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Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite
A Made Man by Janet Sierzant is a richly characterized historical novel that follows the life of Johnny Falcone, the son of an Italian immigrant entrenched in the underworld of mid-20th-century New York. Told with warmth and detail, the story explores how Johnny navigates a childhood overshadowed by the quiet authority of his father, Giovanni, a man deeply embedded in Mafia culture yet layered with unexpected tenderness. The novel is atmospheric, filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of Brooklyn neighborhoods from the Great Depression to the postwar years. From the creaking floors of a cold-water flat in Coney Island to the colorful chaos of the San Gennaro Festival, Sierzant invites readers into a world where family and crime intertwine. Through Johnny’s wide eyes, we witness a complicated upbringing marked by contradictions: a father who deals with violence but teaches him to raise pigeons with care. In this household, love is present, but discipline is severe.
Janet Sierzant is a master storyteller. This book will draw you in and hold your attention until the last page is turned. Vignettes from Johnny’s youth—watching horses get shoed, witnessing the death of a turkey, learning about the Mafia through bedtime stories—are recounted with sensory and emotional richness. These moments accumulate to create a portrait of a boy caught between loyalty to family and questions about morality and independence. As Johnny grows, so do the complexities of his world. He learns the difference between power and fear, pride and shame, and begins to sense that the love he seeks from his father may always be conditional. A Made Man is a coming-of-age story wrapped in the legacy of organized crime and cultural pride. It is evocative, poignant, and carefully crafted.