“Rosanna Chiofalo takes you on a magical ride filled with family and friends, love and loss, heartbreak and happiness. Bella Fortuna is a warm glimpse into Italian-American life.” – Holly Chamberlin, author of Last Summer
“Sometimes tough, sometimes tender, always heartfelt and honest, Bella Fortuna is a lively, finely-stitched tale of life and love, family and friendship, and a zest for cose Italiane! – Peter Pezzelli, author of Home to Italy
“Chiofalo, a first-generation Italian-American whose parents emigrated from Sicily in the 1960s, brings the Italian immigrant community and neighborhoods richly to life…the tale is charming.” – Publishers Weekly
“Chiofalo is clearly the heir to the Adriana Trigiani throne in the Italian American fiction category!” – GreatThoughts.com
About The Book
A first-generation Italian American raised in Queens, NY, Rosanna Chiofalo draws upon her own cultural heritage and experiences in her enchanting debut novel, BELLA FORTUNA. Readers are transported alongside Valentina DeLuca, a 30 year-old dressmaker, as she travels from the sidewalks of her close-knit New York neighborhood to the canals of Venice in what turns out to be much more than just a destination wedding trip. With its strong, stereotype-defying characters, evocative descriptions, and even its original recipes, BELLA FORTUNA is as much a tribute to Italian American culture as it is a stunning story about love, luck and second chances.
Thirty-year-old Valentina DeLuca has made hundreds of brides’ dreams come true. At Sposa Rosa, the Astoria, New York, boutique where she, her sisters, and their mother design and sew couture knock-off gowns, she can find the perfect style for even the most demanding customer. Now, it’s her turn. Valentina has loved Michael Carello ever since he rescued her from a cranky shopkeeper when she was ten years old. He’s handsome, chivalrous, and loyal. And in a few weeks, she’s going to marry him—in Venice.
But just when she thinks everything is falling into place, Valentina is forced to re-examine her life to see what truly makes her happy. And as she soon learns, in a place as magical as Venice, what seems like misfortune can turn out to be anything but, although who knows what may be waiting around the next corner? The chance to enjoy a moonlit gondola ride, to sip Prosecco in St. Mark’s Square, to eat mouthwatering gelato, to put aside “sensible” for once and see where the warm Italian breezes guide her as she visits all the sights she’s dreamed of: The Doge’s Palace, Il Rialto, the little islands of Murano and Burano. And maybe, along the way, to discover that bella fortuna—good luck— isn’t what you’re given, but what you make.
About The Author
ROSANNA CHIOFALO is a first-generation Italian American whose parents emigrated from Sicily to New York in the early 1960s. Since graduating with a B.A. in English from Stony Brook University, she has worked as a Copywriter and Copy Director for several New York City publishers. Rosanna is a member of the Romance Writers of America and The Order Sons of Italy.