An Italian family emigrates to California in the hopes of making it in the movie business. High school student Eugenia has a particularly difficult time assimilating into a new school and a different culture and lifestyle. Her only comforts are her daily petitions to the Virgin Mary beseeching her intervention in enabling her family to return to Italy and her relationship with Henry who runs his mothers memorabilia store. Eugenia goes through a period of engaging in maladaptive behaviors while adapting to her new environment. The death of a classmate and the after effects of the Rodney King assault are pivotal events in Eugenia turning her life around. This is a wonderful coming of age story with the revelation after an earthquake that she has options in making her life the way she wants it to be. ( )