wp-1589833395867.jpgWelcome to my stop on the The Laundress blog tour sponsored by Suzy Approved Book Tours! Thank you to Suzy for the invitation!

About the Book:

Twenty-six-year-old Lavinia is burdened by her unknown heritage—but her uncle Sal, who raised her in San Francisco, has always kept silent, refusing to reveal the devastating secret of her origin. And now, following the death of his wife, he’s left for Italy.

In the wake of her uncle’s departure, Lavinia has quit school. Now she works as a personal laundress to a diverse cast of San Francisco residents—people with stories as complicated as her own. As time progresses, through the sacred ritual of washing clothes—and with the help of a friend and her nurturing, flamenco dancing mother—Lavinia begins to recover memories of her past. Gradually, her gifts of receptivity multiply, and she communes with nature, finding messages from birds and the leaves of her garden’s fig tree. And when she recovers Raggedy, a beloved doll that accompanied her from Naples when she was four years old, she experiences a tangible connection to her own mother.

Even as Lavinia makes these discoveries, she is busy building new relationships—discovering healing dance with her lover, a barista in a North Beach coffee shop; learning to understand Time and forgiveness with an elderly client; and even getting to know her father, a man who has never been a part of her life. Poetic and poignant, The Laundress is a coming-of-age story for anyone who’s ever sought to understand where they came from in order to figure out who they’re meant to become.

My Thoughts:

Lavinia is twenty-six, raised by her dear Uncle Sal, but not really knowing her own heritage. Sal keeps it all a secret. He’s left for Italy because his wife has passed away.

Lavinia quit school and works as a personal laundress in San Francisco. It’s through the washing of clothes, as well as through friendship, that Lavinia begins to uncover memories from her past. She even finds a doll she remembers traveling with her from Naples.

Eventually we find Lavinia moving on with life, even finding her father, and moving passed the past. It’s an eccentric coming-of-age story, quite engaging, and I loved watching Lavinia grow and spread her wings.

I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Barbara Sapienza, PhD, is a retired clinical psychologist and an alumna of San Francisco State University’s creative writing master’s program. She writes and paints, nourished by her spiritual practices of meditation, tai chi, and dance. Her family, friends, and grandchildren are her teachers. Her first novel, Anchor Out (She Writes Press, 2017) received an IPPY bronze medal for Best Regional Fiction, West Coast. Sapienza lives in Sausalito, CA, with her husband.

Have you read The Laundress, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR