PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 8, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Rosemary's life in South Philadelphia is spent playing and bouncing around her father's produce store. However, everything changes in Rosemary's world when her father commits suicide, turning her youth upside down. In a new novel by Rosemarie Manes, The Deafening Silence: A Memoir (now available through 1stBooks), Rosemary struggles through the hardships of life and the hidden family secrets that have been shielded from her for years.
She loves to watch her father tease women customers, argue with men and give produce to nuns. His store bustles with personality and is a thrilling place for Rosemary, 11, to play. When a group of gangsters arrive in the store one day, however, things change. The experience foreshadows the day when her father plunges a knife into his chest.
Rosemary's mother is left with 12 children, and she must endure the neighborhood backlash from her husband's decision. Even Rosemary's friend, Blind Man Joe, refuses to talk to Rosemary anymore. The family moves to an Irish Catholic neighborhood, where their last name, Pasquerello, is not completely welcomed.
As she reaches her teenage years, Rosemary understands what it is like to go hungry and what it's like to work to support her family. The circumstances surrounding her father's death become an unspoken secret her mother keeps for years. As Rosemary matures and grows to be a young woman, her resolve strengthens. She is encouraged by her soon to be husband to learn the secrets behind her father's death. On her wedding day, Rosemary gets an answer. Her mother reveals the terrible truth.
Follow Rosemary as she grows up with secrets, only to finally learn the truth behind her father's death and her mother's unwavering strength. She finds her way through the rage and abandonment to the truth and triumph of love.
Manes is a licensed marriage and family therapist and an executive and life coach. She holds a master's degree from LaSalle University and received a prestigious certificate of recognition from Psi Chi's National Honor Society. Manes, her husband and her two grown children live in Philadelphia.
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