Review #125: Forty Years in a Day by Mona Rodriguez and Dianne Vigorito

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


“If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.”

----Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his pen name George Orwell, an English author and journalist

Mona Rodriguez and Dianne Vigorito, the two American cousin sisters, enchanted and deeply moved our hearts with their debut novel, Forty Years in a Day that revolves around a best-kept-hidden-family secret and how its revelation disrupts lives from generation after generation.

Synopsis:
The story begins in Italy, 1900. After years of torment and neglect, Victoria and her four small children immigrate to Hell's Kitchen, New York, to escape her alcoholic, abusive husband. On the day they leave, he tragically dies, but she does not learn of his death for several years—a secret that puts many lives on hold.
Quickly, they realize America's streets are not paved with gold, and the limits of human faith and stamina are tested time and time again. Poverty, illness, death, kidnapping, and the reign of organized crime are just some of the crosses they bear.
Victoria's eldest son, Vincenzo, is the sole surviving member of the family and shares a gut-wrenching account of their lives with his daughter during a visit to Ellis Island on his ninetieth birthday. He explains how the lives of he and his siblings have been secretly intertwined with an infamous Irish mob boss and ends his unsettling disclosure with a monumental request that leaves Clare speechless.

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It's Time to Make a New Year Resolution List!

Happiee New Year to all my followers as well as to all my friends and fellow bloggers out there!

I know, it's been already a day and I still have not wished you guys. Maybe, I should be more responsible about my blogging in 2015. Ahhaa, sounds like a New Year's Resolution!! Yes, my friends, on this very blog post, I'm going to resolute about certain things that I'd like to follow on 2015. Since, it's again that time of the year, when we firmly make our minds resolute to certain do's and dont's that we will adhere to! So without any negative thoughts, I'd like to share away my list of resolution with you all.

Resolution#1: I 'will' clear out my to-be read shelf by the first quarter of 2015 and 'will' make a new to-be read shelf

Yes, I still have 87 books to read and I must clear out those books and fill with all the new and upcoming books by March. I know it sounds very tough, but my aim will be to finish off reading those 87 books. So with a confident mind, I'd like to promise myself to read 87 books by March.
 

Resolution#2: I 'will' shop less and save more money

Yeah, I confess that I've a shopping problem.. I mean I'm a shopaholic and I don't expect you guys to say that "Aditi, We are here with you" just like in the movie called, "Confessions of a Shopaholic" No, it's not that bad, but it's also not that good! Instead, I'll learn to maintain the records of all my accounts, in fact, I will open Fixed Deposit accounts and Recurring Deposits accounts in my bank to reach my goal. I have to learn to shop sensitively. So I take a solemn pledge to save 1578.99 $, i.e. 1 lakh rupees by the end of this year.

Resolution#3: I 'must' tone down my abs/stomach

Firmly, I swear that I'll use my old and dusty treadmill to at least tone down a bit, not too much toning, but at least by some inches. And I 'will' wake up in the early morning to follow my aim and 'will' also follow a healthy diet. I'm seriously not kidding! I want to be successful at least on this particular resolution of mine.

Resolution#4: I 'will' blog more

My blog's only 2 months old and I'm already drifting apart from it with each passing day, especially, I've no clue about the blog on the occasions like Christmas, Durga Puja or any holiday. And I swear that I'll write more about funny and quirky stuffs, and will constantly drive myself to grow my blog's traffic/readers/followers. Hence, my pledge will be to a successful blogger.

Resolution#5: I 'will' try to be a more better person

Yeah, I guess everyone has this on their resolution list to be more caring, responsible, loving etc.. And just like those people, I too want to solemnly pledge myself to be a better human being and if possible will commit myself to the betterment of this planet. Or at least I will try to be a better daughter and a better friend in the year 2015. And my only motto will be: "Laugh More and Worry Less!"

Resolution#6: I 'will' say NO to a lot of stuff in my life

First, I'll say a big NO to my old life. I will now adopt other habits and passions. I will say 'NO' to all the negative things in my life and to all the negative people in my life. I will even befriend some of my I-don't-know-who-the-hell-he/she-is Facebook friend; it is another way of saying 'NO'. And I will also say 'NO' to my old habits like sulking. I will 'NOT' whine about certain unfortunate situations and will 'NOT' feel jealous/complex about stuffs, people, animals etc. So in a way, I'll start trusting myself more and more in the year 2015.

Resolution#7: This is my last pledge: I 'will' travel to somewhere nice and exotic

It's time to get away from my old and boring city life to somewhere new and exotic. It can be a family trip or a self-trip and for that purpose, I need to save more money instead of buying stupid and random stuffs. It's high time that I start traveling and experience the world with my own eyes.

So, my friends, I'd like to sign off on a positive note and will not think even for a second that I won't be able to keep up with my resolution list, instead, just like Adidas and Nike brands tagline, I'll say to myself: "Nothing is Impossible" and "Yes, I Can".

See you on my next blog post!

Until then,

Happy Reading!

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