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The Laundress
Twenty-six-year-old Lavinia 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.
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.
304 pages, Paperback
Published May 19, 2020
77 people are currently reading
2277 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Sapienza
3 books57 followersBarbara 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 6, 2020
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.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
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.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
June 13, 2020
I wanted to find out the secret so bad. I had to know as bad as Lavina wanted to know I wanted to know. The sense of self she finds is so worth reading this one.
I gave this book 4 stars.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.
I gave this book 4 stars.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.
May 21, 2020
I enjoyed our protagonist Lavinia Lavinia who lives in beautiful San Francisco is a full service laundress. It was written very well with amazing prose and a beautiful story altogether. Lavinia is a very interesting character with an even more interesting cast of clients. An interesting question posed by one of her clients caught her wondering about who her parents were and where she came from. She has very little memory since she was a mere 4 yo, and whisked away to begin living with her aunt and uncle. A heart warming story that really delves into the complex characters and family drama. I really enjoyed this one.
December 18, 2020
ARC received from Goodreads.com First Reads Giveaway
This is the oddly enchanting story of Lavinia Lavinia, a twenty-something girl who works as a private laundress for people in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lavinia was born in Naples, Italy and was raised by her mother until she was 4.She was then adopted and raised by her aunt and uncle in San Francisco after her mother died at 21. Uncle Sal and Aunt Rose would never tell her what happened to her mother so she had a place of guilt and loss and deep sadness that grew in her. When Rose died Sal decided to move back to Naples and left without giving Lavinia any information about her mother.
"The Laundress" is the story of how, by doing other peoples' laundry, Lavinia comes to love herself, her life and others. It takes Lavinia finding and feeling the love of others to come to terms with the tragedy that was her mother's death.
This is the oddly enchanting story of Lavinia Lavinia, a twenty-something girl who works as a private laundress for people in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lavinia was born in Naples, Italy and was raised by her mother until she was 4.She was then adopted and raised by her aunt and uncle in San Francisco after her mother died at 21. Uncle Sal and Aunt Rose would never tell her what happened to her mother so she had a place of guilt and loss and deep sadness that grew in her. When Rose died Sal decided to move back to Naples and left without giving Lavinia any information about her mother.
"The Laundress" is the story of how, by doing other peoples' laundry, Lavinia comes to love herself, her life and others. It takes Lavinia finding and feeling the love of others to come to terms with the tragedy that was her mother's death.
May 28, 2020
In The Laundress, we meet a young woman named Lavinia Lavinia. She lives in San Francisco by herself and she quit college to work as a laundress for a diverse cast of characters. Lavinia was left alone in SF by her Uncle Sal, who raised her, but has gone back to Italy after his wife’s death.
🍃Lavinia takes us on her journey in this coming-of-age novel to find the truth of what happened to mother back in Italy. I loved the setting because San Francisco has always been one of my favorite cities. And the city is so lovingly described in each chapter. I also enjoyed reading about the characters in this book and it also has some magical realism as Lavinia tries to discover where she came from. The Laundress is about family, the passage of time, and finding strength in others to help you heal. Thank you so much to @getredpr and @Barbara.sapienza for my copy of this unique, lovely book! The Laundress is available now!
🍃Lavinia takes us on her journey in this coming-of-age novel to find the truth of what happened to mother back in Italy. I loved the setting because San Francisco has always been one of my favorite cities. And the city is so lovingly described in each chapter. I also enjoyed reading about the characters in this book and it also has some magical realism as Lavinia tries to discover where she came from. The Laundress is about family, the passage of time, and finding strength in others to help you heal. Thank you so much to @getredpr and @Barbara.sapienza for my copy of this unique, lovely book! The Laundress is available now!
May 20, 2020
Barbara Sapienza, author of "The Laundress" has written an entertaining and intriguing novel. The genres for this novel are Literary Fiction and Women's Fiction. There is some romance, music, dance, and art also described in this story. The story takes place in San Franciso. The timeline for the story is set in the author's present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated. Some are searching and determined to find the answers to their problems. Some are quirky.
Lavina Lavina was brought by her Uncle Sal to San Franciso from Italy when she was 4 years old. Lavina is obsessed with finding out the reasons that her Uncle Sal and his wife brought her to America. She knows that her mother is deceased, but everything is very secretive. There have always been dark secrets in the family. When Uncle Sal goes back to Italy, Lavina becomes more determined to find the truth.
