Baker towers, the piles of slag dumped near the railroad siding for the Baker Coal Mines, are the reason that preWorld War II Bakerton, PA, exists; the company is the town, and the town is the company. The Novak family lives in a company house in the town's Polish section, shops at the company store, goes to the company hospital, and lives by the company time clock. When Stanley Novak drops dead from a massive heart attack, he leaves behind a wife and five children who must struggle to survive. During the war, employment is not too difficult to find even for the girls but finding a place in the world is a little more challenging. The children leave home and return. The miners go on strike. The eldest daughter marries the high school principal. The second-oldest daughter shocks her family by consorting with a divorced Italian. A catastrophic explosion eventually closes down the mines. The town, however, remains, and life continues as the world moves on.

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria
Liberati has everything a reader could possibly ask for - from the heart
warming personal stories Maria shares throughout, to the detailed recipes, everything has been well organized, professionally presented and is easily understood. And with the terminology index, the reader has all the tools to not only prepare a fine meal, but pronounce the beautiful Italian language properly. Which for the cooking enthusiast, definitely adds a flair of sophistication to your dining experience. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or an amateur in the kitchen, you will enjoy “The Basic Art of Italian Cooking”. The recipes and memories that will be created as a result of this book, will surely be cherished by all! I look forward to many delicious offerings from Maria Liberati.

I just couldn't get into it. I enjoyed the Inferno more than the other two sections; there's just nothing interesting about people who go to Paradise.

This book to me was (and is) not very intresting anymore. I've lost my taste for it, but I'm still determined to read it all the way through. This started out as a class read, but we only read bits and pieces. So I took it upon myself to read all of it. This is a good book for those who are religous and like to read such things. The story will take you on a journey with Dante to the Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise. This book on a private note (to the author) seems to be more of a revenge fantasy aimed at those who corrupted Italy, and Paradise is where he reunites with his love.

An immigrant family struggles to make their way in their adopted land of America.