I was not able to get interested in this book and I did not finish it. The characters and the plot were not able to catch or keep my attention.

I was attracted to this book because it was based on the author's great-aunts survival of the 1908 eruption of Mt Etna, as I am a huge historical fiction fan.
Angela Lanza is left an orphan and doesn't know whether her sister has lived or died. Angela has a strict but loving upbringing in an orphanage run by nuns. They are instrumental in finding her a husband, Franco who is Italian but lives in the USA? A hard-working man, he made enough money to provide a home for them both in the USA.
We follow Angela as she adjusts to a busy USA having left her homeland on the brink of WW2. Her superior sewing skills, learnt while at the orphanage, help create an income for herself. But tragedies hound Angela and Franco. And all this while, the fate of her sister sits in the back of Angela's mind....is she alive or not? Visions and dreams muddle her thoughts. While bad things happen in her life, Angela is not a victim....she is a survivor. I hoped for the best for Angela throughout the book, but as often in real life, nothing spectacular came and acceptance of your situation in life means you just keep going, dealing with one day at a time.
Carmela Cattuti has written a book of strength, perseverance and acceptance; traits which often are sadly missing in today's fast paced world of instant gratification.

#BetweentheCracksOneWomansJourneyfromSicilytoAmerica #NetGalley

This was mostly a depressing story. It began with a young girl losing her family in a Sicilian earthquake. She lives in a convent doing needlework but has the chance to marry a man who had immigrated to the US. While there were some happy times after the marriage, the last half just has tragedy after tragedy. I appreciate the details and how it's based on a real life story, it was just very depressing to read.

The author wrote this novel based on her great-aunt's experiences after the 1908 Mt. Edna earthquake. The main character, Angela, is orphaned after the earthquake and is sent to a convent in Italy to be raised. Angela eventually meets the man she would marry, despite not knowing him well, and moves to the United States. This novel highlighted the strength that it must have taken for Angela to not only survive losing her whole family to tragedy, but to start over in a new Country with a man that she barely knows. This was a great read and I think part of my enjoyment came from knowing that it was based on a true story.