I am reading a novel called Umbertina by Helen Barolini. I’m only 60 pages into it, but I am captivated by it. It’s about three generations of Italian women and I am currently reading about the first, whose story takes place from 1860 to 1940.

She grows up in the hills of Italy, among the goats. But then she marries and has three children and eventually emigrates to the United States. The details of the passing have me wondering about my own relatives who made that courageous and difficult trip. It is so absorbing.

Stay tuned …