The Curcuruto Girls

Book excerpt: The Curcuruto Girls is a collection of short stories based on the lives of five Italian-American sisters from the upstate New York town of Fulton. The stories take place between the 1920’s and the 1950’s, based loosely on true stories about the sisters in their youth. Carmella, Kathryn, Anna, Nancy and Josephine were remarkable in their devotion to each other and to their families. Their stories remind us that human nature remains the same, even as the world around us has changed drastically since their time. Times may have changed, but today we can still find something in common with one or more of the sisters. Some of us are like Carmella, struggling to break through a social barrier. Some of us are like Kathryn, working through difficult self-esteem issues. Others are like Anna and have so much to say and no place to say it. We might be like Nancy, determined to find true love without compromise. Or we might be like Josephine, having alienated so many people that we can only focus on just that one person we care about deeply. These charming stories are modern folktales, revealing timeless elements of the human spirit.