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It is often said that the story of America is the story of immigrants. That's certainly the case in Melone's novel. From 1909 to 1973, readers share the hopes and dreams, joy and sadness, triumphs and tragedies of an extended Italian family in Chicago. The central figure is Rachela, a young woman whose passage to America, along with that of her mother, is paid for by a fiancé she has never seen. When she arrives in Chicago, he has been called back to Italy to care for his dying mother. By the time he returns and the two finally meet, she has fallen in love with another. While violence ensues, the brutal ending to this episode is just the beginning of a multi-generational tale that plays out over decades.
Melone intersperses monumental events of the time with interpersonal relationships of the immigrants involved in them. Abysmal living conditions in unsanitary and unsafe tenements, oppressive working conditions and the rise of labor unions, prejudice toward and among different nationalities, support and opposition to world wars—all are explored within the context of how they affect the lives of Rachela and her family. The author's prose is more journalistic than literary. His dialogue and use of Italian words and phrases are engaging—occasionally more so than the exposition that surrounds them. Yet there is an unmistakable sincerity in his examination of major themes such as devotion to homeland, appreciation for opportunities the new land provides, and the difficult but necessary need for assimilation. He is most at home when detailing the love and strength that the family shares—attributes that continue to nurture all immigrants in search of a better life.