Cafer Ulu Ulu itibaren Tāherābād, Tehran, Iran itibaren Tāherābād, Tehran, Iran

Of all the books, this one left me most curious about what would happen next in the series.

Hot sex and a good story, mmm hmm.

This was a sweet, sometimes heart wrenching book about a 12-year-old girl in 1953. Penny is half Italian American and half simply American. Her father is dead so she lives with her mother and maternal grandparents. She often spends time with her father's large Italian family. The two parts of her family couldn't be more different (her maternal grandmother can't cook and her paternal grandmother is a stereotypical Italian grandmother cook). I really liked Penny and her entire family. The author did an excellent job making me feel for 12-year-old Penny during her various fights with her mother. Since I am the mother of an almost 12-year-old girl, that is quite the accomplishment. I also loved the historical details about life as an Italian American during and right after WWII. I recommend this book to Tweens, teens, and grown-ups.