Family ties can be strong. The Sicilian Woman's Daughter shows how four generations of mafia women both protect and destroy. Maria, the protagonist, is a daughter of Sicilian immigrants to the British society. Where Maria herself seems to prefer settling in the UK and marries a local, her mother and grandma still pull. Illustrated in very Italian English, pull. Returning to The Village on Sicily is accompanied by three funerals and no wedding in sight. Women acting as perpetrators and victims of domestic violence, brutal murders, money laundering, alcohol and drug abuse, and adultery.

No matter how many rosaries you say, how faithful you are, there are always excuses to take revenge if that suits you well, Female sophistication and guns, poison, and network connections do the trick. The plot's convincing and rich in local flavors.

OUTSTANDING:
I have waited a long time to read this book, I have watched the campaigning. I was not disappointed. The research and use of another language (which was easy to follow) I found very useful in creating the Sicilian atmosphere.

The story, told by a Sicilian lady in the style of an autobiography brought you right into the story. Excellent. It is a fictional book I might add.

I don't want to give too many spoilers but the Lady tells the story from childhood to current day, demonstrating the difference in lifestyles, the dangers and even vengeance.

This book makes very interesting reading and a lot of research has gone into it. I also like Linda's writing style and the plot flowed.

I have awarded this book 5 deserving stars.

I found this an engrossing read and an excellent first novel from Linda Lo Scuro. Told in first person by the protagonist, Maria, the story explores the role of women in the Sicilian Mafia: a role, until now, unknown and/or unspoken of. 
Having come to live in London as a teen, Maria is determined to leave her impoverished and unhappy Sicilian childhood behind and make a good life for herself in a city where opportunities abound for intelligent and good-looking girls like Mary (as she is called in London). She works hard to gain a good university degree and adopts the life-style, appearance and manners of a middle upper-class English woman, including a ‘posh accent’. A successful marriage to a prosperous banker and raising children of her own, help her to promote this image.  
But Mary can never completely forget her past, or her cruel, uncaring mother and other women like her back in ‘The Village’, her Sicilian home. She also has Sicilian relatives in London and, although she is very fond of them, they are further reminders of the roots she wants to forget. Yet, following retirement retires from work, Mary gets into the habit of visiting her Aunt Zia for a ‘cuppa tea’ and homemade cakes. She soon finds that Zia is never short of visitors – mostly women seeking the old lady’s help for one problem or another.   
Zia is a fascinating and complex character, known back in Sicily as a ‘donna d’onore’: ‘a woman of honour’. We come to see what that title actually means and how much influence Aunt Zia still has in dealing out justice on behalf of those who have suffered at the hands of violent and controlling men – both in Sicilian-London society and further afield.  Mary becomes involved with some of Zia’s plots for revenge and agrees to travel back to The Village in Sicily – which she hasn’t seen for forty years – in order to see mafia-style justice meted out on more than one character!  
An exciting plot, great characterisation and an unexpected ending all add up to a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Mary (Maria) lives in England with her English husband, she is Sicilian born but has tried very hard to distance herself from her family ties back in Sicily. She has had a successful career and two  children who know nothing of her past and is now retired.

Mary reluctantly agrees to accompany her cousin on a visit to Sicily and she decides to go with her husband and adult children, with their spouses. An eventful trip ensues for the entire family as old relationships are reformed.

An interesting insight into the everyday lives of a multi-generational, extended Sicilian family involved in the Mafia. 

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC for my review.

I received this book as an early reviewer and, having a love for gangster novels and movies, thought a book that follows an older, female protagonist would be an interesting take on the mafia. Preparing myself for a series of vignettes about the main character's past or a gripping tale of how she was drawn back into a world she so desperately tried to distance herself from - I was disappointed by the overall plot of the book. 

Mary was raised by Sicilian parents and had a violent past. Now as a retired woman she begins to reexamine that past and gets swept back up in the ways of her relatives. Much of the conflict in the novel seems trivial, yet Mary quickly and unreasonably gets involved in love triangles, extortion plots, and hit jobs, all while denouncing her heritage. Ultimately, what Mary says and does are two very different things, resulting in characters and a story that are not very believable. At one moment she is a caring grandmother and the next a lying, vengeful woman. While this could certainly be an interesting premise, the author does little to explore Mary's psyche, which gives readers a flat character (with the added cringe of her fake cockney accent). 

