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Seeds of the Pomegranate: A Novel
A gritty story of a woman learning to survive in 20th century Gangland New York
In early 20th-century Sicily, noblewoman Mimi Inglese, a talented painter, dreams of escaping the rigid expectations of her class by gaining admission to the Palermo Art Academy. But when she contracts tuberculosis, her ambitions are shattered. With the Sicilian nobility in decline, she and her family leave for New York City in search of a fresh start.
Instead of opportunity, Mimi is pulled into the dark underbelly of city life and her father’s money laundering scheme. When he is sent to prison, desperation forces her to put her artistic talent to a new use—counterfeiting $5 bills to keep her family from starvation and, perhaps, to one day reclaim her dream of painting. But as Gangland violence escalates and tragedy strikes, Mimi must summon the courage to flee before she is trapped forever in a life she never wanted.
In early 20th-century Sicily, noblewoman Mimi Inglese, a talented painter, dreams of escaping the rigid expectations of her class by gaining admission to the Palermo Art Academy. But when she contracts tuberculosis, her ambitions are shattered. With the Sicilian nobility in decline, she and her family leave for New York City in search of a fresh start.
Instead of opportunity, Mimi is pulled into the dark underbelly of city life and her father’s money laundering scheme. When he is sent to prison, desperation forces her to put her artistic talent to a new use—counterfeiting $5 bills to keep her family from starvation and, perhaps, to one day reclaim her dream of painting. But as Gangland violence escalates and tragedy strikes, Mimi must summon the courage to flee before she is trapped forever in a life she never wanted.
409 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 2, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 3, 2025
A captivating story about Mimi, a young protagonist struggling to find happiness and fulfillment within the confines of her family’s needs. Beautifully written and cleverly imagined in its connection to the myth of Persephone.
September 12, 2025
Such a vivid and effective novel. The main character has stayed with me and filled me with inspiration. Beautiful imagery. Haunting details about the difficulties of the lives of this family. Unforgettable.
July 29, 2025
A beautifully written historical novel with characters who jump off the page and make their way under your skin! A plucky protagonist with dreams of becoming an artist at a time when women were kept in their place gets pulled into the dangerous underworld of counterfeiting when she and her family emigrate from Sicily to New York in the early 20th century. Mimi Inglese is a survivor who faces enemies within her family, in her newly adopted city, and in the societal constraints of her time. Defying the odds and the hand she's been dealt, we cheer for Mimi as she navigates loyalty and tradition alongside her desire to create a new life on her own terms.
December 3, 2025
Our protagonist, Mimi, was a good artist and expected to be admitted to the Academy. But when she came down with Tuberculosis, her grand expectations fled along with her health. Paint fumes were fatal. And so she experienced the first major disappointment in her life. For poor Mimi, things never got better. But her father had big plans involving moving the family from Palermo to America, and the family reluctantly said goodbye to the old country and moved to New York. How was Mimi to know that her father’s patron was a racketeer, and all his money was fraudulant? How was she to know that her talent had already attracted attention, and this whole move was driven by her potential to counterfeit money? As a good Italian girl, she did what her father said. And she was also driven by pride in her work. She knew she could produce a better product than the inferior $5 bills the gang was passing. However, her first introduction to the New York underworld was not very auspicious:
CLUTCH’S SALOON WAS ON Prince Street. After the pretty row houses with the manicured gardens on Doctors Row, I expected Prince Street to be the home of, well, princely, or at least well-appointed buildings. But the buildings were run down, with broken windows and crumbling masonry. Children in rags ran up and down the street, shoeless, their faces smudged with dirt.
Pappa pointed to the shimmery ooze of sludge that ran along the curb. “Pick up your skirts.”
We looked up and down the street until he pointed to a storefront with a sign with Saloon above the door. “That must be it.”
