The Godmother

This is a different story about a different kind of woman. And no, it's not about the Mafia; that's only a peripheral theme.

The typical novels written in English about Sicily by women are built around themes like a foreign girl going to Italy to find love. This one breaks that mould into a thousand pieces, dealing with familial history and tradition in the context of Sicilian and American society. It actually held my interest.

Leigh Esposito's complex story eclipses most of what came before.

This book’s realism is appealing. Leigh Esposito has deep roots in the Italy, about which she writes, hence her passion but also her keen insight.

Despite its suggestive title, this novel is not specifically, exclusively, about the Mafia, which is just one of its themes. Rather, it is a story about strong women and the complex relationships that exist within families. One of the novel’s many subtexts is the nature of contemporary Sicilian society compared to its eclectic “diaspora” in places like the United States and Canada.

Eminently sophisticated.