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2012 novel by Angelo F. Coniglio From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lady of the Wheel (La Ruotaia) is a 2012 historical fiction novel[1] by Sicilian American author Angelo F. Coniglio. The book follows the life of a girl who was abandoned as an infant, with the major themes of the book including poverty, exploitation and family values.[2][3][4][5] Coniglio's work has been compared to the verismo (realism) of Sicilian author Giovanni Verga.[6][7]
First edition cover | |
| Author | Angelo F. Coniglio |
|---|---|
| Original title | The Lady of the Wheel (La Ruotaia) |
| Language | English and Sicilian |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Legas |
Publication date | 2012 |
| Publication place | Sicily |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| ISBN | 1881901-86-6 |
A mother abandons an infant girl, placing her inside a 'foundling wheel' to be cared for in a foundling home, and the woman's husband gives up a young son as a carusu, a virtual slave in a sulfur mine; both actions intended to help the remaining family to survive in poverty-stricken Racalmuto, in late-1800s Sicily. It was common for families to give up their boys at the age of five as carusi, selling them to the mining company for life for a small price, and the parents treat it matter-of-factly as a regrettable but unavoidable decision. The plot follows the girl's life as a foundling, and her brother's labors in the mine, working ten-hour days in hellish conditions, and their interactions with family and co-workers. As plot devices, the author includes examples of Napoleon-inspired recording of civil documents, and describes the Sicilian conventions for selecting the given names of a family's children.
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