Freeing Vera

by Elissa Raffa

You have to leave home more than once to get it right. New York, the 1970s: Frannie D'Amato, activist young artist and unashamed truth-teller, wants to awaken her disabled mother, Vera, from her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1579621201
• ISBN13: 9781579621209
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Permanent Press (NY)
• Length: 263 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A Surprise Gem!

This book was enthralling, with astoundingly insightful descriptions of family dynamics. I found myself really caught up in the hopes, frustrations, and yearning of the main character, Frannie. This story is well-told, both edifying and delightful to read.

a compelling first novel

Frannie D'Amato, the protagonist of Freeing Vera, is a strong yet struggling young woman coming of age in the 70's. The multilayered novel deals with her severely dysfunctional family, her friendships, her loves, her work, and her art; the narrative tone has a remarkable, in-your-face honesty and humor that will keep you reading. Raffa deals expertly with the idea of confinement, how our families, our gender, our illness, our society and our own sense of self can control and undermine a life. Frannie's quest to free herself and those she loves is ultimately a moving and provocative story.