Discussion Guide

When Victoria told her parents she was pregnant, why do you think Alfredo reacted so dramatically? What does his reaction reveal about the cultural expectations placed on women in early 20th-century Italy?

On their wedding day, Victoria believed “the devotion of the man that held her in his arms would never allow her to entertain a future less than perfect.” This is an example of a red herring—a literary device designed to mislead the reader. How does this line set up a false expectation, and how did it affect your reading of what followed?

Victoria confronts Salvatore by asking, “Why are you perpetuating a childhood you grew up despising?” What does this tell us about the cycle of abuse? How did Salvatore’s past shape the man he became?

Victoria had to leave her father without saying goodbye. Do you think she should have told her parents the truth about Salvatore? What would have happened if she had?

Do you think Victoria’s journey to America was typical of the immigrant experience of that era? What obstacles were unique to her situation, and which were universal?

When Victoria first saw New York City, its “magnificence was indescribable, and its magnitude was inconceivable.” How do you imagine she felt arriving in Hell’s Kitchen—and how did that reality compare to her hopes?

Gennaro was taken from his family because of illness. Why was that disease so prevalent in New York City at the time, and how did losing him alter the family’s trajectory?

Santo showed signs of impulsivity and difficulty concentrating from childhood and later struggled with alcoholism. Do you think his personality was predisposed to addiction? How might his life have been different with today’s understanding of these conditions?

Catherina became deeply involved in the suffragist movement. How did her literacy shape her passion for that cause? What personal experiences in the novel drove her toward activism?

Gabriella began the story as a precocious, free-spirited child. How did her personality change over the course of the novel, and what experiences were most responsible for that transformation?

Why was it so difficult for Gabriella to decide to divorce Vito? What forces—cultural, religious, personal—held her back?

Louisa’s energy “overshadowed and overwhelmed the rest” of the family from childhood. Looking back, how did this foreshadow her later breakdown? Do you think the trauma she experienced triggered her condition, or was it already present?

Patsy McFadden first appears at Charlie’s funeral. How is that entrance symbolic of who he is and the role he plays in the Montanaro family’s story?

Frank Fanello’s nickname is “Blackie.” How does that name reflect his character, and how did his childhood shape the man he became?

Vinny lived by the belief that “every day you’re alive is a beautiful day.” What in his life and history earned him that perspective? How does his outlook compare to the other characters who faced similar hardships?

Vinny was honest with Ava from the start about not being able to divorce Sarah for religious reasons. Do you think he made the right choice? How else could he have handled the situation?

One of the novel’s central themes is making choices, living with the consequences, and not punishing yourself for them. Which character’s choices moved you most—and how did they reckon with the life those choices created?

Many themes run through the story: the loss and rebound of hope, overcoming fear, perseverance, and forgiveness. Which theme resonated most personally with you, and why?

Patsy McFadden chose to reveal the truth about his connection to the Montanaro family only in his last will and testament. “Confession is good for the soul even after the soul has been claimed.” Why do you think he waited until death to tell the truth?

“The bequest was so astronomical that it had taken him years to come to terms with where it had come from, and the clarity to make the decision as to where it should go.”  Why did it take Vinny so long to decide what to do with the money he had inherited?

How would the course of Victoria and her children’s lives have been different if she hadn’t gone to America? How much of a person’s character is shaped by the times in which he or she lives?

How is Victoria’s name symbolic of her character?