Iris & Lily: Book Two - Softcover

Reseña del editor

In Book Two, the demands of marriage come crashing down on Iris and Lily, now living thousands of miles apart, both determined to gain the love and approval of their husbands and acquired families.

The fairy-tale life Iris imagined herself living in Italy is abruptly put into focus by her over-protective husband, the respected anesthesiologist Gregorio Leale. Dottor Leale does not take kindly to alternative viewpoints or challenges to his authority, and is disturbed by displays of spontaneity and individualism, stifling Iris’s budding sensuality and dampening her innate enthusiasm.

Lily’s circumstances as Mrs. Joe Diotallevi are even more daunting, as she struggles to comprehend the peculiar dynamic of the close-knit Diotallevi tribe and its protectionist politics. Traditional values distorted by ignorance dictate the simplistic rules of existence which effectively condone Joe’s burgeoning gambling addiction and abusive behavior, leaving Lily dissatisfied as a woman, dismayed as a wife, and pinching pennies to pay the bills.

Discouraged but not thwarted in their quests for personal development, in their desire to experience motherhood, in their dream of building a life with a man who will love and respect them, Iris and Lily silently stick to their choices despite moments of despair and temptation, shamed by their Catholic upbringing, paralyzed by their fear of failure and rejection, in the hope that a kinder destiny will reveal itself.

Traveling back and forth between the Ligurian Riviera and Upstate New York accompanied by the alternating voices of Iris and Lily, chapter by chapter you become the closest confidante of both, delving into each woman’s most intimate hopes and fears, and learning more about her private predicaments than she feels comfortable revealing to her faraway sister - or admitting to herself.

Reader praise for Iris & Lily:

"Savor this story while it lasts because it's one you won't want to see end."

"The story unfolds like a flower growing more vibrant and beautiful."

"It drew me in immediately, and I didn't want it to end."

"Poignant and raw yet also sweet and loving."

"The characters will fascinate you and work their way into your heart."

"Truly delightful, touching, deep and wise."

"At times it had me cringing for the brutal realities that face women."

Biografía del autor

When sisters Angela and Julie decide to act on their visions and write a novel together despite living on separate continents, nothing can stop them. Not the distance, not conflicting work schedules, not six time zones. The writing of Iris & Lily is an amazing story in itself: of inspiration sustained by unflagging determination, of solitude combined with synchronicity, and of staying on the same page while editing on a cloud.

Angela came into the world during a blizzard in the January of 1959, the seventh in a not-yet-completed lineup of snot-nosed, scraggly children. Not surprisingly, like generations of romantically inclined, novel-devouring young women before her, during a trip to Italy Angela fell in love with the country, its climate, its natural and artistic beauty, its people (yes, including its men), language, flavors and flair. Not yet 21, bewitched by fantasies of a sunny world filled with love and adventure, she moved to Italy to live out her own fairy story, and draft the first of several versions of a happy ending.

Three decades and many twists later, from her home in Liguria, she co-authored her first novel, Iris & Lily, with her sister Julie, working long-distance across the Atlantic for four full years. When she is not working on her writing projects, Angela enjoys noodling on her guitar and ukulele, cooking for and with friends, and spending as much time as possible outdoors, gardening, hiking, swimming, visiting with the cats that stop by to be petted and fed, and nurturing her soul with the beauty of God's nature.

Julie Scipioni is a passionate creative communicator who has embraced writing, speaking, singing, and even yoga instruction all as vehicles for telling her story, sharing her energy, and encouraging and teaching others. Born in 1960, Julie is also known as "Number 8" in her family of 11 children.

She is devoted to the principles of love, peace, and active compassion not as ideals, but as life goals and as guideposts for ethical living. In addition to writing, Julie is active in her church, plays the guitar and the ukulele "strictly for fun" and performs as a vocalist at various social and community events. Julie is a fitness buff and an avid cyclist, proud to have put more than 10,000 miles on her Specialized road bike. Julie lives in Upstate New York with her husband Rick and their two cats, Halo and Stella.