It didn’t take long for Mimi to become disillusioned with her father and their sponsor back home, especially when her Pappa was arrested and sent to prison for five years. Desperate to pay the bills, she clandestinely joined forces with the accomplished Stella, an independent operator—for lack of a better word. Stella took Mimi under her wing and they created their own private counterfeiting business. They printed many thousands of dollars and Mimi yearned to take it and run away from home. But loyalty to her undeserving family kept her from leaving. And then it was too late. This is not a happy story, and lessons were not learned in the end. Nobody was redeemed. I suppose that’s what the underworld is all about. We certainly see the seamy side of early 20th century gangland.
CLUTCH’S SALOON WAS ON Prince Street. After the pretty row houses with the manicured gardens on Doctors Row, I expected Prince Street to be the home of, well, princely, or at least well-appointed buildings. But the buildings were run down, with broken windows and crumbling masonry. Children in rags ran up and down the street, shoeless, their faces smudged with dirt.
Pappa pointed to the shimmery ooze of sludge that ran along the curb. “Pick up your skirts.”
We looked up and down the street until he pointed to a storefront with a sign with Saloon above the door. “That must be it.”
It didn’t take long for Mimi to become disillusioned with her father and their sponsor back home, especially when her Pappa was arrested and sent to prison for five years. Desperate to pay the bills, she clandestinely joined forces with the accomplished Stella, an independent operator—for lack of a better word. Stella took Mimi under her wing and they created their own private counterfeiting business. They printed many thousands of dollars and Mimi yearned to take it and run away from home. But loyalty to her undeserving family kept her from leaving. And then it was too late. This is not a happy story, and lessons were not learned in the end. Nobody was redeemed. I suppose that’s what the underworld is all about. We certainly see the seamy side of early 20th century gangland.
October 8, 2025
Gracefully Written and Deeply Felt
As Suzanne’s husband, I’ve had the privilege of seeing the care and depth she brought to Seeds of the Pomegranate. It’s a powerful exploration of family, loss, and identity — written with honesty and grace.
As Suzanne’s husband, I’ve had the privilege of seeing the care and depth she brought to Seeds of the Pomegranate. It’s a powerful exploration of family, loss, and identity — written with honesty and grace.
June 4, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed following the story of Mimi because she is both a unique woman character and because she is so very Sicilian American. Although she is from a conservative Sicilian family in the early 20th century, her artistic talents give her entry into an art institute in Sicily, and they also allow her to earn her own money after immigrating to New York with her family, as a counterfeiter. As the single daughter, she is tasked with caring for her family, yet she sneaks out with her lover and fellow counterfeiter, a woman.
That's the simple outline of Mimi's story, but the novel is rich with detail, and the story of Persephone acts as a guide for Mimi.
Highly recommend!
That's the simple outline of Mimi's story, but the novel is rich with detail, and the story of Persephone acts as a guide for Mimi.
Highly recommend!
Read
September 3, 2025In Seeds of the Pomegranate, Suzanne Uttaro Samuels has crafted a no-holding-back portrait of a young woman in the early 20th century who rises from family and societal expectations to love others as she deems and to make her way in the world bravely. Mimi Inglese gives new meaning to boldness. A good story that champions courage.
August 30, 2025
Seeds of the Pomegranate is like that book you’ve been waiting for but didn’t know it. Inspired by the author’s ancestors, who emigrated from Sicily to New York City during the early part of the 20th century, this debut novel is a must-read for historical fiction lovers.
At the heart of the story is Mimi Inglese, who, on page one of the novel, is attending a prestigious art school in Palermo. It’s 1905. A talented painter, she dreams of becoming an artist. Her bright future is stolen, however, when she contracts consumption and nearly dies.
Forever weakened by this dreaded disease, Mimi fears she’s destined to live life in limited ways because of her infirmity. When misery strikes her family as well, all feels lost. Her father loses his ancestral home and his dwindling fortune with it. The Ingleses move to America, where his associates promise to help the family begin anew. Readers cringe. His associates are less than honorable men; they’re Mafia bosses. Not only does Mimi’s family become their pawns, the Mafia draws Mimi into its web by enlisting her to engrave plates on which to print counterfeit money. To keep her family from starving, she agrees.
