VARINA PALLADINO'S JERSEY ITALIAN LOVE STORY

Narrator Eva Kaminsky performs this family drama with an evocative Jersey accent. Widow Varina is content with the routine of running her family's store, but her 92-year-old mother, Sylvia, wants Varina to find love again, and she teams up with her granddaughter, Donatella, on a plan. The three men of the family--Dante, Tommy, and Paulie--are experiencing their own significant life changes. In a loving, chaotic family, secrets aren't kept long. Three generations are depicted through Kaminsky's gravelly voice as family members emphatically voice their opinions. In contrast, Kaminsky uses a posh tone for Varina's wealthy friend. The author introduces Italian words and what they mean in various contexts before each chapter in which they are used, and this enhances the story. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2023]