I will say, I appreciated the attention the author paid to women in the mafia and her inclusion of Sicilian to give the book a more authentic feeling. I also found myself more interested in some of the lesser characters like Patrizia, Adele, and Young Cushi

I really wanted to enjoy this book. But couldn't get pass the first chapter. 

I really like the cover and the idea behind the story.

This was a book that I enjoyed for the most part. I liked the premise quite a bit. I would most likely recommend it.

I think the subject of the book has tremendous potential and although I read the book I felt that it wasn't always authentic and believable. Had the book been longer, I think the author could have developed the characters more rather than rushing the plot. I will have to say that the ending was not what I anticipated and it left me wondering what's going to happen to Humps, leading to the possibility of a sequel. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I almost quit during the first 30 pages before I became intrigued.

Maria was born in Sicily and grew up in The Village surrounded by family.  Her parents left Sicily when Maria was a teen and emigrated to England.  One of her mother's sisters also left The Village and moved to England as well with her children.    Maria, now known as Mary,  wanted to leave her past behind and assimilated into the culture of England.  She was successful in her career, married and had two children, not telling her family about her past or family in Sicily.  Mary is now retired and has some time on her hands.  Her cousin Susi asks Mary to go and visit her Zia (aunt) and spend some time with her.  Mary learns some more of the family history and is drawn into helping her aunt.  Mary's husband has always wanted to go to Sicily so Mary decides to take a trip there with her husband and her children and their spouses.  Their trip is eventful and old relationships are renewed.  When they return home Mary's husband reveals that he is in trouble.  Mary needs to find a way to help him.  The book makes you wonder how strong family ties really are.

This was a first reads giveaway from LibraryThing.

I think a part of me was expecting so much more from this, until I remembered that it was just a work of fiction, and nothing more. It wasn't supposed to be true telling of a mafia family, and I that was my downfall. I wanted it to be non-fiction. I've been obsessed with all things mafia for a long time, so I had to read this. 

It was a good read, but it left me wanting.

This is a crackling good read and it brings to life the Scilian family that Mary/Maria has tried to forget for over 30 years. Mary is married to Humphrey, a banker with two delightful daughters and a grandson. They live in an upmarket apartment and she has just retired from teaching in a series of prodigious  schools. Despite her seemingly Englishness as the tale unfolds we learn of her connections to a family of women who are definitely Mafia and of her dreadful childhood of abuse and neglect. She has carefully created her place in society through her looks and intelligence making sure that her Scilian family stays out of her life, that is until she reconnects with Zia her mother’s sister and through helping her she begins to expose dreadfully deeds that have occurred and are still occurring due to the women in her family. Her life is then torn apart by realising that she is just the same as her Scilian  family and she needs them to help her when the life of her immediate family is at risk.. A story that will bring alive the heat and the underbelly of life in a Mafia controlled  Scilian village.

This was an interesting read about a girl whose family is involved in the mafia and her want to not be involved in it. She goes to England to escape her family ties in Sicily. I found this a quick read. 

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review of it.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  From the publisher --- 
Most victims of the mafia are the Sicilians themselves. The role of women both as perpetrators and victims has been grossly overlooked. Until now.
As the daughter of Sicilian immigrants, in her teens, Maria turns her back on her origins and fully embraces the English way of life. Notwithstanding her troubled and humble childhood in London, and backed up by her intelligence, beauty and sheer determination, she triumphantly works her way up to join the upper-middle-class of British society.
Maria delves deeper into her mother’s family history and a murky past unravels, drawing her more and more into a mire of vendetta.

I have always considered women to be the "power behind the throne" (I apologize to all those Queens like ERII and her husband who has to walk BEHIND her) and this book proves it to be true. It was fascinating to read about how different her lives were depending on where she was or WHO she was that day.
This is an addictive read from page one to last and thoroughly enjoyable!  
Great book!

