WHEN I WROTE "THE GODMOTHERS" I DISCOVERED MARIO PUZO'S SECRET ABOUT "THE FAMILY" by Camille Aubray

Each time I write an historical novel such as THE GODMOTHERS and COOKING FOR PICASSO, I look for one thing: a secret nugget of buried history that's been "hiding in plain sight" for years and has somehow been overlooked.

And so, while researching my newest novel, THE GODMOTHERS I was thinking about four sisters-in-law in New York in the 1940s--but I didn't intend to include real-life gangsters in my book, until I stumbled across a quote from Mario Puzo in which he revealed a secret about the true power behind "The Family" of his own novel, The Godfather.

Puzo said: “Whenever the Godfather opened his mouth, in my own mind I heard the voice of my mother. I heard her wisdom, her ruthlessness, and her unconquerable love for her family and for life itself, qualities not valued in women at the time.” Puzo also noted, “The Don’s courage and loyalty came from her; his humanity came from her . . . without Lucia Santa, I could not have written The Godfather.”

I was stunned to hear that "The Godfather", an icon of macho swagger and power, was really inspired by Mario Puzo's Mom. Well, go back and watch his movie with that in mind!

Yet I knew exactly what Puzo meant about how, even today, a woman’s intelligence and courage are often “qualities not valued” and that was just what I had in mind for my novel THE GODMOTHERS; it's an homage to the superb women I've always known--grandmothers, aunts, work colleagues, friends.

I’d already decided to set THE GODMOTHERS in New York from the 1930s through the 1950s, because I'd heard so many stories about that glamorous era from elder colleagues while I was working in television. The National Academy of TV Arts and Sciences used to hold their lunches and award ceremonies at the Copacabana, a swanky nightclub. Listening to elder actors, writers and directors tell me tales about the place, I found out that in that era if you popped into the Copacabana you might run into all sorts of people--a movie star, a ball player, a prizefighter, a politician--or, you just might meet a suave gangster like Lucky Luciano or Frank Costello.

But in my novels I take the point of view of what I call "the unsung heroines of history"--women who just happen to bump into famous--or infamous--Big Shots of their time.

In THE GODMOTHERS, I didn't want to write about the wives of big real-life gangster Bosses; instead, I created a fictional family who become so prosperous that their success attracts unwanted attention from the mob. What would you do if your family became the target of gangsters who demanded a share of your profits--or else? You can't action-hero your way out of it. You have to be smart, and come up with a clever solution to keep your family safe.

So I wrote about four intelligent women from very different backgrounds who become sisters-in-law and then godmothers to one another's children. Each woman--Filomena, Lucy, Amie, Petrina--has her own buried secret from the past, but they all hope for safety and security in the wealthy, loving family they've created. Of course, life always has some unexpected twists and turns, so for the family to survive, these women have to step up and trust one another with their plans and secrets.

Well, I hope you'll bring "the family" from THE GODMOTHERS home for the holidays to share with the men and women you love. Meanwhile, I offer you some of my own special recipes to make the season bright! You can find them right here at my website: http://www.camilleaubray.com/recipes-1 .

THE GODMOTHERS IS A “BEST BOOK” ACCORDING TO PEOPLE, BUZZFEED, PARADE, NEWSWEEK, VERANDA, AND PUBLISHERS MARKETPLACE'S "BUZZ BOOKS" 


"We love Camille Aubray’s THE GODMOTHERS." — PARADE

“Deeply complex and beautifully written women . . . a story perfect for devouring.” — NEWSWEEK

“A fascinating, fast-paced trip!" — PEOPLE Picks the Best New Books

“An addictive and tense multigenerational feminist romp.” — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“This is historical fiction at its best.”— BOOKLIST

“I couldn’t put this down! I can’t remember reading such a juicy page-turner.” — MELANIE BENJAMIN, New York Times bestselling author

“A fast-paced, drama-filled portrait of a family dynasty." — KIRKUS REVIEWS

“Thrilling! Readers will enjoy immersing themselves in family drama and watching women’s friendships grow.” —LIBRARY JOURNAL

“Aubray shines in her ability to bring each woman alive with distinct personalities, and to weave individual stories and different plots into one collective story. . . Enjoy immersing yourself into this family's story." —HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW