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New Historical Fictions

New Historical FictionsNew Historical FictionsNew Historical Fictions

New Historical Fictions

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Table of Contents

A Brooklyn Tale

Chapter 1 The Foundling

A newborn Sicilian child is abandoned at a convent in 1876. He is named Bonafede.


Chapter 2 The Young Apprentice

Seven years later the orphanage turns that child, Carlo Bonafede, over to a businessman to be an apprentice at a barrel factory.


Chapter 3 The Sailor

In the year 1900, A sailor and family man from Calabria, named Matteo Ladolcetta, decides to move his family to America to find a better life.


Chapter 4 The First Immigrant

That same year, Matteo arrives alone in New York and begins the long hard process of raising enough money to acquire passage so he can bring the rest of the family to America.


Chapter 5 Ellis Island

It is 1907, and seven years have passed before Matteo Ladolcetta could raise enough money and send for his family.  The Ladolcetta family finally arrives at Ellis Island to begin their assimilation to America.


Chapter 6 Antonio in America

Antonio Ladolcetta, the fourteen year old son of the Matteo, experiences life in the Italian tenements of Brooklyn in 1909.


Chapter 7 The Sicilian Earthquake

Carlo Bonafede, the barrel maker apprentice is now 33 years old with a family. In 1909, Sicily experiences a horrendous earthquake that changes the Bonafede family lives forever.


Chapter 8 An Atlantic Voyage in Steerage

The Bonafede family takes a difficult voyage in 1912 across the Atlantic Ocean to join other family in America.


Chapter 9 Life in the Tenements – Brooklyn 1915

The Bonafede family struggle with poverty and the challenges of Life in their American homeland. The Bonafede and Ladolcetta families become friends,


Chapter 10 Finding Their Way

In 1916 the Bonafede family continue the difficult effort of embracing life in their American surroundings.


Chapter 11 The Depression

Anthony Ladolcetta is now grown up and married to Barnaba Bonafede.   Together the two of them face the challenges of poverty and hunger during the great depression that began in 1929.


Chapter 12 The Candy Store or Speakeasy 1932-1932

The young Ladolcetta family fights back hard against the depression by opening a candy store and dealing with the criminal underworld.


A collection of family photos.

The center of the book has a collection of photos, with captions, of the family members that are mentioned in the novel.


Chapter 13 Coney Island 1932

Anthony Ladolcetta brings his whole family for a Sunday visit packed with fun to Coney Island. Anthony’s son Matty begins to develop a mischievous personality and his position within the novel begins to develop.


Chapter 14 Bocce in The Park

Young Matty Ladolcetta spends time in the park watching his loving Grandfather Matteo Ladolcetta play bocce in the park in 1932.


Chapter 15 A Death in The Family

Tragedy strikes the Ladolcetta family that same year.


Chapter 16 The Funeral

An Italian wake and funeral is a unique experience.


Chapter 17 Trouble In School

Young Matty continues to develop his personality and we get to experience his hijinks in 1936.


Chapter 18 Prank on the Roof

Matty and his pal cause havoc on the Brooklyn brownstone rooftops that same year. 


Chapter 19 A New Enterprise

Matty and his pals discover a goldmine and go to work making money in 1936.


Chapter 20 Senior Summer

Its 1941 and Matty and the gang experience summer fun swimming in the East River.


Chapter 21 Chicken Armageddon

On the same day as the summer swimming, Matty faces the end times for a chicken.


Chapter 22 Matty Goes To War

In 1944 Matty is called to serve his country in the great war against Nazi Germany.  Matty proudly steps up and serves with distinction.


Chapter 23 The Meet Cute

1951 comes quickly and Matty Ladolcetta finds the love of his life.


Chapter 24 The American Family Saga

It took 3 generations but the Ladolcettas are no longer Italian Americans. They are now 100% American and are living the American dream.

Epilogue

This chapter tells the reader where the family is today.

Public Domain Photos

This section contains photos in the public domain depicting scenes from the book

True Tales vs Tall Tales-Appendix

This section comprises the author’s confession box where he explains what parts of the novel are totally true vs. what parts of the novel were figments of the imagination. The figments were created under artistic and theatrical license in order to make the book a more readable piece of literature.

Timeline of Historical and Family Events-Appendix

I created a timeline of actual world events as they collided with family events so the reader can better understand the context of the character development and behavior.

The History of Why Italians Came to America-Appendix

This is a documentary style manuscript delving into the history of world events and how they shaped Italian American lives.

Family Tree-Appendix

This is a who’s who of the characters in the novel.

Copyright © 2025 Hannah, The Lighthouse Girl of Newfoundland - All Rights Reserved.

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