Following this story from Volume One has been so much fun! All of the characters, who have migrated from Italy in the late 1800’s, feel like old friends. The plus for me is that it gives a little history of my own heritage, as I am Italian through and through, and my grandparents were immigrants.

The first book took place in Sicily, but now Luca and Maria Tonetta take their family to the United States in search of a better life. Luca is a tailor whose business has been failing, as many in Italy were at that time. His hope is that, although he has been offered a job with a clothing manufacturer in Brooklyn, New York, someday he will be able to open a new shop. But his greatest goal was to follow the lead of the Lord and preach the gospel there.

The problem with the whole situation is that the pay at the shop where he works is not enough to support a family and they are forced to live in the tenements. Although not as lavish as the beautiful villa, Bella Terra, that had been Maria’s home all of her life, they did make many friends among the other immigrants.

A Russian woman at the shop takes a liking to Luca and continually tries to seduce him, but his strength in the Lord prevails. Later, money from the safe of the shop supervisor goes missing and is eventually found among Luca’s work supplies.

I’m going to stop there and leave the rest to your imagination. I hope it forms many questions in your mind that you want to find the answers to.

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