Title: Reaching for Tomorrow
Author: Lou Rossi
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Fiction
Book Blurb:
Maria Grady leads a lonely, unfulfilled life. She lives and works under the shadow of her Italian American family in Hoboken, New Jersey during the 1980’s. Driven by her search for love, respect, and happiness, she makes a series of bad choices that result in her receiving a prison sentence. Maria is confronted by blatant racism and bigotry in the criminal justice system that she never knew existed in her comfortable family. Incarceration at the only female State Prison in New Jersey is frightening, especially if you are the obsession of a sadistic Lieutenant. Confronted by a criminal justice system that is racist, cruel, and unforgiving, she accepts her new life and strives to help those less fortunate than herself.
Take the journey with Maria as she transforms from a shy, withdrawn, hopeless woman to a champion of her life and others.
An uplifting story of triumph over adversity by a retired law enforcement professional who worked in various government positions both in policing and correctional management.
My Review:
This time a Teddy review comes from a special request! Well, I was sitting at my desk and Mr. N said, 'here, read this one' and tossed an e-reader at me. Lol. Turns out his emotional makeup didn't work with this one. This book plays perfectly to me.
This is the story of Maria and her extremely crashy life. As one who tote binges Handmaid, this book is sic. You can't get into this great work without being filled with empathy. Maria's life is used by the author to show how sus the justice system treats minorities.
Once you start reading, you are just drawn right in and have to follow Maria all the way. Recs have to include fans of intense drama. Fans who need drama in life will simply love this book. Powerful and well written, this book is lit. Get this book and get ready for an emotional journey.
My Rating: 5 stars
Buy it Now:
Author Biography:
Lou Rossi is a retired Law Enforcement Professional. During his career, he saw firsthand the injustices of the Criminal Justice System both in terms of arrests and sentencing. With over 1.8 Million people incarcerated in the United States, Black and brown people dominate these figures. Even with the reduction in incarceration due to Covid -19, these staggering numbers signify a much larger problem that gets kicked down the road by politicians in both parties.
When these people are released from Prison, they have little chance to get meaningful employment or lead productive lives. Under these circumstances, survival is impossible, so people often return to criminal activity. The effects of this system on minority populations are unmistakably targeted. The harm to families is almost impossible to calculate.
Lou Rossi’s biggest wish for his writing is to challenge us all to dig deeper and continue to learn about race, bigotry, homophobia and any other prejudices both known and unknown, while not forgetting a population abandoned in Prison with no hope for the future.
Social Media Links:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lourossi99/
website www.lourossi.com
email rossilou99@gmail.com
Reviewed by: Teddy