"The Accident…the eggplant…the pigs; the schoolhouse; the boat, which was controversial; the rapist; the stupid doctor; the choking"...

Mariastella Fortuna has spent her entire life narrowly escaping death. The experiences have made her tough, a trait she uses to protect herself and her little sister, Tina, from the pains of life, both in their rural village in Italy and in the new land of America. Now, however, the elderly Stella and Tina haven't spoken to each other in thirty years, and one family member sets out to record and understand the path of Stella Fortuna's tumultuous life. An unflinching look at a life full of beauty and tragedy, this flourishing literary novel is both heartbreaking and enthralling from the first page until the last.