Through My Laughter and Tears by Annette Stanzione.
Returning Home to the Bronx (A Memoir).
Annette Stanzione was born into a Catholic-Italian family in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx in the 1950s.
In ‘Through My Laughter and Tears’, Annette relays anecdotes from her childhood to her first job working for the FBI, becoming a paralegal at forty-seven, getting married and then divorced, raising two daughters, dating, living upstate for three decades, and then eventually returning home to the Bronx.
Annette’s story is an engaging mix of humor and gravitas as she wends her way through triumphs and difficulties. Although she’s still looking for love — and loving the process of finding it — she perseveres with charm, wit, and warmth.
You’ll be drawn into Annette’s world and wish she was your best friend.
5 Stars: Unstoppable Page Turner!
I felt like part of Annette’s Catholic-Italian family from the first paragraph. Whether you grew up in Bronx, New York or not, this is a coming home saga like no other. Author Annette Stanzione invites you to reflect back, with her, on growing up in the 1960s-1970s.
With superb storytelling, Annette uses, written images, more humor than pain, and a tremendous sense of “glass half full’ perseverance. Annette skillfully walks the reader through her own growing up, dating realities, marriage conflicts, and single motherhood. Annette’s story is real, raw and truly unforgettable.
As the first-born daughter, the tragic murders by Son of Sam impacted her already strict, Catholic School/Home upbringing. She rebelled in small ways, while keeping a firm foundation under her.
Soon Annette added a little adventure in her life. “Secretarial position-not a secret agent!”
“At seventeen, I started this job in Manhattan on 69th and 3rd Avenue, in the Hunter College building. I got all dolled up. When getting in the elevator I slipped in my platform heels (it was the seventies) and fell on the ground. Thank God no one was in the elevator. My arm hit the wall and my leg was under my butt. I was more concerned with making sure I didn’t break a nail and made sure all ten were intact. Hey, I knew my priorities.
About a year and a half later I transferred to the FBI in New Rochelle, which was in the Sheraton Hotel, at that time. No one knew the FBI was there, of course. It was not something they announced on the outside of the building.
One day they had a tip that the Barclays Bank across the street was going to be robbed. We watched the FBI agents from our office circle the bank and the three men got out of the car with ski masks on and went into the bank with guns.
The agents were in and out of the building and the gunmen came out with their hands in the air. It was like watching a movie, only live. The great thing about that job was, you could transfer anywhere, as long as they had a position open. One girl I worked with transferred to Alaska and never came back.
They say there are three men to every one woman in Alaska. Maybe that’s why she stayed.”
Annette has had her fair share of tragedy and tears. Through it all she has learned to appreciate family, friends, and acquaintances who encouraged and helped her along the way. She is grateful to her parents and grandparents. Like a good mother, Annette has passed the gift of empowerment on to her two daughters, who in turn are sharing it with others.
In a time when the world seems out of whack, obstacles and risks seem to outweigh the rewards, I highly recommend you read this inspiring book. This short read will leave you looking for ways to view your experiences through Annette’s “glass half full” mindset. We all have stories to tell and I hope Annette will share more in the years to come
Editorial Review (Book Marketing Global Network).
Product Details:
Paperback: 123 Pages
Publisher: Wheatmark (September 17, 2019)
Language: English
Biography (Memoirs)
Customer Ratings:
https://www.amazon.com/Through-My-Laughter-Tears-Returning/dp/1627877304/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1612984946&sr=1-1#customerReviews
Message From Author: Hi my name is Annette. I have always loved to write and make people laugh, so I incorporated funny stories into this first book.
This endeavor took me a long time, life sometimes gets in the way. I was very fortunate to work with a wonderful editor and my publisher Wheatmark helped me every step of the way.
Just when I thought I was done writing; another story would pop into my head.
Amazon Author’s Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Annette-Stanzione/e/B07YB8BH8C/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/annette.stanzione
Author’s Page At Book Marketing Global Network:
http://bookmarketingglobalnetwork.com/book-marketing-global-network/annette-stanzione
