2018 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS:
First Place, Grand Prize Fiction
First Place, Children’s/Juvenile Fiction
2018 CATHOLIC PRESS ASSOCIATION BOOK AWARDS:
Third Place, Children’s
2018 READERS FAVORITE BOOK AWARDS:Gold Medal, Children: Coming of AgeIn a southern farming community in 1925, thirteen-year-old Salvatore and his Italian immigrant father become involved against their will … AWARDS:
In a southern farming community in 1925, thirteen-year-old Salvatore and his Italian immigrant father become involved against their will in a crime that results in the murder of an innocent man and family friend. Will Sal keep the secrets about that night as his father asks, or risk everything he and his family cherish in their new homeland, including their lives?
Amidst bigotry, bootlegging, police corruption, and gangland threats, Sal must discover whom he can trust in order to protect himself and his family and win back his father’s freedom. Sal’s family, their African-American farmhand, and the girl who is Sal’s best friend find their lives forever changed as dreams are shattered and attitudes challenged in a small community called Freedom.more
This was a riveting, page turning story of courage and honor, to do the right thing. Young Salvatore Scaviano is confronted with evil at his doorstep, when a gang of mobsters coerces his good, hardworking farming family into illegal activity under the threat of harm. Sal’s childhood quickly gives way to having to make adult decisions and judgments between not just right and wrong, but the more subtle nuances of wisdom and discretion. All set in the backdrop of the 1920’s deep south, with the rich history of the time, in prohibition, segregation, immigration, prejudice, sharecropping, and more. The writer creates a story world that immerses the reader, but with the lightest of touches.
I especially loved the Sicilian heritage so beautifully portrayed by the mannerisms, values, food, and faith of the characters. I grew up with a Sicilian best friend, and her family was my second family. Reading this book was like revisiting my childhood in many ways, and the long hours spent with good people, hard workers, with a kind and generous hospitality. Thank you for stirring up these fond memories!
The writing is lovely and really put me in Sal’s world. I loved learning about life in Louisiana in the 20’s, on the farm. I loved Hiram’s character, and Marie’s, too. All of your individual characters and their mannerisms shone with authenticity. It was a privilege and a pleasure to visit their world.
Highly recommended to show young readers and older readers alike, how prejudice takes many forms, but honor, integrity and good triumphs over all.
This story of Italian immigrants in 1920s Louisiana spoke to me, as the granddaughter of Italian immigrants of the 1920s. The only difference is my grandparents landed in New York. The struggle to live free of the mafia was both realistic and frightening. Cynthia Toney is a gifted story teller. Anyone who is descended from immigrants should read this book. You’ll be glad you did.
As a fan of historical fiction, I thoroughly enjoyed The Other Side of Freedom by Cynthia Toney. This story, set in the 1920s, has so many historical and time-period details, from the 1924 Ford Model T Tudor to the mention of Al Capone and the first black man elected to the US Senate. The tension begins in the first scene when Sal finds well-dressed strangers at the door. And the tension mounts from there with an attempted bank robbery, a death, sneaking and spying, and a lot of tough choices and obstacles for thirteen-year-old Sal. Toney’s attention to descriptive and sensory details makes this story even stronger.
This coming-of-age story about Sal, who belongs to a tight-knit Italian family, helps readers to understand the difficulties of farm life during this time period, the ugliness of segregation, and the courage of the immigrant. It also brings out a strong message of courage and self-sacrifice. I highly recommend this book.
In 1925, Sal Scaviano is a conscientious thirteen year old Italian boy who loves his family, as well as the Louisiana fruit and vegetable farm in a town called Freedom–although at this point in his young life, Sal is questioning whether he should pursue farming when he becomes the good man he truly wants to be. His answer comes sooner than expected, as Sal witnesses his father forced by members of the Mob to be part of a robbery that ends in murder. Cynthia Toney does a superior job revealing Sal’s dismay and worry over what he should do; go to the police, or protect his father by keeping silent. The characters are strong, the pacing well done, and the story gives a clear picture of life for an Italian family in 1920’s America. Highly recommend.
Mobsters in the roaring 20s with a southern country turn. The Other Side of Freedom provides suspense and tension throughout with interesting and ethnically diverse characters. Sal has a moral dilemma, tell the truth and maybe prevent the mobsters from more robbing and murdering, or obey your parents and protect your innocent father from going to jail. The relational twist at the end also made for a satisfying read.
Stellar historical fiction about Italian immigrants in the 1920’s. Recommended for all ages.