Gail Reitano’s first novel, Italian Love Cake, hit the shelves this month. Set on the eve of World War II, the novel features a young, second-generation Italian-American woman making her own way as a shopkeeper and baker in rural New Jersey.

The narrative is political, delving into the growing divisions of a society preparing for war. Despite the increasingly dire circumstances, the plotline is driven by a fearless, hopeful and free-spirited lead character, Marie Genovese. Rejecting the patriarchal pressures of her reality, Marie claims her independence at every turn.