Book Review: In the Name of Loyalty

Reviewed by Addison Ciuchta

A meaningful search for family and love in the most unexpected places

You might not expect to find meaning and identity in the mafia, but Mia Trovato does. Mia knows only part of her family history—that her father was involved with the New Jersey Bocelli family, that it eventually got him killed, and that the resulting grief sent her mother into a spiral that resulted in her death. 

Now, preparing to head off to college, Mia wants to know more about that side of her family. Despite hesitations from her grandparents who raised her, she agrees to spend the summer with them to find out more. What she finds there, though, may not be the terrifying, violent figures she’s been warned against after all.

Mia’s character is a great fit as the narrator of In the Name of Loyalty. Her naïveté is refreshing and allows the author to introduce readers to the Bocelli family and their rival families with a fresh set of eyes. Soon, though, she fits right in, her family history and quick temper keeping her strong in the face of strife.

While the pace can be slow at times, the author covers decades of Mia’s life after she integrates with the Bocelli side of her family. There’s constant conflict within the family with warring families and with day-to-day problems everyone faces like health issues or arguments that keep the narrative moving. 

Between some chapters, the author skips forward three or five years to resume the story of Mia’s life down the line. Sometimes, I wished to see more of those years and some of the events play out on the page as she adjusts to new developments and finds her footing in love and in her career, but the span of years the narrative covers makes missing some of the more minor events worth it. You really get to see how Mia changes from the beginning of the narrative to the end.

The author adeptly illustrates both the connection and conflict that comes with getting more involved in the “family business.” Mia finds a deep, fulfilling life there and learns the true meaning of loyalty, but she encounters violence and grief too. It’s a complicated life and one Mia never saw herself ending up in, but the author does a great job of portraying both the good and the bad.

In the Name of Loyalty is a drama-filled, heartwarming book you should definitely sink your teeth into—a great & worthwhile read in the end.

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