Born and bred in Manhattan, his style is unorthodox because he weaves a story rather than telling it straight. His versatility is striking. He writes assuredly about primitive Italians, reformed Jews, slum children, wealthy WASPS, the mentally ill, dumb Bible scholars, intellectual women, and visionary graffiti artists. His Italian name is somewhat misleading, because his mother is an Ashkenazi Jew who married a Sicilian man and settled in the West Village of Manhattan. On both sides, this union was considered treacherous, but he was the blessing of that rebellious love. His grasp of these characters comes from deep inside. To sit and talk with Mr. Giarratano, you are taken aback by his personality, which is seemingly capable of multiple alterations. He is incredibly funny but also possesses a profound soul. His writing style is unrestrained and unexpected thus this enchanting debut novel is for the reader to unravel.