Italian Blood

A memoir dealing with the aftermath of abuse. I ve heard that some volcanic eruptions are soft with oozing streams of lava dancing down the side of the volcano like a Las Vegas chorus line. My father s eruptions were quick, like bricks being thrown through a window. Denise Tolan s memoir-in-essay traces the legacy of violence in an Italian American family, showing how abuse reverberates both in the body and mind of a family. The book s first part, Blood is Not Water, lays out how the origins of violence can infect the roots of a family tree. The second part, Good Blood Doesn t Lie, shows what grows from those roots. Italian Blood is a raw, heartbreaking series of essays where everything is connected through literal and metaphorical blood. These essays offer a connection to anyone who suffered childhood shame, violence, or fear and provide reassurance that they are not alone.

A memoir dealing with the aftermath of abuse. I ve heard that some volcanic eruptions are soft with oozing streams of lava dancing down the side of the volcano like a Las Vegas chorus line. My father s eruptions were quick, like bricks being thrown through a window. Denise Tolan s memoir-in-essay traces the legacy of violence in an Italian American family, showing how abuse reverberates both in the body and mind of a family. The book s first part, Blood is Not Water, lays out how the origins of violence can infect the roots of a family tree. The second part, Good Blood Doesn t Lie, shows what grows from those roots. Italian Blood is a raw, heartbreaking series of essays where everything is connected through literal and metaphorical blood. These essays offer a connection to anyone who suffered childhood shame, violence, or fear and provide reassurance that they are not alone.