Don't Tell Zina

Zina often felt caught between "old Sicily and young New York." Her family held tight to the ways of the old country like they never left thirty years ago, and all Zina wanted was the chance to embrace the life she envisioned. It was 1930, she was nearly twelve, and she had many hopes and dreams for her future. She assumed her family could relate - didn't her parents, aunts, and uncles feel the same way when they emigrated from Sicily? But when she would try to talk to them, they were guarded, secretive - and she wanted to know why.

Her uncle Domenico would never tell her about the curse he tried to escape. Her aunt Mamie could never explain why her entire family left Sicily for her protection. Her mother, Rose, was determined that no one would ever divulge her desperate decisions that impacted everyone, especially Zina.

Nobody was supposed to tell Zina the truth.

But on the last true palindrome of the year, 03-22-30, it felt as if Mount Etna erupted. In her attempt to understand the root of the lies, Zina struggled with self-identity and redefining her place in the world. By uncovering the choices her family made in the past and choosing forgiveness, Zina finally found a path to her future, which would lead her farther beyond what she could have ever imagined.

On the surface, this novel is based on glimpses of the true story of Zina, a daughter of Sicilian immigrants, coming of age in Brooklyn, New York. Underneath, it is a love story about the author's grandparents and a special tribute to their memory. By combining research of genealogical documents with family stories and personal memories, the author adds experiences, feelings, and conversations that actual historical documents couldn't possibly record. Those documents listed the names, dates, and places in the lives of her ancestors but not the thoughts, dreams, and struggles - or the truth of Zina.