Lavina loves doing laundry for several regular customers that are unusual and quirky. Every day she stops and gets expresso and gets to know the expresso owner, Mario. Lavina has a special friend Kinky and her Mother, who make Lavina want to be a part of their family. I love it when the author describes the food that Kinky's Mom makes and the songs she sings, and when she dances.
I appreciate that the author describes art, sculpting, dance, music, and song, which add both essence and depth to the story. I highly recommend this entertaining novel.
Lavina Lavina was brought by her Uncle Sal to San Franciso from Italy when she was 4 years old. Lavina is obsessed with finding out the reasons that her Uncle Sal and his wife brought her to America. She knows that her mother is deceased, but everything is very secretive. There have always been dark secrets in the family. When Uncle Sal goes back to Italy, Lavina becomes more determined to find the truth.
Lavina loves doing laundry for several regular customers that are unusual and quirky. Every day she stops and gets expresso and gets to know the expresso owner, Mario. Lavina has a special friend Kinky and her Mother, who make Lavina want to be a part of their family. I love it when the author describes the food that Kinky's Mom makes and the songs she sings, and when she dances.
I appreciate that the author describes art, sculpting, dance, music, and song, which add both essence and depth to the story. I highly recommend this entertaining novel.
May 28, 2020
After the death of her mother, Lavina is sent to live with her aunt and uncle. They leave Italy and move to Sanfransico. Lavina doesn't remember her mother and she doesn't know what happened to her. She was only four when they left Italy. Now in her twenties she works as a laundress for wealthy people, where she learns bits and pieces of her clients lives. It prompts her to question her own life. What happened to her mother?, where does she come from? and what secrets are her family hiding about the past and why? This has a little artsy feel to it that I liked. It held me and kept me courious. I wanted to know the answers too. A moving and heart felt story. I enjoyed it.
Dawnny-BookGypsy
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
Dawnny-BookGypsy
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
May 22, 2020
In this delightful and heartfelt story we find twenty-six rest old Lavinia coming to terms with her past on a journey of self discovery to decide where she's going. Lavinia's uncle Sal brought her to San Francisco when she was only four after her mother died. Sal has kept the details of her history a secret from her until after he goes back to Italy and she starts asking questions. While working as a laundress she meets Mario, the barista and owner of her favorite coffee shop. He, along with her best friend Kinky give Lavinia the love and support she needs while uncovering her past.
There's much to love about this book, from the wonderful prose to the interesting cast of characters inhabiting Lavinia's world. The descriptive scenes of dancing and music are magical to me due in part because I lived in San Francisco in my twenties and went to dance clubs regularly. Some of my best memories are from that time.
Ultimately, this is a story of love and the true meaning of who or what a family is. I loved it and highly recommend it to those who enjoy a well told, heartwarming story.
Thank you to Barbara Sapienza, Ann-Marie at Get Red PR, She Writes Press and Suzy at Suzy Approved Book Tours for inviting me on this tour.
There's much to love about this book, from the wonderful prose to the interesting cast of characters inhabiting Lavinia's world. The descriptive scenes of dancing and music are magical to me due in part because I lived in San Francisco in my twenties and went to dance clubs regularly. Some of my best memories are from that time.
Ultimately, this is a story of love and the true meaning of who or what a family is. I loved it and highly recommend it to those who enjoy a well told, heartwarming story.
Thank you to Barbara Sapienza, Ann-Marie at Get Red PR, She Writes Press and Suzy at Suzy Approved Book Tours for inviting me on this tour.
May 17, 2020
Lavinia at a very young age lost her mother in an accident; she was then sent to live with her Aunt Rose and Uncle Sal.
Sal and Lavinia leave Italy and come to live in San Francisco; throughout her childhood she is told nothing about what happened to her mother and she does not remember.
Lavinia has a job as a laundress to wealthy people, she has left school to do this job, but she cannot stop wanting to know about her past.
Uncle Sal must return to Italy, leaving Lavinia to ponder about her past. She finds a piece of her past, a doll she had named Raggedy that she brought with her when she left Italy and now more than ever she wants to piece together her past as a child that everyone seems to not want her to know.
