This book was recommended by my genealogy sister. Much like The Shoemaker's Wife, it tells the story of an Italian immigrant family at the turn of the century. This family was from Southern Italy, a town named Scilla, and the book is based on true stories from the author's family. Elizabeth Street was written by Laurie Fabiano, a former deputy mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey. It's her first novel and truly well done. The story reads like a novel, not a "documentary". There is plenty of plot, yet it is so very real in the telling. I especially appreciate the family tree at the beginning of the book to help keep the characters straight and the Italian/English glossary to help with the smattering of Italian words that add a real element to the story. Elizabeth Street is a great read for both the human story and the history that it conveys.
I've not heard about this book, but it does sound very American orientated. I'm just on the last of a five book series by C J Sansom based on life in England in Henry VIII's time. It's a series of mystery books with a lawyer as the central character. Great writing, but again perhaps enjoyed more by someone who has an understanding of the period.
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