In Weeds Beneath the Open Meadows, Anna Casamento Arrigo relates what she experienced while growing up as a little Italian immigrant on the "gold-paved" streets of New Jersey in the 1960s: learning how to sew linings with her mother at seven, losing her tough yet caring seventy-seven-year-old father at twelve, witnessing an exorcism and the festivities of the pig slaying days, getting physically and sexually abused, and dreadfully translating for her mom while shopping for coffins. This is the story of how a child is introduced early to a harsh and cold world that fails to care for and pay enough attention to the little ones. However, in spite of her bad experiences, the beauty of the two cultures Anne grew up in and the love that shone through some of her family members fill the heart with joy, hope, and warmth.

Did you ever want to have a deep conversation with a random stranger about their unique story and the different things that brought them to the present moment they find themselves in? Anna Casamento Arrigo delivers this profound, soul-lifting experience in a book served with beautifully garnished Italian meals, funerals celebrated like festivals and the wonderings of a child who is just discovering the world. From a seemingly poetic and encompassing start to a climactic, bittersweet ending, Weeds Beneath the Open Meadows is a touching and compelling biography that will leave you with a jumble of emotions. I felt happy, enraged, moved, and sympathetic, but most of all, I was glad to read Anna Casamento Arrigo's amazing story.

Author and poet Anna Casamento Arrigo brings a powerful memoir that will resonate with all of us. Weeds Beneath the Open Meadows follows the author in her formative years, beginning with her journey from Sicily to New Jersey that brought a cultural shock as she learns to navigate the new world that she inhabits. For a young girl who is growing up, leaving the land of her birth is not easy, especially when leaving behind the little things that give great joy in favor of a land that promises opportunity but is obsessed with possessions. A deeply cerebral memoir that examines the interpretation of truth based on experience, it takes you on a journey in decoding the mystery and enigma of love and the dark side of the human heart.

Weeds Beneath the Open Meadows illustrates how a young girl can thrive in a new world she is not accustomed to but never forgetting who she is and where she came from. Anna Casamento Arrigo hypnotically blends her narrative with poetry that captures the rationale of her thoughts. She has a way of winning your heart in those moments when she recalls her fond memories, but she can also jolt you into shocking moments when she provides commentaries on assimilation, alienation, and abuse. True to her experience, Anna Casamento Arrigo finds paradigms in her thoughts—paradigms that explore the objectivity of truth. Poetic in its construction, there is no doubt that this memoir will appeal to adult readers.

In Weeds Beneath the Open Meadows by Anna Casamento Arrigo, Anna is only 12 years of age when she loses her elderly father, Salvatore. As she tries to come to terms with her father's death, she takes us back through the events leading up to her stolen innocence. Brought up in a small village called Sorrenti in Sicily, Anna never knew why her father made frequent trips to the United States and knew never to ask. Her father ruled the house with a rod of iron and Anna and her siblings learned how to become invisible. They also learned to stay silent during the frequent beatings they had to endure. When Anna was seven the family moved to Jamestown, U.S. where she had to learn a new language and to adapt quickly to the different culture. Anna was also forced to grow up quickly when her innocence was cruelly stolen by an older boy and others. She questioned whether this brutal abuse was the only form of love she deserved. After all, she was never wanted by her father and believed she had been cursed by gypsies many years before. Throughout all the beatings, abuse, and abandonment, Anna remained loyal to her parents and tried to salvage as much happiness from her childhood as she could. As she watches her father finally at peace, Anna wonders what her future will hold and if she will ever find peace herself.

The narrative throughout this memoir flows so beautifully, it feels like Anna Casamento Arrigo is talking directly to you. She certainly has a talent for storytelling and drawing the reader directly into the world of the characters portrayed. Every event is depicted with vivid and colorful descriptiveness, it brings such a powerful realism to her story. This memoir is honest, innocent, and wholesome. The abuse Anna had to entire and witness was very hard to read and there were moments where I had to take a moment to compose myself. The relationship between Anna and her siblings was beautifully described as they escaped the horrors of their home life with normal childhood games. Weeds Beneath the Open Meadows really highlights how a child faced with such continuous, sadistic torture will become accustomed to such abuse and see it as normal behavior. It is hard to read how any parent can harm their child but the beatings she received from her mother were the most chilling to read. Anna's impeccable manners, virtuous behavior, and forgiveness of those who hurt her were so inspirational. She is a true hero and I cannot believe this is her first memoir.