This book was very about discovering your family and finding a peace and closure in life with the family that raised you and the parents you did not know.
Thank you to @
for having me on this book tour.
Sal and Lavinia leave Italy and come to live in San Francisco; throughout her childhood she is told nothing about what happened to her mother and she does not remember.
Lavinia has a job as a laundress to wealthy people, she has left school to do this job, but she cannot stop wanting to know about her past.
Uncle Sal must return to Italy, leaving Lavinia to ponder about her past. She finds a piece of her past, a doll she had named Raggedy that she brought with her when she left Italy and now more than ever she wants to piece together her past as a child that everyone seems to not want her to know.
This book was very about discovering your family and finding a peace and closure in life with the family that raised you and the parents you did not know.
Thank you to @
for having me on this book tour.
May 13, 2020
THE LAUNDRESS was such a unique read! Lavinia lives in San Francisco and though a young woman in her 20s, has the very traditional job as a laundress. She goes into wealthy people’s homes and finds order in removing stains, ironing and cleaning all of their linens. Lavinia, who is Italian and raised by her uncle Sal, knows next to nothing about her parents or life in Italy before Sal. As Lavinia gleans clues about her customer’s lives from their homes, she slowly also begins to uncover secrets that her family has held for years.
September 22, 2020
I could not waste more of my precious time to read this book. I just looked up the synopsis to see if the story was about the main character discovering she has mental illness (that's not what the book is about). Her reactions to the people in her life, constant gum chewing and other OCD behaviors had me thinking this story was going to go another way. After reading a third of this book, I'm giving up.
June 27, 2020
Thank you to Cindy Roesel and BluePointPress for this book. I would have never read this book unless I won it from her though it was on my to read list. Not sure where I saw it but glad I did and got to read it.
I don't read a lot of books about girls in their 20s and a lot of those books that I've read are chick lit nor do I read a lot of coming of age books.
This enjoyable book is about 26 old Lavinia Lavinia (her first and last name) which is an old tradition in Italy if I can recall correctly having the same first and last names. She's a laundress and I found that a very interesting job. She loved it and the ways it soothed her by washing, ironing, etc. There are a few people who she works for and we get to know them as well but none more so than an 80+ year old man Zack who she really likes and becomes closer to. Then she meets Mario who is a barista at a coffee shop she frequents when she walks to Zack's house. Falling in love is fun.
She was very mature for her age and has a lot of questions about her life and why she was brought to SF/America from Italy when she was 4 years old and living with her Uncle Sal who adopted her. Her mother was only 21 when she died and really doesn't know the story of how she died and her Uncle Sal never told her the details of her mother's life at all. He leaves SF to go back to Italy and she tries to figure out her life and who her father is which she finally does in an interesting way.
She has a very good friend Kinky (because of her curly hair) and her mother Mercedes who are her only "family." I loved them too.
Such a wonderful book. I'd love a sequel since this book could go into the future with these characters I enjoyed being with.
I don't read a lot of books about girls in their 20s and a lot of those books that I've read are chick lit nor do I read a lot of coming of age books.
This enjoyable book is about 26 old Lavinia Lavinia (her first and last name) which is an old tradition in Italy if I can recall correctly having the same first and last names. She's a laundress and I found that a very interesting job. She loved it and the ways it soothed her by washing, ironing, etc. There are a few people who she works for and we get to know them as well but none more so than an 80+ year old man Zack who she really likes and becomes closer to. Then she meets Mario who is a barista at a coffee shop she frequents when she walks to Zack's house. Falling in love is fun.
She was very mature for her age and has a lot of questions about her life and why she was brought to SF/America from Italy when she was 4 years old and living with her Uncle Sal who adopted her. Her mother was only 21 when she died and really doesn't know the story of how she died and her Uncle Sal never told her the details of her mother's life at all. He leaves SF to go back to Italy and she tries to figure out her life and who her father is which she finally does in an interesting way.
She has a very good friend Kinky (because of her curly hair) and her mother Mercedes who are her only "family." I loved them too.
Such a wonderful book. I'd love a sequel since this book could go into the future with these characters I enjoyed being with.
