Title: "Amalia's Tale"

Title: "Amalia's Tale"

Author: by David Kertzer

Publisher: Houghton-Mifflin

Pages: 237

Price: $24

In a nutshell: This is a David-and-Goliath story from late 19th-century Italy about a poor woman from Bologna who earns a little money as a wet nurse for abandoned babies obtained from a foundling home. Little does she know she will contract syphilis from a baby. This is exactly what happened to hundreds and hundreds of poor women in a similar situation.

David Kertzer, a graceful writer and thinker, tells a compelling story of Amalia Bagnacavalli as she approaches a legal battle with the help of her young attorney to get compensation from Italian authorities. This is a brilliant study with enormous meaning that the average reader can genuinely appreciate.