The Witch of Little Italy

By: Suzanne Palmieri

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

A sparkling debut that will make you believe in the power of love, family, and magic.

In Suzanne Palmieri’s charming novel The Witch of Little Italy, you will be bewitched by the Amore women. When young Eleanor Amore finds herself pregnant, she returns home to her estranged family in the Bronx, called by the "Sight" they share, which now grows strong within her. She has only been back once before, when she was 10 years old, and while everyone else remembers that summer of sun-drenched beaches, laughter, and cartwheels, Eleanor can’t recall anything earlier than the moment she left the house on her last day there.

With her past now coming back to her in flashes, she becomes obsessed with recapturing those memories. Aided by her childhood sweetheart, she learns the secrets still haunting her magical family, secrets buried so deep no one knows how they began. In the process, she unlocks a mystery over 50 years old - The Day the Amores Died - and reveals once and for all a truth that will either heal or shatter the Amore clan.

©2013 Suzanne Palmieri (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Charming and enchanting - The Witch of Little Italy drew me in from page one. A magical story of family, secrets, loss and rediscovery written in beautiful prose and sprinkled with effervescent characters you won't soon forget. Palmieri nimbly blends the past and present to concoct a delicious spell of a story that will appeal to fans of Sarah Addison Allen and other fabulously entertaining novels." (Karen White, New York Times best-selling author of The Beach Trees)

Gorgeous backstory

This book essentially alternates between two parts: a modern love story and memoirs of growing up in the Bronx in the 1920s and 30s. The flashback chapters carry the whole book and make it well worth the read, even if the modern side of the story is a little lacking.

Beautiful/ Mystical/ Heartfelt

Beautiful heartfelt generational story of women and brother George. Family secrets. Love. Heartbreak. New life. Death. Relationships. Mother daughter. Sisters. So good.

Wonderful story about gifts.

The store felt believable. All families have issues and the funny part of that is that makes them perfectly normal. This family was also perfectly lovable.

Magical mystery.....

I liked this book. I had to back it up...and give it a second listen. I was confused by some of the characters, not the main ones but names I couldn't figure out who they were. Then there was Liz. There is a mystery history here...and it takes it to the end of the book to find out what the heck happened. But I like the story and I like Cassandra Campbell's narration.

Not a Bronx accent

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book for the story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Itsy because she did what she had to do to protect her family.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I hoped to listen to this book and be brought home to the Bronx. Her accent was awful. It was Brooklyn if it was New York at all. I found it distracting and had to push past it to follow the story. I would have enjoyed the book so much more if it had been narrated properly. I usually have no problem with narrators but really I was waiting for Anthony to offer me a Chunky.

Who was the most memorable character of The Witch of Little Italy and why?

Ellie of course