After being forced to kill in order to protect their widowed mother, three brothers escape Mafia-controlled Sicily to the New World.

Life for immigrants in America during the second decade of the 1900s is difficult and often harrowing, but that’s the reality into which Peter, John, and Angelu Donatello are thrust when their ship docks in Philadelphia. As Peter tries to make his way in this new land through honest hard work, John’s talents—many learned fighting in the Great War—lead him to the seamier, but potentially more profitable, underworld. And all the while, Angelu, the youngest brother and a true innocent, struggles to just find a place for himself in a world he can never truly understand.

Prohibition may make criminals of honest men, but it also allows poor immigrants to mingle with the upper classes; the Donatellos among them. Yet, despite war and crime, marriage and loneliness, honor and betrayal, the brothers, each in their own way, cling to their creed of Supra tuttu la famigghia: Family is all.

Eventually, everything will lead them back to Sicily, to a confrontation with the forces that have shaped their lives, and to a heart-wrenching reconciliation.

Reminiscent of John Jakes’ Bicentennial series, The New Americans by Tony and Ty Drago is a wonderfully moving saga. The genesis of the story is itself a tale: in his final weeks, Tony Drago tape-recorded what his son Ty thought were simple reminiscences. It was only in the years following Tony’s death, after Ty became an established novelist, that he listened to the tapes and realized his father had left him, not a family history, but rather an emotional novel of immigration, rebirth, and growth. Milherst Publishing is honored to bring this story to the world.

The New Americans, by Tony & Ty Drago, will be released in six monthly installments, as both trade paperbacks and ebooks.

1: Fuggitivi. $10.99, 182 pages, ISBN 978-1-5154-5842-5. February 3, 2026.

2: Strangers in Paradiso. $10.99, 186 pages, ISBN: 978-1-5154-5843-2. March 3, 2026.

3: The Pursuit of Felicita. $10.99, 184 pages, ISBN: 978-1-5154-5844-9. April 7, 2026.

4: The Philly Crew. $12.99, 230 pages, ISBN: 978-1-5154-5845-6. May 5, 2026.

5: A Leaf in the Turning. $12.99, 224 pages, ISBN: 978-1-5154-5846-3. June 2, 2026.

6: The Prodigal Sons. $10.99, 170 pages, ISBN: 978-1-5154-5847-0. July 7, 2025.

Book #5: A Leaf in the Turning

With the arrival of their ne’er-do-well cousin Carlo from Sicily, the Donatellos are thrust into the roles of hosts and caretakers. Unfortunately, Angelu’s loneliness and gentle disposition make him an ideal target for exploitation, from both family and strangers.

A rival bootlegger targets Peter and the company, and inadvertently endangers Sarah. Knowing where his duty lies, Peter resolves to give it all up for her. John, however, demands his brother’s loyalty, calling Peter’s desire to leave the family business “betrayal.” Peter must navigate his conflicted feelings for John, even as Angelu navigates heartbreak and despair. Dealing with Carlo, however, may prove an even bigger challenge for all of them.