Read
July 7, 2020This story and book is just so beautiful. It is a story of self discovery as Lavinia searches for answers on her and her family’s past. Where is she from? What happened to her mother? It is one part mystery and one part a journey. Sapienza expertly wove this story and kept you on the edge of your seat needing to find out the answers to all of Lavinia’s questions just as much as she herself needed to.
I love when I am able to become invested in a book and the story. Lavinia was such an interesting character and I really became invested in find out about herself. In a sense I was able to connect with her because my own family’s history is slightly murky. So it was a story I knew I would love from the start.
I absolutely loved the pacing of this book, the secrets and answers came out slowly but not too slow that you would lose your interest. It was definitely an edge of your seat read, but not the same edge of your seat as you get in a thriller (if that makes sense). The writing is also just so spectacularly done. It’s definitely a book that I see many people enjoying!
You can view my full review on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!
Reader | Bookstagrammer | Blogger | Reviewer
@ya.its.lit - https://www.instagram.com/ya.its.lit/
Blog - https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/
I love when I am able to become invested in a book and the story. Lavinia was such an interesting character and I really became invested in find out about herself. In a sense I was able to connect with her because my own family’s history is slightly murky. So it was a story I knew I would love from the start.
I absolutely loved the pacing of this book, the secrets and answers came out slowly but not too slow that you would lose your interest. It was definitely an edge of your seat read, but not the same edge of your seat as you get in a thriller (if that makes sense). The writing is also just so spectacularly done. It’s definitely a book that I see many people enjoying!
You can view my full review on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!
Reader | Bookstagrammer | Blogger | Reviewer
@ya.its.lit - https://www.instagram.com/ya.its.lit/
Blog - https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/
May 19, 2020
The Laundress is a beautiful story about a young girl who knows nothing of her past. Living in San Francisco she’s not even sure how she came to be. Working as a laundress is a job to Lavinia, but her true passion is to become a teacher. She longs to return to school to get her degree and work alongside her closest friend Kinky.
Each of Lavina’s employers bring something different to her life, some good and some not so good. Her newest is a sweet old man who has recently lost his wife, and in desperate need of Lavina’s services. He’d like her to launder his bedding and table linens weekly. Why would this man who lives alone care about such things? When she first meets Zach he asks her how she came to be a laundress, and she realizes not only has no one cared to ask her before, but she truly doesn’t even know the answer to his question.
Why did her uncle bring her to the states from Italy when she was so young? What happened to her parents? Why would her uncle abandon her and leave her to live alone? Lavina must make her own way and hold tight to the few people she cares about. Maybe she’s meant for nothing more then doing people’s laundry.
Just as Levina meets the man she’s to fall in love with, letters start arriving from her Uncle Leo. He will slowly start to reveal secrets from the past that no one dared to speak about. People in her life that she looked upon questionably will become more significant to her, and everything she’s longed to find out about her family will be unveiled.
Each of Lavina’s employers bring something different to her life, some good and some not so good. Her newest is a sweet old man who has recently lost his wife, and in desperate need of Lavina’s services. He’d like her to launder his bedding and table linens weekly. Why would this man who lives alone care about such things? When she first meets Zach he asks her how she came to be a laundress, and she realizes not only has no one cared to ask her before, but she truly doesn’t even know the answer to his question.
Why did her uncle bring her to the states from Italy when she was so young? What happened to her parents? Why would her uncle abandon her and leave her to live alone? Lavina must make her own way and hold tight to the few people she cares about. Maybe she’s meant for nothing more then doing people’s laundry.
Just as Levina meets the man she’s to fall in love with, letters start arriving from her Uncle Leo. He will slowly start to reveal secrets from the past that no one dared to speak about. People in her life that she looked upon questionably will become more significant to her, and everything she’s longed to find out about her family will be unveiled.
June 20, 2020
A beautiful, bittersweet story of self-discovery, Lavinia, the gum-chewing, tequila-drinking, dancing laundress, searches for her roots while cleansing away the laundry & secrets of strangers. A richly woven, atmospheric & compelling tale of meeting the challenges in life as a single woman & immigrant, finding a sense of place & belonging, while discovering beauty in the little things along the way.
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Tender, heartfelt & overall uplifting, "The Laundress" will surprise you & you will long to know more about Lavinia & all of her adventures. This book was published on 5/19 & is Sapienza's 2nd novel. ("Anchor Out" is her previous book.) Look for this book now wherever books are sold.
