A compulsive, huge-hearted novel about family, home and how women move through the world; you don't read this book, you live it. -- Erin Kelly, author of HE SAID/SHE SAID
A sweeping story of immigration, family, betrayal and most importantly, one extraordinary woman. This book is gorgeous, harrowing and magical -- Julie Cohen
Thanks to gorgeous writing from Grames, it's full of beautiful passages and is the perfect book to take with you on holiday . . . a messy, complex and convincing story of women struggling to find their true power -- Francesca Brown * Stylist *
This is wonderful storytelling, seamlessly capturing the love and horror at the heart of family. Juliet Grames's novel, tracing the extraordinary life - and deaths - of an ordinary woman, sits the reader down at a well-laden table, and offers a hugely satisfying feast. Delightful -- Mick Herron
This powerful and compelling story has characters so beautifully drawn you'll feel you know them personally. Mouth-watering descriptions of Italian food and fascinating social history add to the novel's ever-changing canvas. With layer upon layer of misfortune for Ms Fortuna, this is far from an easy read, but its captivating plotting will keep you rooting for Stella until the end. * S Magazine, Sunday Express *
A sumptuous inter-generational saga . . . heart-wrenching * Observer *
Packed with family secrets and their repercussions, the novel memorably pins down the American immigrant experience. It's an impressive achievement. * Daily Mail *
Superbly enjoyable . . . a darkly funny story about two sisters . . . A class act - don't miss it. * Woman *
I loved this meaty family saga . . . I couldn't help rooting for the complicated and unstoppable hero -- Joanne Finney * Good Housekeeping *
Fresh and intriguing . . . gripping -- Sabine Durrant
[Its] emotional force . . . illuminates every page. A beautifully painted portrait, majestic and masterful; a very fine novel indeed. -- Laura Carlin
A wonderful family saga that draws on every emotion -- Runner up in the Prima Big Book Awards * Prima *
By turns captivating, shocking, heartbreaking and life-affirming. This is no ordinary family epic; it is the story of generations of women who, in conformity and non-conformity, blaze with strength, compassion and formidable will . . . An extraordinary debut -- Vaseem Khan
A magnificent debut . . . a deeply felt, richly imagined world . . . Moody, original and profound. Brava! -- Adriana Trigiani
Reading The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna is like listening to the rollicking stories of your Italian grandmother - full of memorable characters and speckled with fascinating bits of history. This is a fantastic and timely family story -- Jessica Shattuck
Juliet Grames's epic novel . . . is rich in eccentric characters and unlikely encounters, and she inhabits a world that is tinged with magic but still limited by patriarchal values - and she carries with her a dark family history. It's an extensive, often cheeky, exploration of lineage, fate, and womanhood. * Buzzfeed *
Paint[s] sensually intricate portraits of Calabria and Connecticut. With her story of an ordinary woman who is anything but, Grames explores not just the immigrant experience but the stages of a woman's life. This is a sharp and richly satisfying novel * Publishers Weekly *
Compelling * Kirkus *
Readers who appreciate narratives driven by vivid characterisation and family secrets will find much to enjoy here . . . [Grames is] an author to watch * Booklist *
While the subject matter isn't always easy . . . the Fortunas are so lively and sharply drawn that you'll eagerly follow their journey from pre-World War II Italy to early aughts Connecticut * Vulture *
Twisty and complicated, but wholly original * Electric Literature *
The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna achieves what no sweeping history lesson about American immigrants could: It brings to life a woman that time and history would have ignored * Washington Post *
Witty and deeply felt * Entertainment Weekly *
