Rita Ciresi

My novel SWAN SONG is a semi-finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Please click on the link to the left to download an excerpt and review it. The complete novel received this review from PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY:

Sensitive, funny, and charming, this winning manuscript tracks 27-year-old Francesca “Francie” Malarkey as she undergoes radiation treatment following a mastectomy. Without ever getting maudlin, Francie is variously sad, or angry, or fearful, or in denial. She meets fellow cancer patient Joel Goldman while both await radiation, and as they share experiences and insights, a spark is struck. Francie’s only relation is her Great-Uncle Sol, an 87-year-old who lives in an assisted living home surrounded by Christian widows he refers to as “the Marys and the Marias.” Francie’s sparky humor spices the pages, while her feelings about Uncle Sol, cantankerous as he is, swing between affection and dread when she thinks about him meeting Joel or Joel’s family. The author has crafted a fine story that recognizes how the little things often throw you the most, even when you’re dealing with major issues. The author is wise not to wrap this engaging novel in a happy-ever-after ending, instead allowing some questions to linger. It’s a refreshing entry to the very clogged sub-genre of cancer lit.