Could life get more embarrassing?

Mariangela longs to play the piano; but when her Italian immigrant family arranges for accordion lessons instead, she can't contain her disappointment. Who wants to be strapped to such a heavy, ugly old thing? But before she knows it, a mortified Mariangela is dragging the old accordion in a red wagon through the streets of Vancouver to her lessons. Try as she might, Mariangela can't get the accordion to sing for her. Even her accordion teacher, whose two missing fingers and handsome looks fascinate her, cannot find a way to inspire his pupil. But he can tell stories, and through his own sometimes harrowing experiences, Mariangela gradually comes to understand both her family's determination to start life in a new country and her own capacity to persevere.

Author Victoria Miles drew from her mother's own misadventures with the accordion to create a rich tapestry of Italian immigrant life in Vancouver during the thirties. Funny, sad, and ultimately inspiring, Magnifico is a coming of age story that will stay with the reader for a very long time.

Victoria Miles is the author of Wild Science: Amazing Encounters Between Animals and the People Who Study Them, as well as numerous other books and short stories for children. Victoria lives in North Vancouver with her husband, photographer David Nunuk, daughters Emily and Daphne, and an unrequited longing to play the little red accordion that sleeps next to their sofa.

Victoria Miles' profile page

"Mariangela's narrating voice has character and momentum, making this an enjoyable and cheering read. With its large print, accessible vocabulary, and domestic story, it's a good choice for readers nine to 12."
— Books for Young People

"A good choice for units on the immigrant experience or simply a story of coming of age."
— School Library Journal Reviews

"Written by a local author who drew on her mother's stories of growing up Italian in Vancouver in the 1930s. Little Mariangela wants to play the piano but instead gets her grandfather's old accordion. It's too heavy to carry so she pulls it to her lessons in her old red wagon. A special accordion teacher's stories make both her heritage and the accordion something to be proud of."
— Burnaby Now

Magnifico

This new novel is set in the east end Italian community of Vancouver at the start of World War II. It takes you deep into the Italian immigrant experience and exposes the huge sacrifices made in search of better opportunities.

Mariangela dreams of getting a piano just like her cousin Gigi, but the family income cannot support such an extravagance. Instead, Mariangela is bequeathed her grandfather’s accordion, a Camroni from the old country. Lessons are arranged immediately and the whole family, except Mariangela, is very excited by the prospect of music growing in their home. Unfortunately, no one seems aware of the dark feelings brewing in Mariangela. Not only did she miss out on getting a piano, but her father has made her a moving target for the neighbourhood bullies by building her a red wagon to carry the beastly instrument to her teacher.

Her unconventional accordion teacher has only two fingers and a thumb on his left hand, but those three digits fly over the cord buttons to tease the passion of Italian folk music from the bellows. Still whatever he does, he cannot inspire Mariangela to do more than “murder” the music.

“Royal fever” has hit Vancouver as King George and Queen Elizabeth plan their voyage to Canada. Mariangela is fascinated by and rejoices in the “power they had to be able to push Hitler and Mussolina off the front pages!" It is the possibility of playing “Bonnie Charlie” to the King as he departs from the station that finally inspires Mariangela’s success with the Camroni.

This is an immigration story that will resonant with the experiences of all immigrants, not just Italians and would be great as a read-aloud to supplement heritage studies in social studies curriculum. Young and old alike will be charmed by this rare peek into the culturally rich Italian community of Vancouver. Magnifico!