by Joseph C. Polacco
Memoir
About the Book
Joe Polacco has written a wonderful tribute to his mother, Vina, and in the process has learned about himself. This memoir is told with humor, and is a tale of extended family in Brooklyn headed by the author’s mother, the kind and big-hearted Vina, whose name rhymes (almost) with “kinda. ” It’s all about the family, the neighborhood, and most of all about Vina. She is beautiful, selfless, a creative designer and knows how to laugh and make others laugh. She is a master of Italian cuisine, admired for her original recipes, which are willingly shared. What more could anyone want in a Mom? More to the point which of us would not want to claim Vina as Mom? And all the characters in the memoir willingly testify that they love Vina and claim her as their own. The author has a love of–and knack for—foreign language and dialects. In New York City, specifically Brooklyn, the whole world can be found in this one place. And you’ll find Joe Polacco and Vina in this melting pot. But be careful not to melt down as you laugh through the pages while commemorating those who have passed before, and after, Vina.
About the Author
Joe Polacco, a native of Brooklyn, has spent most of his life as a citizen of Missouri. He is Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at the University of Missouri in Columbia where he lives with his wife Nancy Malugani-Polacco. After years of producing limericks and jokingly being called “Poet Laureate of Biochemistry,” he decided to write Vina, a more serious memoir following the passing of his mother.
