Coming July
2013
Given Away, A Sicilian Upbringing
A Novel
by
Marianna Randazzo
Welcome Marianna Randazzo to my blog today! She has this wonderful book coming out in a few days. Its a must read!
Praise for
Given Away, A Sicilian Upbringing.
"A must-read! Compelling! Riveting! Courageous! Though time heals most anything, there are unfathomable
stories of the human experience that must be told and retold again so that
history can find its peace. Given
Away is a novel inspired by true events that will capture the hearts and
minds of readers everywhere. It is a dramatic work that retells the story of a
young Italian girl, fraught with personal trials and tribulations -
overcoming a life of challenges presented during World War II; and her ultimate
journey to self discovery and her passageway to America. Given Away is a truly inspiring and stirring
story that will touch the core soul of your very being! It is a novel that is
sure to become a best-selling book and potential Hollywood blockbuster!" - C.A. Bailey-Lloyd, Senior Social Media
Specialist, Content Developer, Online Journalist, Copy Editor, Author,
Professional Blogger and Social Media Consultant
Summary
In Sicily, 1935 a
four-year child walks away from her loving family, her mother, her sister and
an infant brother, with a great-aunt for a vacation. She spends the next eight
years of her life absent from their lives. It was not abduction nor was it an adoption.
Tina lives in a one-room house in one of the poorest regions of Sicily. She
sleeps between a loving aunt and a deranged uncle. She shares her breakfast
with goats and chickens while living in the shadow of fascism. The child grows
up while WW II ravages the town. Her school is taken over by the Germans and
the things like bread and eggs that were once plentiful, no longer exist. Less
than 25 kilometers away her family leads a very different life. After eight
years, she returns home to find her childhood interrupted again. This time
sickness, warfare and destruction are her enemies. In wartime Europe, childhood
does not exist. The child witnesses and experiences many disturbing things from
her uncouth, unsanitary living conditions to the failed paratroopers dangling
from trees during the allied invasion.
Tina is a survivor. She is able to forgive those who took so much away from her. Her spirit trumps over adversity during the war times within and around her. As she grows older, she struggles to keep the harsh realities of World War II and abandonment at a distance through her sense of humor, imagination and determination.
By the age of 15, her fate is sealed, again, without her permission. To gain passage to America she must accept the role as a war bride. A tyrannical, overbearing, bootlegging aunt in America arranges the match. Tina must live under her roof and her rules until her morality and citizenship are secure.
The plot and setting are true to life in the period of the past. It will bring the history of war torn Europe to life, providing us a lens upon our collective past that define our unique lives.
Tina triumphs against all odds with an unconditional love for a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fortitude to carve out a successful life on her own terms.
Tina is a survivor. She is able to forgive those who took so much away from her. Her spirit trumps over adversity during the war times within and around her. As she grows older, she struggles to keep the harsh realities of World War II and abandonment at a distance through her sense of humor, imagination and determination.
By the age of 15, her fate is sealed, again, without her permission. To gain passage to America she must accept the role as a war bride. A tyrannical, overbearing, bootlegging aunt in America arranges the match. Tina must live under her roof and her rules until her morality and citizenship are secure.
The plot and setting are true to life in the period of the past. It will bring the history of war torn Europe to life, providing us a lens upon our collective past that define our unique lives.
Tina triumphs against all odds with an unconditional love for a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fortitude to carve out a successful life on her own terms.
Learn more about the facts
behind the fiction @ Mariannarandazzo.com
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