Author Suzanne Uttaro Samuels’ attention to historical detail is one thing in Seeds of the Pomegranate. Whether in Sicily or New York, she presents each setting in vivid detail. Her characters are a whole other feat. Based on family members she knew or heard stories about growing up in New York, each felt real. They’re dynamic, alive and engaging, making it easy to picture and to relate to them.
The other way in which this novel excels is in the dramatic manner Samuels weaves in true tales and court cases involving the Mafia. Having a legal background, she brings to the surface the crime that shaped and later gripped the culture that sprang up around Sicily’s immigrants in New York.
A truly memorable read, one that will leave you wanting to read more from this debut author.
At the heart of the story is Mimi Inglese, who, on page one of the novel, is attending a prestigious art school in Palermo. It’s 1905. A talented painter, she dreams of becoming an artist. Her bright future is stolen, however, when she contracts consumption and nearly dies.
Forever weakened by this dreaded disease, Mimi fears she’s destined to live life in limited ways because of her infirmity. When misery strikes her family as well, all feels lost. Her father loses his ancestral home and his dwindling fortune with it. The Ingleses move to America, where his associates promise to help the family begin anew. Readers cringe. His associates are less than honorable men; they’re Mafia bosses. Not only does Mimi’s family become their pawns, the Mafia draws Mimi into its web by enlisting her to engrave plates on which to print counterfeit money. To keep her family from starving, she agrees.
Author Suzanne Uttaro Samuels’ attention to historical detail is one thing in Seeds of the Pomegranate. Whether in Sicily or New York, she presents each setting in vivid detail. Her characters are a whole other feat. Based on family members she knew or heard stories about growing up in New York, each felt real. They’re dynamic, alive and engaging, making it easy to picture and to relate to them.
The other way in which this novel excels is in the dramatic manner Samuels weaves in true tales and court cases involving the Mafia. Having a legal background, she brings to the surface the crime that shaped and later gripped the culture that sprang up around Sicily’s immigrants in New York.
A truly memorable read, one that will leave you wanting to read more from this debut author.
December 7, 2025
I typically do not enjoy novels that give me a pervasive sense of dread about the fate of the protagonist, but I never considered not finishing Seeds of the Pomegranate. Despite my concerns about the fate of Mimi Inglese, I was captivated by her determination to utilize her talent for art and to enjoy her sensuality as a woman, in defiance of her traditional Sicilian family, even as I was dismayed at her willingness to sacrifice herself for her selfish and short-sighted relatives. Having heard the author describe some of the backstory of the novel, which includes the tragic death of the real-life Mimi while rescuing her nephew from a house fire, I was glad that Suzanne Samuels gave her fictional Mimi a happier destiny. Seeds of the Pomegranate skillfully immerses the reader in worlds that will be unfamiliar to most of us—the waning era of aristocratic families in Sicily and the far grittier world of new Italian immigrants to New York at the turn of the twentieth century. The myth of Persephone, torn between her love of the underworld and the demands of her mother goddess, is a theme that parallels Mimi’s struggles. This is one of the most memorable novels I have read this year and I recommend it highly.
October 5, 2025
The characters are so well-crafted that I feel like I have met them.
By reading Seeds of the Pomegranate, I experienced life as a Sicilian immigrant to America in the early 20th century, thanks to Suzanne Uttaro Samuels’ seamless inclusion of the historical and social details of that time. The way she neatly linked the experiences of the protagonist, Mimi Inglese, to those of the Greek goddess Persephone elevated the beautiful literary experience of this novel.
Tuberculosis ruins Mimi’s potential career as a talented painter; however, her father’s mistakes and her need to create art catapult her in a different direction. The experiences that follow highlight the struggles an early 20th-century Italian immigrant to America may have faced. Extortion, corruption, illness, the lack of women’s rights, and the horrors of tenement living are all vivid on the page, balanced (and complicated) by the strong bonds of family and love.
Knowing the author's inspiration for this story came from a family secret made it all the more captivating for me. I’m excited to read her prequel short story, Secrets in the Dust.
