Sicily, 1915: When his middle brother kills the son of the local Mafia don while defending their mother, Petru Donatello and his younger brothers, Juvanni and Angelu, are forced to flee their homeland. This takes them on a harrowing voyage in the bilges of a transatlantic ship teeming with Sicilian and Italian immigrants just like them, a multitude hoping for a better life in America. Along the way, they make both friends and enemies as the Donatello brothers struggle to prepare themselves for their new life in a world beyond their understanding.
Reminiscent of John Jakes' Bicentennial series, The New Americans by Tony and Ty Drago is a wonderfully moving saga. The genesis of the story is itself a tale: in his final weeks, Tony Drago tape-recorded what his son Ty thought were simple reminiscences. It was only in the years following Tony's death, after Ty became an established novelist, that he listened to the tapes and realized his father had left him, not a family history, but rather an emotional novel of immigration, rebirth, and growth. Milherst Publishing is honored to bring this story to the world.