The Black Madonna

by Louisa Ermelino

Book Overview

The Black Madonna has long protected her mountain villagers in southern Italy, and some say she followed her people to America. What else explains the magic and miracles on Spring Street in Little... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684871661
• ISBN13: 9780684871660
• Release Date: March 2001
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

what you call a good read

I loved this book. I read it during a 20-hour bus ride, keeping my above-the-seat light on well into the night. Not so much to see what would happen (although you really don't know that until the last pages); more because I just wasn't ready to say good-night to the characters. This is the best part: Unlike many books I read, the ending was just as good as the beginning. I'll read more of her books.

Get ready to laugh!

"The Black Madonna" is loaded with stereotypes -- the overbearing Italian mama, the rich Jewish family; however, this book is so hysterical that political correctness must, thank God, go by the wayside. Filled with scenes of life in tenement housing in "the old neighborhood," Louisa Ermelino has written great atmosphere with colorful, memorable characters. There is no deep plot, just a delightful splash of life, love, religion, friendship, and aging.

Bravo!

I am a second generation Italian American whose parents grew up on Mulberry and Hester Streets in Little Italy, New York. Ms. Ermelino's vivid descriptions of the neighborhood and sometimes irreverent treatment of its colorful characters helped me recall visits to my grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins. I laughed at times, felt sad at others and at some level felt a certain frustration about "stereotypes." This entertaining novel helped me see another view of the richness and diversity of the immigrants from Southern Italy that I missed in my sociological readings on my cultural heritage. I heartily recommend this must-read for anyone who appreciates cultural diversity, but more importantly is just looking for an entertaining book! I will definitely be looking for more fiction from Ms. Ermelino.

THE BLACK MADONNA

Ermelino's fresh and gorgeous writing brings to life a host of characters drawn so clearly I became caught up in each and everyone of their lives. She is a rare writer. I've never come across anyone tell such a rich story. It's uncluttered, devoid of trivial descriptions and robust with energy and all that is intensely human. When I was reading this book I felt like I hadn't really read a book in years, all the other books I had read in the past didn't compare to hers. I'll remember THE BLACK MADONNA forever - for the writing, for the characters and for the unique elements which this writer chose to move her story forward. I'm excited to read all that this writer has written and I know I'll be reading whatever else she writes in the future. I hope her next one comes out soon!

Bella, Bella

Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. This tale of three mothers and their sons set in Little Italy is heartwarming, touching and funny. The characters are so finely drawn that you truly feel like you know them and because the stories intertwine over a period of years each time someone pops back in the story its like seeing a friend you haven't seen in years. Just a wonderful read. I highly recommend it.