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Love, scandal, intrigue and murder; it was all happening in Newark's First Ward in turn of the century America.
Maria loved her life in Italy. She had wonderful parents, Giovanni, her doting husband, a brand new baby, and a successful farm. But it was an idyllic life that wouldn't last. Soon her parents were dead. High taxes and a poor return on their crops meant that they were unable to keep the land and farmhouse from foreclosure, so they decided they would move to America. He would go first, find a job and a home, and then he would send for her.
In the two and a half years that she has to wait for her husband, Maria helps to support herself and young son by being La Scrittore (pron. "scree tor ay"); she would write and read letters for those who couldn't. Finally after years of waiting, she gets the letter from her husband that she has long been dreaming of. She is going to America.
Maria, like many immigrants, came to America with big ideas full of hope for a new life with her family. What lay in store for her, however, was a life she could have never expected. With her husband getting himself deeper and deeper into the Mafia and extra marital affairs, Maria finds herself more and more isolated in a land that was hostile to outsiders. Antonio, Giovanni's roommate and best friend, helps her through, but she ends up getting much more than she bargained for. In a time of strict Christian piety and marriages that didn't end, Maria would find hard choices to make and even harder lives to give up. It takes a strong woman to survive in 19th century America!
Discover the real-life story of Maria, who emigrated to Newark, NJ's First Ward at the turn-of-the 19th century looking for a better life. What she ended up with would be far different from the dreams she had back in her native Italy. Her determination and perseverance carry her through, and make the rest of her family stronger.