This story comes from my memories of my incomparable grandmother. She was known as Avoa which is grandmother in Portuguese. Everyone who met her would call her Avoa. They thought that was her name. Haha!

My grandmother was a strong, resilient woman who was determined to say her mind and make others listen to her. She was not what you would call a soft and sweet grandmother. She could be quite tough if you crossed her, but she was always generous and loving.

She did so much for me over the years that I don’t know how I would have survived without her assistance. She took care of my son so I could go back to work when I needed to at weeks after delivering him. She cared for him for two years and then my mother took over for two more. I do mention some of the things that she did for me in the story because some of it was close to the truth while other things were from my broad imagination.

Lubelia Alycea leaves her native country of Madeira, Portugal to travel to her new home – America.

This is the story of how a strong, resilient young girl grows into a formidable woman. She must survive many tragedies in her lifetime, separation from family, sickness, death, betrayal, and a lost love. Will she find happiness and a new love in her life?

Will she be strong enough to face the storms ahead and still keep her family together? Will the secrets in her life destroy her and all that she holds dear?

What we must remember is to talk to our elderly relatives in our families to learn so much about their lives and how difficult it must have been for them growing in a tougher world. You would be surprised at what they will share with you and enjoy doing it. As we get older it is nice to know that someone still listens to us and cares what we think. Please listen to your elderly family members. You will learn a lot more than you could ever imagine, and at the same time, make them happy. It’s a good feeling to do that. God bless them for what they sacrificed to make a way for us. I am truly thankful for all my grandmother had to endure to pave the way for the rest of the family. God bless her!

I found out how much I could learn by listening to my grandmother’s many stories. Being an author, I know well how to embellish a simple story to make it even more fantastic than it already is. I think Avoa would be laughing at what I created in this book that was in her memory and dedicated to her. I miss her every day along with my mom and dad. Once they were all gone, I felt lost without their consul and support. I wanted to keep some of this by writing about them in this book. I feel as if I did. I hope you enjoy it!

My Avoa had a sense of humor and would laugh so heartedly that I thought she would fall over and have a heart attack. It was quite catchy too. Once she began to laugh I did too along with everyone who was there at the time. She was an entertaining and fascinating personality. She could sing, dance, and tell you a story about her life.

I don’t know if any of the family will ever live as long as she did, but I am going to try my best! Her secrets? She loved steak and mushrooms and a nightly sip of brandy. I love mushrooms but not steak or brandy. Oh well, maybe I won’t make 100 after all! Haha!

Here is a book trailer that I created using Animoto.com.

Here are some reviews from Amazon. Read what others are saying about this book.

Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. I hope you will check out this book for an unforgettable read about a formidable young girl who became even more formidable as a woman, my grandmother.

Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!

READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

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