Works by
Mary Saracino
(Writer)

Anthologies

• Hey Paesan!: Writings by Lesbians and Gay Men of Italian Descent  (1999), Denise Leto, Giovanna Capone, and Tommi Avicolli Mecca, eds.

• Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul - 101 Stories of Changes, Choices and Growing Up for Kids, ages 10-13 (2000), Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Irene Dunlap, and Patty Hansen
  See Dusty, the Wonder Dog

• Tuttestorie (Italian literary journal) (March 2001)
  Italian translation, excerpt from No Matter What

• Don't Tell Mama!:  The Penguin Book of Italian American Writing  (2002), Regina Barreca, ed.
  See Ravioli and Rage

• The Milk of Almonds: Italian American Women Writers on Food and Culture (2002), Edvige Guinta and Louise DeSalvo, eds.
  See Smoke and Fire

• She is Everywhere: An Anthology of Writing in Womanist/Feminist Spirituality (2005), Lucia Chiavola Birnbaum, ed.
  See The Piggly Wiggly and the Black Madonna
  Available through iUniverse

Fiction

• No Matter What: A Novel (1993)
  This novel tells the story of family love and betrayal in the haunting voice of its ten-year-old narrator, Regina Giovanni. As the oldest daughter in her working class Catholic family, Regina is her mother’s confidante. However, as her mother’s extramarital affair with a Catholic priest begins to destroy her family, her mother’s secret soon becomes too much for Regina to bear.

• Finding Grace (1999) -- Winner 1999 Colorado Authors’ League “Top Hand” Award for of Adult Mainstream/Literary Fiction.
  The sequel to No Matter What, this novel focuses on the explosive aftermath of protagonist Regina Giovanni’s mother’s decision to leave her husband and two sons and run off with her three daughters and her lover, a Catholic priest. Finding Grace is an unforgettable story of love, loss, grief, betrayal, and finally hope, as a family struggles to redefine itself and heal after being torn apart.

• The Singing of Swans (2006) -- Finalist 2006 Lambda Literary Award for Religion/Spirituality
  The newest novel by Mary Saracino tells the story of Madalene Ross, a 30-year-old American who "lives in her head," cut off from her body, her heart, and her sense of purpose in the world. Madalene's story is interwoven with the lives of three women: Rosalina, a priestess of Persephone in 70 BCE Sicily; Ziza, a strega (Italian witch) in 16th century northeastern Italy, and Ibla, an herbalist and painter in 18th century southern Italy. An environmentally compromised lake in Sicily also acts as a portal to the rich tradition of pre-Christian spirituality that lies beneath Church dogma.

Memoirs

• Voices of the Soft-Bellied Warrior: A Memoir (2001)
  Shortly after Saracino’s first novel was published in 1993, she began to experience an inexplicable clenching of her vocal cords. Over a four-year period, she was increasingly unable to speak without great strain. In 1997 the mysterious problem was diagnosed as a rare voice disorder. This memoir is the compelling story of the author’s journey and her struggle to reclaim her voice on physical, spiritual and emotional levels. It is ultimately a tale of epiphany, recovery and redemption.