Stella Mia

Rosanna Chiofalo

May 2014 · Kensington Books

About this ebook

Spanning from the islands of Sicily to the neighborhoods of New York, a tale of mothers, daughters, love, sacrifice—and choices—resounding through generations.
 
Julia Parlatone doesn’t have much to remember her Italian mother by. A grapevine that Sarina planted still flourishes in the backyard of Julia’s childhood home in Astoria, Queens. And there’s a song, “Stella Mia,” she recalls her mother singing—my star, my star, you are the most beautiful star—until the day she left three-year-old Julia behind and returned to Italy for good.
 
Now a happily married schoolteacher, Julia tries not to dwell on a past she can’t change or on a mother who chose to leave. But in an old trunk in the family basement, she discovers items that belonged to her mother—a songbook, Tarot cards, a Sicilian folk costume—and a diary. Sarina writes unflinchingly of her harsh childhood and of a first, passionate love affair; of blissful months spent living in the enchanting coastal resort town of Taormina and the unspoiled Aeolian Islands north of Sicily; and the reasons she came to New York. By the diary’s end, Julia knows she must track down her mother in Italy and piece together the rest of the complex, bittersweet truth—a journey that, for better or worse, will change her own life forever.
 
Praise for the writing of Rosanna Chiofalo
 
Carissima
 
“What a glorious novel this is. It’s a celebration of life, love and unlikely friendship through the eyes of two very different women. Yet their similarities bind them together and will endear them to readers long after the last page is turned. Bravissima for Carissima!” —Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times–bestselling author
 
“Fantastico! I couldn't put it down!” —Lisa Ja

Ratings and reviews

Good descriptions, the ending wasn't a mystery but it was heartwarming.

Sad but lovely story. Makes me want to see Sicily.

About the author

Rosanna Chiofalo is the author of Bella Fortuna, Carissima, Stella Mia, Rosalia’s Bittersweet Pastry Shop, and The Sunflower Girl. An avid traveler, she enjoys setting her novels in the countries she's visited. Her novels also draw on her rich cultural background as an Italian American. When she isn’t traveling or daydreaming about her characters, Rosanna keeps busy testing out new recipes in her kitchen and tending to her ever-growing collection of houseplants. She lives in New York City with her husband.