Date of Release: May 19, 2020
Summary:
Twenty-six-year-old Lavinia Lavinia is burdened by her unknown heritage—but her uncle Sal, who raised her in San Francisco, has always kept silent, refusing to reveal the devastating secret of her origin. And now, following the death of his wife, he’s left for Italy.
In the wake of her uncle’s departure, Lavinia has quit school. Now she works as a personal laundress to a diverse cast of San Francisco residents—people with stories as complicated as her own. As time progresses, through the sacred ritual of washing clothes—and with the help of a friend and her nurturing, flamenco dancing mother—Lavinia begins to recover memories of her past. Gradually, her gifts of receptivity multiply, and she communes with nature, finding messages from birds and the leaves of her garden’s fig tree. And when she recovers Raggedy, a beloved doll that accompanied her from Naples when she was four years old, she experiences a tangible connection to her own mother.
Even as Lavinia makes these discoveries, she is busy building new relationships—discovering healing dance with her lover, a barista in a North Beach coffee shop; learning to understand Time and forgiveness with an elderly client; and even getting to know her father, a man who has never been a part of her life. Poetic and poignant, The Laundress is a coming-of-age story for anyone who’s ever sought to understand where they came from in order to figure out who they’re meant to become.
Review:
This. Is. It. A book that moved my soul! I search these out! They are my favorite!
Barbara Sapienza is a poet writing a novel! You will be in awe of every paragraph, page and chapter as they link together! Barbara Sapienza is a gifted wordsmith!
Lavinia Lavinia “The Laundress” is growing up in front of our eyes! She is trying to find out who she is and who she is meant to be.
We meet fabulous, eccentric, artistic characters along the way. There is so much beauty, even among the hard knocks.
I will read this again and recommend it to others! It’s one of my favorite novels this year!
Let me recommend it to you, First!
I received a copy of this book from the author and GETRED PR in exchange for a fair and honest review.
5 Stars.
NOW GET ME BARBARA’S NEXT BOOK!! I’m a huge fan!
The Write Review 