By reading Seeds of the Pomegranate, I experienced life as a Sicilian immigrant to America in the early 20th century, thanks to Suzanne Uttaro Samuels’ seamless inclusion of the historical and social details of that time. The way she neatly linked the experiences of the protagonist, Mimi Inglese, to those of the Greek goddess Persephone elevated the beautiful literary experience of this novel.
Tuberculosis ruins Mimi’s potential career as a talented painter; however, her father’s mistakes and her need to create art catapult her in a different direction. The experiences that follow highlight the struggles an early 20th-century Italian immigrant to America may have faced. Extortion, corruption, illness, the lack of women’s rights, and the horrors of tenement living are all vivid on the page, balanced (and complicated) by the strong bonds of family and love.
Knowing the author's inspiration for this story came from a family secret made it all the more captivating for me. I’m excited to read her prequel short story, Secrets in the Dust.
December 21, 2025
Seeds of the Pomegranate by Suzanne Uttaro Samuels
In 1905 Mimi Inglese is about to be admitted as the first woman to attend the Palermo Academy of Fine Arts when she contracts tuberculosis, which ends her lifelong dream to become a famous painter. Due to mismanagement of Binvinutu, the family estate in Sicily, Mimi’s father, Nino Inglese has little choice but to immigrate with his family to New York City. There, he is obligated to his benefactor to engage in money laundering, thus dragging Mimi into the dangerous world of crime, gangsters and violence. This is a story of loss, family obligations, and Mimi’s desire to break free from what is expected of her, both from society and her demanding relatives. I particularly loved Samuels’ characters and the visual world building she created with beautiful writing. I really had the sense of what the city must have been like for a young woman during that time in history. I highly recommend this historical fiction.
D.W. Hogan author of Unbroken Bonds, Intentionally and contributing author in Feisty Deeds and Grief Like Yours anthologies
In 1905 Mimi Inglese is about to be admitted as the first woman to attend the Palermo Academy of Fine Arts when she contracts tuberculosis, which ends her lifelong dream to become a famous painter. Due to mismanagement of Binvinutu, the family estate in Sicily, Mimi’s father, Nino Inglese has little choice but to immigrate with his family to New York City. There, he is obligated to his benefactor to engage in money laundering, thus dragging Mimi into the dangerous world of crime, gangsters and violence. This is a story of loss, family obligations, and Mimi’s desire to break free from what is expected of her, both from society and her demanding relatives. I particularly loved Samuels’ characters and the visual world building she created with beautiful writing. I really had the sense of what the city must have been like for a young woman during that time in history. I highly recommend this historical fiction.
D.W. Hogan author of Unbroken Bonds, Intentionally and contributing author in Feisty Deeds and Grief Like Yours anthologies
September 21, 2025
“Seeds of the Pomegranate” is an immersive historical novel of Italian immigrants in America, based on the author’s family. Born into a noble family in turn-of-the-century Sicily, Mimi’s destiny is controlled by her family, especially her father’s ill-advised choices. She is unwittingly duped into using her artistic skills in a criminal enterprise that will eventually lead her and her family to emigrate to New York. When her family is impoverished after her father is imprisoned for money laundering, business endeavors fail, Mimi is sucked into a counterfeiting scheme as she struggles to keep her family afloat. Ultimately she will have to decide whether to put her own desires ahead of family duty.
Mimi is a resourceful and determined heroine who desperately wants freedom from her controlling family so that she can pursue the artistic life she always dreamed of. “Seeds of the Pomegranate” is a fascinating and well-researched story of the American immigrant experience.
Mimi is a resourceful and determined heroine who desperately wants freedom from her controlling family so that she can pursue the artistic life she always dreamed of. “Seeds of the Pomegranate” is a fascinating and well-researched story of the American immigrant experience.
January 14, 2026
I won this book thru Goodreads. THANK YOU! I have to say,a this is one of the best books I've read. If you love hystorical fiction, you will love this book. In a nutshell, after surviving tuberculosis (that killed her sister Rosalie), a young artist "Mimi", and her family arrive a in the United states looking for a better future. Her grandmother has dementia, her mother is an outspoken women whose one concern is what the high society folks think, and her surviving sister is miserable in an arranged marriage (she wanted to be a nun), has a child, and has an adulterous husband. Her father participates in illegal activity. Mimi is forced into the artistry of making counterfit bills for him and his accomplices. Mimi is torn between helping her family survive, or making an honest life for herself as an artist. I hope this author writes a sequal to this book. I need to know what happens to Mimi!
