Elizabeth Street: A Novel Based On True Events by Laurie Fabiano

Based on true events, ELIZABETH STREET is a multigenerational saga that opens in an Italian village in the 1900's, and crosses the ocean to New York's Lower East Side. At the heart of the novel is Giovanna, whose family is targeted by the notorious Black Hand -the precursor to the Mafia. 

Elizabeth Street brings to light a period in history when Italian immigrant neighborhoods lived in fear of Black Hand extortion and violence-a reality that defies the romanticized depiction of the Mafia. Here, the author reveals the merciless terror of the Black Hand-and the impact their crimes had on her family. Giovanna is based on Fabiano's great-grandmother, and the book's heroes and villains - such as Lieutenant Petrosino, the crusading cop and "Lupo the Wolf," a cold-blooded criminal - are drawn from real life in this thrilling tale. 

While set in a dynamic historical context, Elizabeth Street is, above all, the dramatic story of the heroine, Giovanna, and how she triumphed over tragedy.

I love reading books that are based on true events - enough history for me to learn who other societies lived, but enough fiction to keep my imagination on fire. Elizabeth Street was a perfect combination of both of these - I loved hearing about the lives of immigrants in New York, and the story of Giovanna's strength and love for her family was heart-warming.

At first I was a little confused by the flash-forwards in the story, but once I stopped expecting this to follow the flow of a typical novel, I enjoyed the random twist, turns and jumps a lot more.