This book is a pleasant surprise. Skillfully done and consistently on target.

Holy Cards alone is justification for buying this book. That short story has been reprinted in Don't Tell Mama the Penguin collection of Italian American writing. Anyone who buys this book based on reading the reprint won't be disappointed.

A engaging and enthralling collection of stories. Mr. Ardizzone is a very gifted writer who combines all elements of life, be it realistic or magical, contemporary or traditional, and it is done in an enjoyable and immediate manner. He joins the ranks and stands proud with the gifted writers and poets who hail from and write of Chicago. My hat is off to this writer and this work.

This novel manages to blend all the emotional subtlety of Danielle Steel with the linguistic finesse of Louis de Bernieres. Or let's put it another way: if you enjoy really loud restaurants where all the dishes have the same sauce, you'll love In the Garden of Papa Santuzzu.

This book satisfies that part of me that loves short stories, the part that loves novels, and the part that loves series--for it is all of those things wrapped in one. With it's intertwined, yet distinct stories told in the voice of each of Papa Santuzzu's family members, you learn all about this vibrant Sicilian family's trials and triumphs both in Sicily and "La Merica." I especially enjoyed the perspective that one family member would sometimes give to another's story. Some sections are stronger than others, but most surely hit their mark. The book is written in a fable-y style that reminded me a bit of some of Salman Rushdie's work (especially Haroun and the Sea of Stories), while the intertwined story structure reminded me of another wonderful book, A Place Where the Sea Remembers, by Sandra Benitez. Enjoy this book, and pass it on.

This book made me laugh and cry at the same time. It is filled with lyrical prose and folklore that glitter like jewels.