SEEDS OF THE POMEGRANATE

In Samuels’ historical novel set in the early 20th century, an ailing Italian artist moves to New York City to become a counterfeiter.

In 1905, Mimi Inglese is a promising young painter who could become the first woman ever to be accepted into the Palermo Academy of Fine Arts. However, when she contracts tuberculosis, a then-incurable disease, it makes painting all but impossible, as exposure to paint is harmful to her lungs. To make matters worse, her family’s businesses are faltering, making money scarce, and although her father, Antonino, is a nobleman, the power of the aristocracy is in steep decline. However, her enterprising uncle, Vito Cascioferro, notices her extraordinary talent and invites the whole family to relocate to New York under various pretenses; the real reason is that he wants Mimi to work as an artist for his money counterfeiting operation. Vito sees her as “his little Michelangelo,” and soon after she arrives, he puts her to work; in this role, she finds the possibility of a purposeful and creative renewal after her diagnosis—a compelling interpretation that’s characteristic of Samuels’ thoughtful novel. Unfortunately, Mimi is drawn further into the world of New York’s criminal underground; as a result, her father ends up in prison, leaving her in crisis. Over the course of this novel, the author vividly illustrates the sociopolitical distance that separates Palermo and New York; the former is effectively depicted as a stage of vanishing traditions and cultural mores, while the latter is shown to be a place of both unlimited opportunity and moral squalor. Mimi is a memorable protagonist; although her disease is all but a death sentence, she’s still willing to take extraordinary risks to take full advantage of whatever time she has left. Samuels’ prose is straightforward and unadorned but impressively precise, and the tale she unspools offers remarkably nuanced ethical complexity.

A riveting and intelligent novel with a powerful message.