Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm

Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm is about Penny, an Italian American girl living in the United States during the 1950s, just after WWII. She is torn between her American family that she lives with (her mother, grandmother and grandfather) and her Italian family (her Nonny, uncles, aunts and cousins). Penny's father died when Penny was little and no one will give her a straight answer about how. Penny and her cousin, Frankie, get into all kinds of trouble together over the summer. Unfortunately, while searching for their grandfather's hidden treasure in Nonny's basement, Penny has a terrible accident that lands her in the hospital. This turn of events actually brings both halves of her family closer and brings Penny closer to the truth about her father.

This wasn't my favorite book. It was a little hard for me to get through. I found it a bit slow. I did enjoy the historical portions about the relationship between the Italians and Americans right after WWII, however. The author's note at the end was also very interesting, as this story was based on the author's family.