When the World Was Young
When the World Was Young by Tony Romano, published by Harper Collins on May 22, 2007, is a first edition novel comprising 309 pages. Set in the summer of 1957 in Chicago, the story centers on first-generation Italian immigrants Angela Rosa and Agostino Peccatori, who navigate the challenges of raising their five American-born children while clinging to their traditional roots amidst a rapidly changing society. As Agostino manages their neighborhood trattoria, Angela Rosa confronts the growing tensions at home, particularly as her children grapple with their identities and the strains of familial expectations.
The narrative unfolds as the Peccatori family faces mounting pressures, including Agostino’s infidelity and the impact of a tragic event that alters their lives irrevocably. The story explores themes of family life, loyalty, and the complexities of adolescence, as the siblings become increasingly alienated from one another due to grief and unresolved issues. Told through alternating voices, When the World Was Young presents a poignant exploration of sacrifice and the enduring bonds of kinship, inviting readers to reflect on the intricate dynamics of family amidst loss and change.
Official synopsis Publisher
It’s the summer of 1957. In the heart of Chicago, first-generation Italian immigrants Angela Rosa and Agostino Peccatori are caught between worlds. Far from home and with five children born in the United States, the Peccatori family is left clinging to old country ways in an era of upending change. While Agostino spends his days running the neighborhood trattoria, Mio Fratello, Angela Rosa must face the building tension at home as her children struggle to define themselves within a family rooted in tradition. When Agostino’s wandering eye can no longer be ignored, and lingering questions of fidelity and responsibility invade the Peccatoris’ intimate world, the pressure to keep the family together mounts.
Just as it seems the Peccatoris’ stoic foundation and resilient spirit are enough to withstand the family friction, the events of a single tragic evening bring all their lives to a sudden and irreversible standstill. Haunted by overwhelming loss, and drowning in years of secrets and deception, the family begins to unravel under the burden of guilt. As the Peccatori children move into adulthood, alienated from one another by grief and the complexity of their adolescence, their ties of kinship are put to the ultimate test.
Bound together by blood yet indelibly marked by loss, the Peccatori family becomes a testament to the power of sacrifice, loyalty, and unconditional love. Told through alternating voices and beautifully crafted prose, When the World Was Young is a stunning, poignant tale of one family’s will to survive.
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