T H E H A L F L I F E O F T E A R S (Paperback)

~ Lawrence Richette (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris Corporation (December 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1425730299
• ISBN-13: 978-1425730291
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,801,224 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's More To Italian-American Literature Than The Godfather . . ., June 16, 2007

By	Wred Fright "wredfright" (Lakewood, OH USA) - See all my reviews

. . . and Lawrence Richette's The Half Life Of Tears is an excellent example of that. It's an engrossing read that documents the disintegration of one Italian-American family in Philadelphia in the 1940s. Set on the homefront during World War II, the novel vividly expresses the emotions of that era when it seemed that the whole world stood on the abyss. One character's work on the team that developed the atomic bomb provides a powerful focus as the novel shifts from the war to the anxiety and jubilation of the postwar era. Apparently, it's part of a series of books that documents the family's history through the 20th century, and I'm looking forward to reading more of their story by Richette.

5.0 out of 5 stars THE SEQUEL TO THE SECRET FAMILY, July 5, 2007

By	Lawrence Richette "Lawrence Richette, scribbler" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

THE HALF LIFE OF TEARS continues the saga of the Monti clan from 1942, where THE SECRET FAMILY ended, until 1947. Carlo Lampa, Leonora's son, works on the Manhatttan project at Los Alamos but falls in love with a young Communist girl at Barnard, which causes him problems during the post-WWII Red Scare. In the meanwhile, hias uncle Francesco Monti suffers the death of a parent, a casual adultery which turns into a serious romance, and the return of his nephew Victor as a crippled GI. Despite all these indignities, the novel essentially has a happy ending, if you accept the divine Oscar Wilde's definition of one: the good are rewarded and the evil are punished. Enjoy!