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Claudia Ricci, Ph.D., is an American Author, an influential and seasoned writer of literary fiction, and an accomplished painter.
Claudia is a former writer for The Wall Street Journal and a prize-winning reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. She published her first novel, 'Dreaming Maples,' in 2002 after being nominated for a Pushcart Prize. 'Seeing Red,' her second novel, was released in Jan. 2011, the e-book version Oct. 2022, while 'Sister Mysteries' was released in 2018. Her new book has been released titled "Pearly Everlasting," Dec. 2022. All of her novels are available on Amazon and featured on many fine literary book sites.
Ricci's short fiction has been published in numerous literary magazines nationwide, including Alaska Quarterly Review, North Dakota Quarterly, Bayou, Yemassee, Barkeater, The Adirondack Review, The MacGuffin, and Another Chicago Magazine. Her non-fiction writing has appeared in The New York Times, Business Week, Parents magazine, the Huffington Post, and The Washington Post.
Ms. Ricci earned her Ph.D. in English (Teaching, Writing, and Criticism) from the University at Albany, SUNY, in 1996. She taught English, journalism, and creative writing at the University for 14 years and did a year-long teaching sabbatical at Georgetown University in 2009.
When she is not writing; Claudia enjoys reading good books, traveling, canoeing, and painting. She and her husband reside in North Egremont, Massachusetts.
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Pearly Everlasting is a work of fiction in the literary style and family drama subgenre. The work is best suited to the mature adult reading audience owing to its potentially distressing subject matter and the inclusion of explicit language and sexual situations. Penned by Claudia Ricci, this harrowing and heartfelt interpersonal drama follows the meeting of protagonists Salvia Fischetti and Morgan Pochyrus. A painter wracked with guilt and a biker poet find more than just their artistic souls connecting as they battle to save an infant from a terrifying illness, and what develops is a series of emotional challenges that will bring them both closer to one another, and closer to the healing they’ve always desired.
Claudia Ricci has a keen sense of character that lends itself to this style of storytelling, so much so that you begin to feel that you know Salvia and Morgan personally within just a few pages of meeting them. I enjoyed the close narration and craftwork in the dialogue, which gives each character their distinct parlance but never loses the artsy stylistic edge that reminds you of the beauty of the author’s wordplay. Plot-wise, there’s much to enjoy, with a slow-burning start that contextualizes Salvia’s great loss and deep pain. There are some heart-breaking parallels drawn and difficult moments later that echo back perfectly to the opening chapters to leave readers feeling satisfied with the journey of growth and healing that’s taken place. I would not hesitate to recommend Pearly Everlasting to fans of artistic and literary writing that also digs deep into human emotion and connection.
