I LOVE YOU LIKE A TOMATO

A prolific author of nonfiction, children's literature and poetry (Slow Dance on Stilts), Giordano produces a raucous, crowd-pleasing account of a Sicilian immigrant girl who grows up in the Twin Cities after WWII.

Leticcia Sapponata Maggiordino—"ChiChi"—and her younger, asthmatic brother, Marco, and grandmother Nonna follow ChiChi's mother from their peasant village to America, where they settle in the rough Italian ghetto of Tar Town. ChiChi devotes herself to keeping her sickly brother alive; the two live by their wits (and fists) in the ethnically diverse Catholic neighborhood, defending each other from gangs who abhor the Italians, while remaining wary of their mother's ferocious temper. Gradually, the family assimilates into American 1950s life: Nonna finds a suitor at the local grocery store; Mamma runs through a succession of hapless married boyfriends who adore her cooking; Marco excels as an artist; and ChiChi assuages her need for affection by milking laughs, becoming the protégée of a pair of aging Hollywood dwarfs who teach her commedia dell'arte. Giordano paints her characters in broad, exaggerated strokes: Mamma sings "O Sole Mio" at restaurants; ChiChi masters the use of the evil eye as vendetta. It's pure corn, but the effect is uproarious. The conclusion has Marco headed with his model wife to Hollywood as ChiChi hits the stage in New York. A sequel seems just around the corner. (July)

Forecast:The spunky title is a good match for what lies inside. This is the first volume in a projected trilogy, and should establish a solid fan base for the next two installments. Though some reviewers may pass it by, it's a perfect candidate for handselling