Loving Joe Gallucci: Love and Life with Hepatitis C

By Kate Genovese

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1891929895
• ISBN13: 9781891929892
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Whispering Hill Press
• Length: 215 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.8" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

A Beautiful Love Story!

Dr. Melissa Palmer in her foreword of Loving Joe Gallucci thanks Kate Genovese, for "authoring a book which portrays the human drama that flows from a diagnosis of Hepatitis C. I wholeheartedly agree! Meet Joe Gallucci. Joe is a "tall, six-foot lean hunk, with beautiful brown eyes, long black hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a construction worker's body." (p.2) He was also a drug addict, alcoholic and abusive man. Meg fell in love with him at first sight! She knew him as Jimmy Romano. When Meg Flaherty met Jimmy through her sister Lizzie in 1970, she asked that her sister put in a good word to him. Lizzie quickly responded like she knew the rest of her family would--"He's not your type." Indeed Meg was from a well-known, influential family and she knew that her father would never consider Jimmy as a suitable young man to call on his favorite daughter. Meg and Jimmy had their own lives to live, only seeing each other briefly until in January, 1976, Meg admitted to herself that she was in love with him. But during those years, several important things happened to Jimmy--foremost his father had been killed in a fire at his work, where he had stayed inside to save the furniture the company made, rather than leaving and saving his life. Jimmy, who had just begun to get close to his father was devastated, and even more so, when his father's brother took over the company and informed Jimmy he no longer had a job. Jimmy knew he was being cheated out of his share of the company, but had no way to fight against his uncle. Jimmy also stopped seeing his long-term girlfriend, unable to share his grief with her and doing the only thing possible, turning away from the relationship. During that same time, Meg, having worked too many long hours, accepted a ride with a man she vaguely knew was a co-worker. As soon as she was in the car, he almost immediately started beating her and planning worse, for he had been stalking her and waiting for the right opportunity! This traumatic experience affected her life, her family and her work. But it was during that time that Jimmy made contact and talked to her about his feelings for her. Two individuals, who were wrong for each other, in everybody's eyes but their own, fell in love and ultimately married. Jimmy and Meg had children. The lack of acceptance of Jimmy by Meg's father, in particular, continued to plague him through many years, even when he became successful in his business. But there was always love between Jimmy and Meg to keep them going. And then Joe Gallucci once more came to visit. He brought back the sins of the past, not only on Jimmy but also on his young son! And suddenly it was a life-and-death matter! Genovese has done an exceptional job; the book is fiction based upon a true story and is much more--a "love story" that will capture your heart, whether or not the book is totally true or supplemented for drama's sake. Her characters quickly become "someone you know" and the actions and dialo

Honest and heartfelt yet missing something

As a person who, at this very point in time, is enduring peginterferon treatment, I found myself in a contemplative and often uncomfortable position during the read. While my circumstances of contraction of Hep C slightly differ from Jimmy Romano's, the process of reliving all the "fun" I had in the Eighties had me laughing and crying, often almost simultaneouly. Yes it was fun and I still miss it, but it hurts nonetheless not knowing exactly how it was contracted. However, I've yet to find a book that completely encompasses the devastion the treatment itself has on the inflicted, family and true friends. The effects of acquiring the disease were comprehensive but the horror of the 1st 3 months of treatment weren't covered satisfactorily. I believe it would take someone who has actually been through it to put it in proper perspective. I hope this was helpful, Friday I was tested for my 3rd month which will determine if I am able to continue using peginterferon. I hope my "brain fog" doesn't cloud this review of a book like this. In 5 years, I'm told, everyone will know someone with Hep C. This book is a good beginning.

Tough love and the reality of Hepatitis C

Kate Genovese's first book, THIRTY YEARS IN SEPTEMBER, was an autobiographical romp throught the corridors, waiting rooms, operating rooms, and emergency rooms of "General Hospital" around which a sit com television series could have been constructed. In her second book, the tone is more serious and convincing as Ms. Genovese points her sharp pen at a dysfunctional, drug-addled marriage of the 1980's that turns into a modern day medical battle against Hepatitis C.that left me with more questions than answers about this disease and it's victims. This is a gripping tale of what drugs will do to the human body and mind and how to cope with the aftermath. While I wouldn't put this book on my "must read" list for a general audience, anyone interested in sparkling creative writing coupled with medical science, sprinkled with a dash of love and sentiment will find this story of triumph over adversity to be a great read. I loved it!

beautiful.informative

A love story that I could not put down! full of hope, inspiration and informative regarding the hepatitis c virus that affects more then 4 million americans