Never received th e book. Never received the book. Never received the book ever received the book . Never received the book,

Maria is Siscillian. Not something she is proud of. She can't wait to leave Sicily and move to England. She accomplishes this at the age of eighteen. She's had to go through an arranged marriage, beatings,  and being subjected to harsh conditions by her family. She's divorced and has married the man of her dream. She is far from her mafioso family. Yes, Mafioso!! She is in it up to her neck, no matter how much she tries to forget her roots. 
It seems like the abusive men of her family seem to be dropping dead or disappearing. And two meddlesome sisters? Well, they're being meddlesome!
At the end of the day, though, family is family!!
I enjoyed reading this book immensely. Even though it's fiction it gave you an insight into what might happen in this sort of family. Plus, you learn great words in Sicilian!!!

Lo Scuro twists and turns to take the reader an interesting ride… hopefully not out to a lonesome part of countryside. Enjoyed how she gradually removed layers of the characters, revealing something here, something there, tweaking interest - and every now and then, adding a dose of fear. Some of these people are not always what they appear to be, so do not pass over what seems to be even a minor character. The only drawback is really that too much was attempted in this book. Character and sometimes story corners were cut to fit the number of words required for the book. I get the feeling that if she had put this into two separate books, the story would have been more riveting. 

I enjoyed receiving the novel for a Library Thing early review. I requested it largely due to my marrying into an Italian family and I wondered what I'd see that might remind me of them. Family is family as always and there were many similarities - but yes, mafia families have a unique twist.

Maria, the protagonist of ‘The Sicilian Woman’s Daughter’, is a retired, respectable teacher. Happy wife, mother of two daughters and Benjamin’s granny. Life is gorgeous in her West London residence (or not?), by the Thames, and lovely Maria has all the time in the world to read books, drink tea, enjoy the time with her beloved husband Humps (or not?), or do whatever she wants to do, all the day long. Or not?
Zia, the other main character, an influential, fragile looking, old woman, and Maria’s aunt, will turn her niece way of life upside down. Despite appearances, Zia is made of iron. La famiglia before anything else is her motto, and she proves it along the action of the book.
Suddenly Maria’s easy life turns into a fast stream, and she hardly manages to keep the direction. Her values and belives are washed away and she has to face fear an anger.
Written in the first person ‘The Sicialian Woman’s Daughter’ immerses the reader deeply and actively and it blows away the benefit of the doubt for the perpetrators, because justice, in Mafia terms, is a matter of feelings, guts and immediat reaction. The charm of reading this book is that: always, and I mean always, the reader is satisfied with the result. An gun under the bed will make the owner more confident and his/her selfesteem 1000x higher. Just saying!
‘The Sicilian Woman’s Daughter’ is a confrontation between raw, unpolished power (men) and the sophistication’s of women’s mind. Guess who will win in the end!

This book didn't grab me completely and I put it down a few times.  I like the cover and sometimes that's the eye candy that draws you to a book. 

This is one of those multi-generational stories and you learn about the women's role in the Mafia families.  One of the main characters is Mary and honestly, I didn't care for her much.  Therefore, it was hard to read about her vengeful side and her actions. There were so many characters listed at the beginning of the book that I thought I may have trouble keeping them straight but that wasn't ever a problem.

One the plus side there is much food mentioned, the kind I like too - rich pasta dishes and bread.  

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through NetGalley and was not compensated for my review.  I'm sorry I didn't like it more and that's probably why it took me so long to get through it and write a short review.

As I read this book I felt I was reading a true account of how ordinary lives can be turned upside down by family connections we try to remove ourselves (in this case the Mafia). Insightful, well written and I found the pace just right. The storyline took an interesting twist at the end which didn’t disappoint.

Who new that living in the Sicilian culture in the 20000 was still so active amongst the villages in Sicily!? This book started a little slow however stick with it and this is an excellent read. Mary married on the second occasion to an English man, Humphrey, lives for 40 years in English culture hiding from her very abusive childhood. She re visits her family in London and becomes embroiled back in the mafia culture with all this involves. There is a real unexpected twist towards the end of this story.. This is full of intrigue and suspense leaving you guessing to the end.