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Tender, heartfelt & overall uplifting, "The Laundress" will surprise you & you will long to know more about Lavinia & all of her adventures. This book was published on 5/19 & is Sapienza's 2nd novel. ("Anchor Out" is her previous book.) Look for this book now wherever books are sold.
July 31, 2020
The Laundress is a heartfelt story . We meet Lavina who was taken in by her Aunt and Uncle after her mom died when Lavinia was only four years old. As Lavina gets older she wants to know the details of her mothers death which have been a secret. She is searching for answers but there seems to be secrets that the family want to stay hidden.
I enjoyed this well written book. I too wanted to know what the secrets were. The characters were complex and well fleshed out. I felt for Lavinia, and was also desperate for answers.
The pacing was perfect with pieces of the story revealed at just the right time. The story kept my attention and I just wanted to know more.
I enjoyed this well written book. I too wanted to know what the secrets were. The characters were complex and well fleshed out. I felt for Lavinia, and was also desperate for answers.
The pacing was perfect with pieces of the story revealed at just the right time. The story kept my attention and I just wanted to know more.
December 3, 2021
The protagonist was unbearable. Utterly self-absorbed. And the writing was pretty bad. Not sure why I bothered to finish it, but I was able to skim the last half in about an hour.
June 30, 2020
I wanted to enjoy this book for TikTok grandma, but I just couldn't.
For the most part I couldn't stand the main character. Everything she said and did annoyed me. She's very selfish, and quite stupid. She supposedly hates multiple of her clients, and yet she doesn't quit. Even though she states many times she can easily just not show up anymore and stop working for them.
I never understood why she had so much against Don, and the whole thing between them was just weird. She goes snooping around in his pockets, and then acts like he's in the wrong for being upset about her looking through his things.
Her relationship with Mario was also just odd. Insta love isn't my thing, and I didn't buy their relationship at all. Also, what the heck is "Mario's love pouch" supposed to be? I think I'd rather not know. Knowing he has muscular hands is enough for me.
The book was full of odd contradictions, and just stuff that could have easily not been a problem. Her 'birthmark' for example. I didn't think a birthmark could be a mole, or vice versa. Lavinia complains a lot about Sal not talking to her face to face, but he kinda begged her to call him on Skype. So that's on her. She also rages because George has to come by her place and leave a note. "Why wouldn't he call like a civilized person?".... Because YOU didn't pick up, the multiple times he tried to contact you? She's also somehow shocked to find out later on that George was her 'stalker', as if this wasn't already established.
The book was also quite repetitive, as Lavinia often repeated herself to multiple people about things we had read about her doing. She would also constantly think the same things about people. It became really boring having to read about her hating Don every time they met, or she even just thought about him.
I also really liked the part where some grown man says that Lavinia's 15 year old mother's torso was very beautiful.
For the most part I couldn't stand the main character. Everything she said and did annoyed me. She's very selfish, and quite stupid. She supposedly hates multiple of her clients, and yet she doesn't quit. Even though she states many times she can easily just not show up anymore and stop working for them.
I never understood why she had so much against Don, and the whole thing between them was just weird. She goes snooping around in his pockets, and then acts like he's in the wrong for being upset about her looking through his things.
Her relationship with Mario was also just odd. Insta love isn't my thing, and I didn't buy their relationship at all. Also, what the heck is "Mario's love pouch" supposed to be? I think I'd rather not know. Knowing he has muscular hands is enough for me.
The book was full of odd contradictions, and just stuff that could have easily not been a problem. Her 'birthmark' for example. I didn't think a birthmark could be a mole, or vice versa. Lavinia complains a lot about Sal not talking to her face to face, but he kinda begged her to call him on Skype. So that's on her. She also rages because George has to come by her place and leave a note. "Why wouldn't he call like a civilized person?".... Because YOU didn't pick up, the multiple times he tried to contact you? She's also somehow shocked to find out later on that George was her 'stalker', as if this wasn't already established.
The book was also quite repetitive, as Lavinia often repeated herself to multiple people about things we had read about her doing. She would also constantly think the same things about people. It became really boring having to read about her hating Don every time they met, or she even just thought about him.
