Forty Years In A Day

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Pub Date 9 Mar 2017 | Archive Date 3 Jul 2019

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Description

Confession is good for the soul even after the soul has been claimed...

The story begins in Italy, 1900. After years of torment and neglect, Victoria and her four small children immigrate to Hell's Kitchen, New York, to escape her alcoholic, abusive husband. On the day they leave, he tragically dies, but she does not learn of his death for several years--a secret that puts many lives on hold.

Quickly, they realize America's streets are not paved with gold, and the limits of human faith and stamina are tested time and time again. Poverty, illness, death, kidnapping, and the reign of organized crime are just some of the crosses they bear.

Victoria's eldest son, Vincenzo, is the sole surviving member of the family and shares a gut-wrenching account of their lives with his daughter during a visit to Ellis Island on his ninetieth birthday. He explains how the lives of he and his siblings have been secretly intertwined with an infamous Irish mob boss and ends his unsettling disclosure with a monumental request that leaves Clare speechless.

Forty Years in a Day is layered with the struggles and successes of each family member and defines the character of an era. Follow the Montanaro family through several decades, and stand in the shoes of a past generation.

Confession is good for the soul even after the soul has been claimed...

The story begins in Italy, 1900. After years of torment and neglect, Victoria and her four small children immigrate to Hell's...


Advance Praise

"Told by two with the eye and instinct of keen storytellers who know exactly when to divulge, when to pause and hold onto secrets and twists. Readers will be exhausted and inspired from the journey, and wouldn't have it any other way!" -The Review

"The narrative, setting of the scenes, the tone, characters, dialogue, were all wonderful. All of these drew me into the story from the first page to the last. I was apart of the story!" -Impressions in Ink Reviews

"A moving family saga with an incredible and entirely unexpected twist, Forty Years in a Day is a pleasantly emotional story. The plot is one of those most creative I've ever encountered, debut or otherwise." -Flashlight Commentary Reviews

"With a surprise twist added to the mix, Forty Years in a Day is an unforgettable book and a testimony to the perseverance of the human spirit." -The True Book Addict Reviews

"The writing is so good, the characters jump off the page and feel so real. This is a wonderful, yet intensely emotional story." -Must Read Faster Reviews

"I loved the way the authors were able to create such a vivid recount of those times and create a story which is so multi-dimensional with many characters and views." -A Life Through Books Reviews

"Wow, these authors really did an amazing job of bringing the 1900's to life through one family and several generations." -My Reading Addiction Reviews

"I loved the story. I loved the tone and the way it sounded just like someone telling their family story to their children." -A Book Geek Reviews

"Forty Years In A Day so brilliantly illuminates the hardships and tribulations of a family coming to America in the 1900's." -Laura Terry, author of Intertwined

"The stunning array of characters that parade through the twists and turns of several generations is amazing." -Patrick O'Sheen, author of Dreamer

"Told by two with the eye and instinct of keen storytellers who know exactly when to divulge, when to pause and hold onto secrets and twists. Readers will be exhausted and inspired from the journey...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781543034059
PRICE US$3.36 (USD)

Average rating from 12 members


Featured Reviews

In Calvano, Italy, in the early years of the twentieth century, Victoria is married to Salvatore and their children: Vincenzo, Francis, Gennaro, Catherina and Gabriella. The marriage is turbulent, and soon Victoria flees to America with the four children, where she finds refuge with her brother and his family who live in the tenements of New York City's lower East side.

These four children lead disparate lives, they grow up, they marry, they are involved with the mob, they deal with Francis's sudden death.

Victoria marries Lorenzo. Their son, Santo, grew to develop a penchant for gambling that accelerated through his teens. Vinny, on the other hand, quits school at age 11 and slowly but surely becomes a successful businessman in partnership with his friend Tony.

And so, we follow this family through the First World War, Depression and Prohibition, as the years flew by.

In 1991, Clare comes to New York to celebrate her father's 90th birthday. They sit, looking at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and Vinny tells his story. Clare says that Vincenzo Montanaro's "wisdom had left an imprint on my mind, and his love had left an imprint on my heart. I was both inspired and exhausted from the journey we had just taken through his life, and I imagined he was also."

A thoughtful read with a surprising ending.

I read this EARC courtesy of Net Galley and Books Go Social pub date 03/09/17

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I loved this book. The story is compelling (especially if you love New York City) and hauntingly beautiful. I loved the premise, the characters, learning about the immigrants' plight, and what it might have been like to enter through Ellis Island and try to make a go at life in New York City so long ago. There are gut-wrenching moments and beautiful scenes, and the story was presented with compassion and tenderness.

At times the story moves very quickly, but there are a lot of characters and a lot of ground to cover. With that kind of a story, it's a tough call to know if an author should do a longer book, or a shorter book that flows more quickly. I'm not much of a "saga" reader, and long books tend to turn me off unless I know a lot about the author or the subject matter. In this case, I was glad for a shorter book with a faster flow, and I personally felt the tempo of the story was appropriate for the story.

Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. #fortyyearsinaday

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Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

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What a great story! It sucked you in from the very beginning. Very well written this is a story you should read. Thanks to the author for doing such a great job.

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