Whether you’re from Brooklyn or Bayonne, you mustmustmust read Suzanne Corso’s debut novel, Brooklyn Story. Set in the mean streets of Bensonhurst in the late 70’s, Brooklyn Story tells the tale of young Italian/Jewish Samantha Bonti, an aspiring writer with dreams of crossing the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. She lives with her mother, Joan (who has many demons of her own), and her beloved Jewish Grandma, who lovingly calls her “Samelah.” Samantha falls in love with Tony Kroon, a local “half-breed” like herself, with questionable Mafia ties. Sam’s love affair pushes her farther and farther away from the life she knows she is destined to have and the bridge that she so desperately wants to cross.
Written by Suzanne Corso, Brooklyn Story is beautifully written, with rich characters and fantastic, true-to-life dialogue. It reads like a movie, with brutally honest – and sometimes graphic – scenes that make you feel like you’re right there with Samantha. Much like the characters in the book, Bensonhurst plays a huge role in the movie, as does the Brooklyn Bridge, with all its figurative and literal symbolism. You will be rooting for Samantha to cross her bridge (one of many she will have to face), right until the very end. We simply couldn’t put the book down; Brooklyn Story is a must-read that will stay with you long past the final page.