If I Told You Once: A Novel

In her utterly original novel about mothers daughters and love Judy Budnitz gives the traditional folktale an electrifying twist as she follows four generations of women from an Eastern European village to the tenements of an American city. Elena born into a family ruled by a formidable mother embarks on an epic journey to the New World met along the way by evil magic and good fortune. The daughter grand-daughter and great-granddaughter who follow each share her special powers of observation and often destruction. The result is a family saga unlike any other: a hilarious heartbreaking story of family ties that bind.