Our Frail Blood

"Malae is like a young Nelson Algren or Richard Wright, one of those writers who can hit with both hands." —Russell Banks

By way of Italy, the Felice family puts down new roots in Southern California, settling into a grand Victorian home and buying a share of the great American Dream. But for their five, first-generation children, an idyllic childhood didn’t quite translate into success and happiness. Rather, the pressures of living up to expectations drove a wide rift through the family.

Aft...