Rosa, Sola

By

Carmela Martino

STANDALONE

Rosa didn't know which she hated more--being lonely or being different. One thing she did know--she wanted a baby brother . . . one just like Antonio.

Rosa Bernardi, an only child living with her Italian immigrant parents in 1960s Chicago, often feels alone, or sola, as her parents would say. But after she holds her best friend AnnaMaria’s baby brother for the first time, Rosa is sure that if she prays hard enough, God will send her a brother of her own. When Rosa’s prayers for a sibling are answered, she is overjoyed—until the horrible day when she comes home from school to find Aunt Ida, her bossy godmother, waiting with bad news. Rosa is left feeling more sola than ever, and wondering if her broken family will ever be whole again.

ISBN

9780692147511

BOOK 1

GRADE LEVEL:

"Offering a great deal of nuance within an approachable narrative, this tender novel glows with affection and hope for its grieving family—and with promise for its first-time author."

—Starred review, Booklist

FUN FACT

Rosa, Sola was inspired by events from Carmela Martino’s own childhood.