20th century literature
A01=Rebecca Chamian Ribaudo
american dream
Author_Rebecca Chamian Ribaudo
books about Chicago
Cabrini-Green
Category=FS
Category=FV
Chicago
DEI
eq_bestseller
eq_fiction
eq_historical-fiction
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_nobargain
family
female lawyer
female protagonist
forthcoming
foster child
Identity politics
immigrants
lawyer
Little Hell
Little Italy
Little Sicily
Mid-west
mixed-race
novels about Chicago
race
race in america
race relations
Sicily
the projects
Thomas Sowell
Upton Sinclair
Product details
- ISBN 9781510788114
- Weight: 689g
- Dimensions: 152 x 229mm
- Publication Date: 19 Nov 2026
- Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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Four generations converge in one woman's choice between her principles and heritage.
In July 1999, Sidone Russo, a single, high-powered attorney, is stopped at a red light in Chicago’s infamous Cabrini-Green neighborhood when a little girl jumps into her car and cries, “Go, Lady! They gonna kill me!” Panicked, Sidone takes off with the girl crouched in the back seat, sobbing.
As the reality of the girl's life seeps into Sidone's independent world, Sidone is forced to confront her own identity and the hidden roots she left behind in Cabrini, once a mixed-race neighborhood called Little Sicily or Little Hell. What unfolds is an epic, 100-year family saga and the true history of Little Sicily and Cabrini-Green, a place where generations struggled through the defining events of America's twentieth century—from lynchings and riots to wars and assassinations—by embracing racial, ethnic, national, and religious identities not as a matter of choice but of survival.
Caught in a conflict that has defined her family and our modern history, Sidone must choose whether to leverage her hidden identity in a high-profile adoption trial or remain true to her individualist principles. In the crosshairs lies not only her career and her mother’s deepest secret, but also the lives of her Sicilian papa, an orphaned child, and the only man she’s ever loved.
In a dual-timeline story of loyalty, betrayal, redemption, and inheritance, Crossing Division Street is an accessible, conversation-inspiring debut that challenges narratives around identity in America, leaving readers wrestling with one of the most historical yet urgent conflicts of our time.
In July 1999, Sidone Russo, a single, high-powered attorney, is stopped at a red light in Chicago’s infamous Cabrini-Green neighborhood when a little girl jumps into her car and cries, “Go, Lady! They gonna kill me!” Panicked, Sidone takes off with the girl crouched in the back seat, sobbing.
As the reality of the girl's life seeps into Sidone's independent world, Sidone is forced to confront her own identity and the hidden roots she left behind in Cabrini, once a mixed-race neighborhood called Little Sicily or Little Hell. What unfolds is an epic, 100-year family saga and the true history of Little Sicily and Cabrini-Green, a place where generations struggled through the defining events of America's twentieth century—from lynchings and riots to wars and assassinations—by embracing racial, ethnic, national, and religious identities not as a matter of choice but of survival.
Caught in a conflict that has defined her family and our modern history, Sidone must choose whether to leverage her hidden identity in a high-profile adoption trial or remain true to her individualist principles. In the crosshairs lies not only her career and her mother’s deepest secret, but also the lives of her Sicilian papa, an orphaned child, and the only man she’s ever loved.
In a dual-timeline story of loyalty, betrayal, redemption, and inheritance, Crossing Division Street is an accessible, conversation-inspiring debut that challenges narratives around identity in America, leaving readers wrestling with one of the most historical yet urgent conflicts of our time.
Rebecca Chamian Ribaudo is an author, freelance writer, nonprofit leader, and free speech advocate. In her career as a writer and marketing executive for Fortune 500s to nonprofits, her expertise helped companies and brands develop their core image, messaging, and platforms. Ribaudo currently writes and designs for select clients, serves on boards with a focus on free expression, and authors novels for independent thinkers. She lives in Chicago.
