Addio, Love Monster

De: Christina Marrocco

Narrado por: Christina Marrocco

Addio, Love Monster is a novel told in linked stories spanning generations on the “regular” yet remarkable Singer Street of fictional midcentury Mulberry Park, just outside of Chicago. Marrocco transports you fully into this small world where Signora Giuseppa, the “iron fist” of Singer Street, does everything it takes to keep her grown children very near her, no matter what. Where Enrico the widower creeps in the night looking for a new wife in all the wrong places. Where Nicky the golden-gloves boxer wrestles with what he saw in the basement as a child—and Lena, his wife, also wrestles—with how to deal with Nicky’s violence. Each story follows one person, but together they are the story of the neighborhood, a neighborhood that faces life together, whether they like it or not. In these pages you will find humor and sorrow, resentment and adoration, and the churn and change of a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone both too much and too little as time marches on.

Praise for Addio, Love Monster

“In rich, descriptive prose peppered with salty dialogue, Christina Marrocco gives us a penetrating look at several generations of a Sicilian immigrant family. Bookmarked on either end of this novel in stories are two tales focusing upon professional mourner and matriarch Giuseppa Millefiore, who teaches her family that “everything dies”—but not before the entire clan loves, laughs, and dips deep into the gusto that characterizes Italian-American life.” (Rita Ciresi, author of Pink Slip and Sometimes I Dream in Italian)

“Joyce had his Dublin, Ferrante, her Naples, and for Marrocco it’s Mulberry Park, where not much seems to happen, and yet something’s always going on if you look beneath the surface. Marrocco finds the extraordinary in the lives of the folk who inhabit this sleepy suburb of Chicago, creating stories of individuals that she forms into a lively word tapestry, capturing days of lives gone by, reminding us that everyone has a story to tell.” (Fred L. Gardaphé, author of From Wise Guys to Wise Men)

“In Addio, Love Monster, Christina Marrocco has created a world that pulses with life. At the center of that life is the Millefiore family and their iron-fisted matriarch, Giuseppa. Set in fictional Mulberry Park, a suburb of Chicago, on the largely Sicilian-settled Singer Street, Marrocco’s novel-in-stories creates a place that is both familiar and wonderfully strange, a slice of a past time where families and neighbors squabble and gossip and judge, but most of all, they share a love that outstrips those lesser emotions. A wonderful first book by an author with a keen eye and a skillful touch.” (Patrick Parks, author of Tucumcari)

“With a unique and captivating voice and astounding attention to details, Christina Marrocco immerses us in the lives of a multi-generational immigrant family with her debut novel. I know well, these people of Mulberry Park, her fictional, working class, Sicilian-American neighborhood near Chicago. In this sharply focused snapshot of the midcentury Southern Italian immigrant experience, Marrocco populates Addio, Love Monster with people as real as it gets. I love this book.” (Karen Tintori, author of Unto the Daughters: The Legacy of an Honor Killing in a Sicilian-American Family)

©2022 Christina Marrocco (P)2023 Christina Marrocco

Beautiful Lives Lived

It’s impossible not to feel like you too live in the same neighborhood as the Millefiore family. Regardless of your background or the time you were born, you will instantly feel invested in the stories of Addio, Love Monster and the way the lives within it intertwine. Filled with strong, nosy, funny, and sincere characters that grow (even when they refuse to) throughout the tales. Once you’re done, you’ll absolutely want to go back and re-experience the stories, and gain a greater understanding of what makes this town and these families so captivating.

Excellent listen!

I was hesitant to listen to an audiobook, but I'm so glad I took a chance on Addio, Love Monster. Christina Marrocco's narration is so good that I forgot I was even listening to an audiobook.

Oh my the characters!

I love this book! The author reads it with a zest that I am sure only she can. The overall story of the neighborhood is pieced together beautifully. All the characters and their stories represent the truth of individuals as well as their part in the family and the neighborhood. It is a great way to show all of the differences between people and their own perspective on the lives they lead separately, yet together within the family and neighborhood. It is beautiful how she highlights the positive and negative of each of them, which really is a great reminder of how each of us is so different while we are so similar in other ways. I can’t wait to see what she does in the future. <3

Compelling

This is a beautiful collection of compelling, well written short stories centered around an Italian immigrant family.
The characters are real, raw, and complex. Who can say who is good or bad? We can only guess their intentions. As you move through the stories and learn more about the family members, you begin to see the “why.”
Stories are relatable, funny, moving, ALL the feels.
Highly recommend!

Beautiful linked stories of complex characters

Addio, Love Monster very much deserves the award it received as the Best New Independent Press Fiction for 2022 from Chicago Writers Association. Christina Marrocco's nuanced reading of this book adds even more enjoyment to the experience. Although these stories take place in the fictional town of Mulberry Park, the specificity of the references to the town outside of Chicago in the mid-twentieth century evokes the feeling of being transported to another time and place.

These linked stories invite the listener into the intimate lives of the characters, into their hopes and heartbreaks. The author so carefully and imaginatively renders every precise detail of their lives, from their bouffant hairstyles and rolled-up shirtsleeves to their struggles with the complexity of relationships and the troubles of changing times, the reader can't help but root for each one of them.

Quirky and fun!

'Addio, Love Monster' is a delightful audiobook that entertains both young and old. The narrator's voice perfectly captures the essence of the story, making it a joyous listen.

A beautiful description of lives in the Chicago neighborhood from 1930-1969.

I loved the descriptions of the minute details of living in a close family. I could taste the Italian food, hear the neighbors in their homes, and feel the fierce love of family. Having grown up in the Chicago suburbs, this book brought back many cherished memories. Christina is a very talented writer able to wind a quiet story through twists and turns.

Lovely audiobook!

Addio, Love Monster is a beautiful and moving story, and Christina Marrocco's narration is the perfect finishing touch. I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone looking for a great story.

Fascinating story!

This audiobook is a heartwarming and hilarious story. Christina Marrocco's narration is the perfect addition to the story. I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone looking for a great listen. Thanks a lot.

A beautiful journey into the history of Chicago suburb

I generally love when the author reads their work, and Addio, Love Monster is no exception.

Both humorous and heart wrenching these interlocking short stories depict the human struggles we all go through. Eloquent prose. This is a book to savor—don’t rush through it! I’d recommend one story a night to enjoy like a literary dessert.