy, 1900...After years of torment and neglect, Victoria and her four small children immigrate to Hell's Kitchen, New York, to escape her alcoholic, abusive husband. On the day they leave, he tragically dies, but she does not learn of his death for several years—a secret that puts many lives on hold.

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​       Quickly, they realize America's streets are not paved with gold, and the limits of human faith and stamina are tested time and time again. Poverty, illness, death, kidnapping, and the reign of organized crime are just some of the crosses they bear.

    

       Victoria's eldest son, Vincenzo, is the sole surviving member of the family and shares a gut-wrenching account of their lives with his daughter during a visit to Ellis Island on his ninetieth birthday. He explains how the lives of he and his siblings have been secretly intertwined with an infamous Irish mob boss and ends his unsettling disclosure with a monumental request that leaves Clare speechless.

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       Forty Years in a Day is layered with the struggles and successes of each family member and defines the character of an era. Follow the Montanaro family through several decades, and stand in the shoes of a past generation.

 

 

"With a surprise twist added to the mix, Forty Years in a Day is an unforgettable book and a testimony to the perseverance of the human spirit."  

The True Book Addict Reviews

 

"With a sprawling stirring narrative and almost lyrical prose, not to mention a plot twist that I most definitely did not see coming, Forty Years In A Day is one of those books that grabs your attention from the very beginning and takes you on a beautiful voyage of discovery. This novel is simply unputdownable. It is enthralling, beguiling and utterly engrossing. When Historical Fiction is written in such a way, then there is no such thing as too much." 

The Coffee Pot Book Club 2020 Five Star Award

 

"A moving family saga with an incredible and entirely unexpected twist, Forty Years in a Day is a pleasantly emotional story. The plot is one of those most creative I've ever encountered, debut or otherwise." 

Flashlight Commentary Reviews

 

"The narrative, setting of the scenes, the tone, characters, dialogue, were all wonderful. All of these drew me into the story from the first page to the last. I was apart of the story!" 

Impressions in Ink Reviews

"This astonishing and powerful debut novel begins in 1900 and follows the incredible journey of a young mother and her four children as they escape from Italy into the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, New York. Spanning forty years of triumphs and disappointments for Victoria and her children as they strive for betterment and a taste of the great American dream, Rodriguez and Vigorito’s finely observed tale is riveting. As a reflection of immigrant life in the early 1900s, it’s altogether epic, sweeping the reader along on a journey that’s both inexorable and poignant."  

Fischer Reviews

 

"Told by two with the eye and instinct of keen storytellers who know exactly when to divulge, when to pause and hold onto secrets and twists. Readers will be exhausted and inspired from the journey, and wouldn't have it any other way!"  

The Review

 

"A thought-provoking family saga set in New York in the 1900s, which is so good that it will pull you into its deepest core of pain, love and grief! ... the book is devastatingly beautiful!"  

BookStopCorner

 

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