August 21, 2025
Dashed artistic dreams and debilitating illness leave Sicilian-born immigrant Mimi Inglese vulnerable to manipulation from all fronts. Desperate to eke out a meager living to support the life-and-death demands of her needy family, she succumbs to the wiles of a strong, persuasive woman living life on her own terms. Mimi develops pride in using her art skills to counterfeit. But while squirreling away giddy sums of cash, she’s oblivious that plying her talents has further endangered them all by rousing interest from ruthless New York gangs.
Seeds of the Pomegranate is a well-drawn, dark-edged, gritty tale, where conflict, challenges, and despair overwhelm Mimi and everyone in her orbit. Yet one continues to hope that she’ll make better, redemptive choices, down to the last emotion-packed page.
Seeds of the Pomegranate is a well-drawn, dark-edged, gritty tale, where conflict, challenges, and despair overwhelm Mimi and everyone in her orbit. Yet one continues to hope that she’ll make better, redemptive choices, down to the last emotion-packed page.
September 4, 2025
In Seeds of the Pomegranate, Suzanne Uttaro Samuels introduces us to Mimi Inglese, a Sicilian noblewoman and aspiring artist. While still a young woman, her illness undercuts her ambitions but opens up possibilities both lucrative and criminal when her family emigrates to America. This page-turner of a story inspires sympathy for a woman facing near impossible choices as well as admiration for her courage and ingenuity as she navigates the dangers that love and loyalty arouse. Samuels has written a novel that is not only an absorbing read, but also an informative exploration of the trials of immigrant life in America in the early twentieth century. Her vivid prose and meticulous research bring alive the precarious life of an unusual woman whose family allegiances entangle her in organized crime.
September 4, 2025
Mimi's journey is, of course, every immigrant's journey, but in particular hers evokes so many themes and therefore offers a richness and food for thought not always found in historical novels. She knows herself in the beginning, the middle, and the end, despite her circumstances continually changing. She does not allow those circumstances to divert her from her self-knowledge, from "being me."
The history, setting, and characters are captivating. Suzanne Uttaro Samuels has poured her heart and soul into this project, and for that devotion alone one ought to check it out.
I have already recommended this book to one friend, and will recommend it to any American reader, whether of immigrant extraction, or native born. It's terrific.
The history, setting, and characters are captivating. Suzanne Uttaro Samuels has poured her heart and soul into this project, and for that devotion alone one ought to check it out.
I have already recommended this book to one friend, and will recommend it to any American reader, whether of immigrant extraction, or native born. It's terrific.
September 11, 2025
Loved this book! Great characters, well-paced plot, and rich imagery make for a great read.
As a kid I always hated the approach to history that made it seem like the past was a better time, a simpler and happier place. I call it the Little House on the Prairie effect. (And I can tell you it was epidemic among tween girls of the 1970s.) It never made sense to me. Surely lots of things are better today than they were then. Surely the benefits of some inventions and advances are worth living in this allegedly more complex time. Seeds of the Pomegranate brings us a detailed and thoughtful look at the past that feels real -- filled with disappointment, poverty, love, family, loyalty, disease, racism, hope, and really good pastry.
As a kid I always hated the approach to history that made it seem like the past was a better time, a simpler and happier place. I call it the Little House on the Prairie effect. (And I can tell you it was epidemic among tween girls of the 1970s.) It never made sense to me. Surely lots of things are better today than they were then. Surely the benefits of some inventions and advances are worth living in this allegedly more complex time. Seeds of the Pomegranate brings us a detailed and thoughtful look at the past that feels real -- filled with disappointment, poverty, love, family, loyalty, disease, racism, hope, and really good pastry.
