Sofia's Tune

Ellis Island

By: Cindy Thomson

Narrated by: Kylie Tippetts

In Sofia's Tune, we meet Sofia Falcone, a young woman who has been living in New York only a short time when she is stunned to discover a family secret, one that soon sends her beloved mother into a mental institution. Scrambling to keep her job and care for her mother, Sofia is convinced confronting the past will heal all wounds, but her old world Italian family wants to keep the past in the past.

During this time, she encounters Antonio, a Vaudeville pianist with a street-smart dog, seeking to discover why his father was mysteriously killed. Their crossed paths uncover a frightening underworld in Little Italy. Bringing the truth to light may cost Sofia's mother's sanity, Antonio's career, and the livelihoods of countless immigrants. Change is on the horizon, but it may not bring what they expect.

©2015 Cindy Thomson (P)2023 Cindy Thomson

An Immigrant Family in the Early 1900's

This story grabbed my heart from the opening pages until the end. I felt for the Falcone family and all that the members went through as immigration to America in the early 1900's wasn't easy and was often brutal. I admired Sofia as she struggled to help her mother, but there were times when I felt she wasn't realistic in her desire to confront the past. I wanted Antonio to succeed in his quest, and I liked his dog a lot. This was a story that tugged at my heartstrings. I thought Kylie Tippetts' narration was great as her performance kept my attention. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.

The narration was very engaging

I found myself fully immersed in this story. The varying voices the narrator used made it easy to follow the story. The different accents were delightful and believable. I haven’t listened to a book written during this era. I was a little hesitant to listen at first but from the first few minutes, I was drawn in and I’m so glad I did!

Resilience and Redemption

This was a wonderful narrative of a bygone era. Taking place in New York in a time of mass immigration and the conflict of these immigrants. This was a fun story intertwining multiple families, both related and family by friendship. The story brought in friendship, intrigue and the struggles of the day. The story was very enjoyable and the reader did an excellent job at making it a believable narrative with voice recognition and accents. Great job!

Engaging Story, Not Too Heavy on Romance

I listened to the audiobook, and I genuinely enjoyed it. It was well written, had a good storyline, and the performance was great. I liked how the focus was on the lives and drama of these two individuals, Sofia and Antonio, and how they navigated their own challenges. They did wind up having a romance in the story, but it didn't overshadow the rest of the story. I did enjoy the setting, New York City in 1903 with a heavy focus on Little Italy. I also liked many of the historical expressions, items, people and other references to the past, and I learned some things about what some of the Italian immigrants went through. Cindy Thomson obviously did a lot of research into this project.

My one issue is that, despite the historical context, the main characters had some very modern attitudes and perspectives that they probably would not have had during that time. For instance, Sofia believes that her mother needs to revisit the past in order to overcome some grief she is going through, which is indeed an advanced form of psychology and therapy. However, even if it did exist back then, the author emphasizes how isolated Sofia is and how she can't really read. So how would she have known about that method?

All in all, though, I did think it was a great story, and I would highly recommend it!