When Mona Lisa Cicciarelli is left at the altar by Joey and his overbearing mother Alice, Mona Lisa wonders what will be worse the pitying stares from her friends and family or her parent s renewed obsession with the age of her ovaries and impending spinsterhood. Her father, Chick, tries to fix her up the day after she is jilted with the handsome, Italian-Catholic Dante Coletti, and it is then that Mona Lisa realizes her sanity is at risk. She needs to make a big change and when she s offered a job opportunity in Atlanta, she consults Noni, her eccentric grandmother and closest confidante who gives her the push she needs.”
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It all started with a bang. A ruined wedding, a jilted bride and a almost-monster-in-law. However, Mona Lisa has four sisters, parents and Noni to keep your sane while driving her insane.
What am I talking about? I am talking about Italian-American family with 5 grown-up daughters. The second last princess is left at the altar – the best thing that could have happened to her. From this point onward Mona Lisa’s life will change… for the better.
This book made me laugh. It had a very good energy and dynamic to begin with. As the narrative unfolded, the energy folded, though. The plot became too predictable and too descriptive. I was waiting for a drama that never happened.
Mona Lisa is a very nice story of coming to age, coming to womanhood, coming to love… and settling down. There is no major drama, no life-changing events or heartbreaking moments. There is enough wit, sarcasm, Yiddish and Italian terms, stereotypes, food and guilt to make the reading interesting and fun.
A very light quick read.
Svetlana Tishchenko 