Review Detail

I loved The Other Side of the Freedom - the writing, the story, the close-knit Italian family, and the early 20th century Louisiana strawberry farm setting. Cynthia Toney makes writing look easy with a story that flows smoothly.

Young teen Sal, from whose point of view the story is told, is at the center of an Italian mob's high stakes scheme of running liquor through small Southern towns after Sal's dad and uncle are coerced into abetting them.

The secondary characters - Sal's parents and uncle, his African American friend Hiram and his best friend Antonina - are interesting but remain rather static while Sal is the one who comes of age, deciding what cost he is willing to pay to serve the truth.

This is Young Adult book, but there's nothing here to keep younger children or older teens and adults from enjoying the story as well.