Not for Nothing: Glimpses Into a Jersey Girlhood

"'Not for Nothing' transported me. Curto's gritty specificity with coming-of-age memories is humours, gripping, and thought-provoking. 'Not for Nothing' takes on the beauty, pain, tenderness, cruelty, passion, and love that often coexist in a jumble of childhood and family."
--Ann Imig

"Take the next exit, Rhonda James. Go find yourself another gig, Snooki. There's a new author, the genuine article, motoring up and down the Jersey Turnpike in this stunning memoir: poignant, gritty, charming, heartbreaking glimpses into growing up in the real Garden State, not some made-for-TV version of it. Kathy Curto is one smart cookie. She is also a flawless writer. And oh that voice, that drop-dead mesmerizing voice."
--Steven Lewis

"In this tense and tender memoir, Curto dishes up her family's crazy, moody love like rich, red Italian gravy. Sometimes platters of it smash against the wall; sometimes warms bowls are savored on a lap. Too often, the plate is empty--with devastating consequences. But the reader feasts. Curto has a sharp eye for the telling detail, a sharp ear for the telling phrase, and a fresh and loving voice for the telling of it all. Mangia Bene!"
--Irene O'Garden