June 4, 2025
In search of a new start, a young immigrant painter, Mimi, becomes trapped in the gritty underworld of gangster New York in the early twentieth century. She is forced to corrupt her fine artistic talent into creating flawless counterfeit money. As the Greek goddess Persephone was tricked into imprisonment underground through winter’s darkness, Mimi is bound, restrained by strangling family obligations and the relentless danger of rival gangs. Headed toward a ruthless destiny, she must ultimately find the strength to rise from victim to victor and—sit tight—Suzanne Samuels makes it a mesmerizing, dread-filled, white-knuckle ride. Beautiful, relentless tale!
December 6, 2025
I couldn't book this novel down! In the early 1900s, Mimi travels from Sicily to New York City, from a life as a noble-born artist to one of poverty, danger, and the opportunity to apply her gifts in unexpected ways. A question for Mimi (and for so many of us, still): How much does she owe her family, and how much does she owe herself? To make that calculation, Mimi must first discover and come to value herself. Mimi's road isn't easy, but I followed along with great interest and emotional involvement. A good old fashioned saga that doesn't disappoint!
December 27, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel as it encapsulated the real hardships faced by immigrant families. Mimi's character was very believable and I loved that she wasn't your typical blushing historical fiction heroine. She had genuine trials and faced many difficulties. Her sister's experiences were absolutely heartbreaking. I would love to know what happened next to her and her nephew as they travel west! It was lovely to see places I recognize mentioned, especially Monterey. An exemplary example of what historical fiction should be.
September 2, 2025
Beautifully crafted historical fiction. Suzanne Samuels' Seeds of the Pomegranate shows the unpaid labor and lost opportunities for women in a brutal immigrant Italian family, and one woman's determination to create art and a life for herself against all the rules and conventions. In luminous prose, Samuels weaves the myth of Persephone in the Underworld through this tale of art and love surviving repression and familial obligations. A remarkable debut.
October 18, 2025
Good solid read with a powerful message. Lots of common problems at the start of the 20th century not the least of which are tuberculosis and city-life gangs and violence. Mimi Inglese is looking for an opportunity and a way out of her troubled life. This is a debut novel and well done at that. A gripping story of hope, disappointment, courage, loss and a sort of phoenix rising.
I look forward to reading more from this writer!
I look forward to reading more from this writer!
August 13, 2025
I found myself alternately surprised, inspired, frustrated, and happy reading the story of Mimi's journey. It was not the story I expected when the novel began and it kept me wondering about the outcome. Although in many ways a universal story, I loved the details of her Italian heritage and of New York City in the "gangland" era.
August 17, 2025
The beautiful prose and complex family dynamics combine with an omnipresent sense of menace that kept me turning pages, anxious to see what would come next. Highly recommended!
See my complete review at Reading World
See my complete review at Reading World
November 1, 2025
When I sat down to get started, I didn’t look up again until I’d read 10 chapters. The characters came to life in my mind, and I looked forward to seeing what would happen next.
The author’s storytelling ability is amazing… her use of language draws you in and keeps you engaged.
Highly recommend!! Can’t wait for her next book!!
The author’s storytelling ability is amazing… her use of language draws you in and keeps you engaged.
Highly recommend!! Can’t wait for her next book!!
October 17, 2025
I highly recommend Seeds of the Pomegranate! The character and plot development were interesting and intriguing, making you want to continue reading to see how the story unfolded! Kudos to Suzanne on her first novel! Can't wait to read more of her works in the future!
October 20, 2025
A beautifully crafted story inspired by the author’s ancestors. I enjoyed every aspect of this book—the gorgeous prose, the thoughtful plot, and the cast of intriguing characters. Congratulations to Suzanne Uttaro Samuels for creating such an engaging novel. I look forward to her next book!
October 16, 2025
I highly recommend Seeds of the Pomegranate! I couldn't put it down!
November 1, 2025
Clear, intelligent writing about how tough immigration was in the early 1900s and always is for women. So much emotion and wisdom in this novel based on true family stories.
January 2, 2026
I won this book through good reads and it was so beautifully written. What a wonderful book to start off 2026 with! The storyline is so captivating and original.
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