Don Carina - Russell Ron

A father's death in Southern Italy in the 1930s-a place where women who can read are considered unfit for marriage-thrusts seventeen-year-old Carina into servitude as a 'black widow,' a legal head of the household who cares for her twelve younger siblings. A scandal forces her into a marriage to Russo, the 'Prince of Naples.' As head of the mafia, or Camorra, he turns her seven younger brothers into criminals. Her black widow skills prove invaluable to Russo, and his enterprise prospers, until Mussolini allies with the Nazi Germany war machine. With three children under the age of seven, the Russo family faces food shortages, martial law under the Gestapo, and devastating Allied air raids. One night, a bomb rips through their house causing Russo to lose his mind and start babbling secrets. If the Camorra learns of this, Carina knows an ensuing turf war will rob her of her home, her life, and the lives of everyone dear to her. By cunning force, Carina seizes control of Russo's organization and uses her skill and savvy to control the most powerful of Mafia groups. Discovery is inevitable-and, Interpol has been watching as well. Nevertheless, Carina survives to tell her children her stunning story of strength and survival.