The Fortunate Pilgrim

By: Mario Puzo

Narrated by: John Kenneth

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 3,000 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.©2004 Mario Puzo (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Puzo has called this 1965 pre- Godfather novel his personal favorite of his oeuvre.....This 'very colorful and perceptive novel' remains 'highly readable' for today's audience." ( Library Journal)

excellent book & more so for the narrator

this book is just amazing, funny & truly charming..i listen to a great deal of audio & i can not imagine this book read by another narrator.

must read

Mario Puzo's hidden jewel. must read. the story is timeless and much more relatable in today's world

Good

Good but not great. It was like listening to your grandparents tell stories of when they were young. I did enjoy it.

The Pre-quel to "The Godfather"

The Fortunate Pilgrim by Mario Puzo, a the pre-quel to "The Godfather" sets the stage for a look at the lives of Italian immigrants in New York, their story of survival amidst discrimination, their cultural cohesion, the social and economic struggles from the American Depression through the beginning of Word War 1.

A wonderful depiction of many Italian immigrants lives.

I loved this book. In some way it touched my soul. From this book I now understand my grandmother.