The New Americans: A Saga of Immigration and Family After being forced to kill in order to protect their widowed mother, three brothers escape Mafia-controlled Sicily to the New World. Life for immigrants in America during the second decade of the 1900s is difficult and often harrowing, but that's the reality into which Peter, John, and Angelu Donatello are thrust when their ship docks in Philadelphia. As Peter tries to make his way in this new land through honest hard work, John's talents—many learned fighting in the Great War—lead him to the seamier, but potentially more profitable, underworld. And all the while, Angelu, the youngest brother and a true innocent, struggles to just find a place for himself in a world he can never truly understand. Prohibition may make criminals of honest men, but it also allows poor immigrants to mingle with the upper classes; the Donatellos among them. Yet, despite war and crime, marriage and loneliness, honor and betrayal, the brothers, each in their own way, cling to their creed of Supra tuttu la famigghia: Family is all. Eventually, everything will lead them back to Sicily, to a confrontation with the forces that have shaped their lives, and to a heart-wrenching reconciliation. Reminiscent of John Jakes' Bicentennial series, The New Americans by Tony and Ty Drago is a wonderfully moving saga. The genesis of the story is itself a tale: in his final weeks, Tony Drago tape-recorded what his son Ty thought were simple reminiscences. It was only in the years following Tony's death, after Ty became an established novelist, that he listened to the tapes and realized his father had left him, not a family history, but rather an emotional novel of immigration, rebirth, and growth. Milherst Publishing is honored to bring this story to the world. The New Americans, by Tony & Ty Drago, will be released in six monthly installments, as both trade paperbacks and ebooks.#1: Fuggitivi. February 3, 2026.#2: Strangers in Paradiso. March 3, 2026.#3: The Pursuit of Felicita. April 7, 2026.#4: The Philly Crew. May 5, 2026.#5: A Leaf in the Turning. June 2, 2026.#6: The Prodigal Sons. July 7, 2025.*** Book #3: The Pursuit of Felicita With the end of the Great War, immigrants are no longer needed for the hard work in the Philadelphia Ship Yard, and Peter and Angelu are unceremoniously dismissed. Peter however, lands on his feet, taking employment as a delivery driver for a sugar company, a job fraught with the danger of hijackings. On another front, his continuing language lessons lead him toward a relationship that will eventually define his life. Angelu, on the other hand, feeling increasingly lost in the big, confusing city, finds himself bitterly out of his depth. The arrival of Prohibition brings upheaval to America, but it also provides opportunities for those who can adapt. And, calling on relationships made in the Army, John is able to adapt quickly. Though he's hiding from his brothers, he knows his mission is to ensure his family's security by any means necessary.
