The setting is New York's Little Italy in the 1950s -- a community closely knit by gossip and tradition. This is the story of an extraordinary family, the Santangelos. There is Joseph, the butcher, who cheats in his shop and at pinochle, only to find the deck is stacked against him; his mother, Mrs. Santangelo, who sees the evil eye everywhere and who calls on her saints; and Catherine, his wife, whose determination to raise a modern daughter leads her to confront ancient questions. Finally, there is Theresa, Joseph and Catherine's daughter, whose astonishing discovery of purpose moves the book toward its unpredictable conclusion.

Book DescriptionLand of the free...In this unique collection of tales, Louis L'Amour captures the frontier experience as it lives forever in the American imagination. A young woman heads west to marry, only to find her intended fiancé the subject of dark rumors....Vowing to stay out of trouble, a young cowhand rides to get some calico for his girlfriend's new dress. But trouble finds him when he runs afoul of two men, one of whom is a vicious murderer....A wily old sheriff comes to arrest the last surviving member of an infamous clan. Caught in a sudden and treacherous blizzard, they make the unlikeliest of partners in a desperate struggle for survival that teaches them the true meaning of courage, honor, friendship--and justice. These are just some of the unforgettable characters whose adventures are collected in this magnificent volume.