TWO NEW NOVELS by BETTIANA!
Necessary Secrets (click link to purchase on Amazon)
In the summer of 1949, in a gritty neighborhood on the edge of Chicago known for its bigotry and mafia control, a shy Italian woman decides to get rid of the child she is carrying. It is a time when men stroll the streets and women hurry home to get supper on the table. Her husband Nick, a clever, good-humored man, is desperate to put money in his pocket and becomes a driver for the gangster Mister D. Rose cringes at the thought of Nick working for scum, making her more certain she must end her pregnancy. In desperation, Rose gives herself over to Asmara, a fierce and independent midwife, who believes every woman has the right to decide for herself whether she is strong enough to keep a baby close to her heart or let it go. When Nick finally gets some money in his pocket, he decides to go into business selling cars in the Negro neighborhood and befriends Thomas Lee, an honest “colored” man who owns his own car repair shop. This enrages Rose’s brother, who draws Rose and Nick into the center of racial violence fueled by neo-fascists. While surviving a powerful blow of street justice, Rose and Nick must find the courage to keep secrets and obey the Italian tradition of “omerta.”
Accidental Friends (click link to purchase on Amazon)
On a warm September night two strangers, Mercee Jackson and Gina Baretta, are drawn to one another because they find themselves witnessing the horror of a hit and run crime that seriously injures Malcolm, a young black boy. As they struggle to become friends, the young women are forced to face their own racial biases and social identities amidst the racial unrest of 1960 where Chicago’s political corruption, neo-fascism, the mob and the upcoming Nixon-Kennedy election heighten everyone’s anger and fears. Mercee and Gina must find the courage to rise above their fears as they seek justice for Malcolm, but it is only when another tragedy occurs that a true friendship can finally be experienced.
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