Before The Godfather and The Last Don, Mario Puzo wrote The
Fortunate Pilgrim, a novel many believe to be one of the classics of
Italian-American fiction. In this special edition, Mario Puzo's legions
of fans will discover a different side of this legendary author, writing
for the first time about an Italian family in which a woman holds the
power.
Lucia Santa has traveled three thousand miles of dark ocean, from the
mountain farms of Italy to the streets of New York, hoping for a better
life. Instead, she finds herself in Hell's Kitchen, in a bad marriage,
raising six children on her own. As Lucia struggles to hold her family
together, her daughter confronts the adult world of work and romance
while her eldest son is drawn into the Mafia. Meanwhile, her youngest
son aspires to American pursuits she cannot understand.