Introduction

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The story of an Italian immigrant family in the Wild West whose crazy, brave, and magical women overcame impossible odds to become bootleggers, brides—and Mafia bosses.

This based-on-real-events novel tells the story of the family that possibly inspired The Godfather—except this story doesn’t begin with a small robbery in New York. Instead, The Descendant begins with a big, blooming love in the tiny town of Lucca Sicula, Sicily. Told through the lives of the strong Italian women who fought against impossible odds, this historically inspired narrative introduces a whole cast of fascinating characters.

Mariano Barbera was a strong, powerfully built man who saw tiny fourteen-year-old Maria Ragusa at her family’s store and was struck dumb. He had to have her, and she wanted him just as badly. Their life together leads the couple and their children from earthquake-ravaged Sicily to bondage in the mines of Colorado, to cattle ranching in Pueblo, to Mafia life on the mean streets of Red Hook, Brooklyn.

This sweeping family saga centers around the Barberas’ ten children from their three cowboy gangster sons, Peter, Joe, and Austin to their seven wildly different cowgirl daughters. First there’s little Flo—born on the night of the wolves and whose own alpha wolf never left her side—as she navigates life alongside her best pal and younger sister, Clara. Then there’s Flo’s many older sisters: Callie, who loved and lost; Angie, who loved and left; gorgeous Laura, who loved the wrong man; grouchy but brilliant Helen, who loved many times; and tough-as-nails wrangler Michelina, who loved a woman more than the husband she was forced to marry.

The Descendant is not just the story of how the mountain Mafia began in the United States. This is the story of a family of scrappy, tough, smart folks who refused to let all the power in the world keep them down.

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Excerpt

Oh No Little Flo!
Pueblo
September 12, 1923
Flo walked into her mother’s room and saw Blue at the foot of the cradle. She hadn’t been night hunting but protecting the baby. Maria opened a can of condensed milk, which was how the motherless infants got their milk back then. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

From the author - added by Pauline:

1. The novel opens with Firenze’s almost mythical birth and the presence of the wolf. How does this scene set the tone for the rest of the story? What do wolves symbolize throughout the book?

2. Linda Stasi describes her book as "Yellowstone" meets "The Godfather." In what ways does the story reflect elements of both the Western family saga and organized crime epic? Which genre does it feel closest to for you?

3. In "The Descendant," Linda Stasi blends family history, folklore, and fiction. Where do you think the line most powerfully blurs between truth and storytelling? Does knowing it’s based on the author's own family and actual events change how you read it?

4. Bootlegging in the story emerges not just as criminal activity but as a means of survival. How does the novel challenge traditional “good vs. bad” narratives?

5. Much of the book examines what the author calls “unconscious acceptable bigotry” toward Italian Americans. Where did you see these stereotypes reinforced in culture, and where did this book dismantle them?

6. The women (Flo, Clara, Callie, Angie, Laura, Helen, and Mickey) drive much of the emotional heart of the story. Which woman did you find most compelling, and why?

7. Discuss Maria’s life as a wife, mother of 16 children, immigrant, and survivor. What does the novel seem to say about motherhood?

8. Mariano is portrayed as both a victim of trauma and perpetrator of abuse. What did you think of him as a character? Did your feelings toward him shift while reading the book?

9. The Ludlow Massacre and coal mining bondage are central historical moments in the novel. What did you learn about American labor history that you didn’t know before, and how did it shape your understanding of the family’s choices?

10. If Linda Stasi’s ancestors (who the story was based on) could read this book, how do you think they would react?

Weblinks

»	Author's website
»	Follow the author on Instagram
»	Watch the book trailer
»	People Magazine article about Linda Stasi

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