I also really liked the part where some grown man says that Lavinia's 15 year old mother's torso was very beautiful.
July 16, 2020
Barbara Sapienza is a new to me author. I must admit that when I started this book I was not a huge fan. I felt like the story was a bit jumpy and I did not understand exactly what was happening or how the synopsis related to what I was reading. While I was struggling, I decided to keep reading and give the book another chance. Maybe more pages and more details would help and maybe not and this would be a did not finish. And I must admit it did! As I continued to read the story and learn more about the life of Lavinia Lavinia and those in her life, I began to enjoy the story. For me, this story was about finding oneself. About discovering one’s past to discover one’s future. I very much enjoyed learning about Lavinia as she learned more about herself. I enjoyed learning about the relationships that she had built over the years and the ones that she built as she began to find herself. I felt for her as she experienced heartbreak and pain. Most of all I saw a little of me in her. I am so glad that I was turned on to this book…even if I did have a bit of a rough start.
April 3, 2020
This novel is about finding family and yourself in unexpected ways. It is about Time, and the connections we have with it and others. It’s about love, forgiveness, and finding answers to the secrets of your past. Great read.
December 31, 2020
This. Is. It. A book that moved my soul! I search these out! They are my favorite!
Barbara Sapienza is a poet writing a novel! You will be in awe of every paragraph, page and chapter as they link together! Barbara Sapienza is a gifted wordsmith!
Lavinia Lavinia “The Laundress” is growing up in front of our eyes! She is trying to find out who she is and who she is meant to be.
We meet fabulous, eccentric, artistic characters along the way. There is so much beauty, even among the hard knocks.
I will read this again and recommend it to others! It’s one of my favorite novels this year!
Let me recommend it to you, First!
I received a copy of this book from the author and GETRED PR in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Barbara Sapienza is a poet writing a novel! You will be in awe of every paragraph, page and chapter as they link together! Barbara Sapienza is a gifted wordsmith!
Lavinia Lavinia “The Laundress” is growing up in front of our eyes! She is trying to find out who she is and who she is meant to be.
We meet fabulous, eccentric, artistic characters along the way. There is so much beauty, even among the hard knocks.
I will read this again and recommend it to others! It’s one of my favorite novels this year!
Let me recommend it to you, First!
I received a copy of this book from the author and GETRED PR in exchange for a fair and honest review.
June 9, 2020
This was a deeply moving story about finding closure and moving on with a fresh start. The synopsis is quite detailed and descriptive so I won’t be summarizing it with my thoughts. I enjoyed the family/friend aspect to this story. This one was a perfect blend with friends being just as good or better than blood family. it was truly heartwarming and I, like Lavinia, was anxious to find out the big secret. Overall, it was a beautifully written story and will be looking for more novels by this author.
August 13, 2020
Set in San Francisco, with a haunting presence of Italy, in The Laundress, Sapienza portrays a young woman who is struggling with the mysteries of her past, while trying to discover who she is, and who she is meant to be. She is cautious and unsure of herself, because she has been betrayed by those who should have sheltered her. As she begins to discover the truth, and the reason for the secrets, she learns to forgive, to embrace who she is, and to see her way forward to a life of love.
June 9, 2020
The story tended to repeat itself as everything that happened to the main character she would then tell to one of the other characters. That bogged down the flow of the story and caused the reader to be less sympathetic to the character. You just wanted the story to end and for the main character to deal with it.
September 22, 2020
This page-turning novel is filled with family secrets, twists and turns, as well as redemption. Exquisite sensory detail of San Francisco neighborhoods pulls the reader in. Sapienza has created troubled, quirky but loveable Lavinia Lavinia who gives away bubblegum and fig leaves to strangers and baristas alike. I highly recommend this wonderful book!
April 1, 2021
A delightful, well-written story that slowly peels the layers of who Lavinia is, where she came from, and why her life was made such a mystery her. It’s a beautiful journey of self-discovery and unexpected love, of friendship, forgiveness, and acceptance. A very enjoyable read.
April 15, 2020
Not for me. Just plain weird!
April 15, 2020
I don't think it was the book's fault, I just think this book wasn't for me. I an advance reader's copy from a giveaway on goodreads.
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June 4, 2020I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!
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June 5, 202010/10 i <3 barbara
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