The Innocent Adventuress

"The Innocent Adventuress" by Mary Hastings Bradley is a captivating tale about a young Italian woman, Maria Angelina Santonini, who journeys to America in the early 1900s with dreams of easing her family's financial troubles and finding love, but mostly adventure. Overwhelmed by her family's monetary concerns, Maria is sent to the United States to stay with affluent relatives, with the hope that she will secure a brighter future. Leaving her familiar surroundings, she is both thrilled and nervous to begin her adventure, as Maria faces new possibilities. The book begins with Maria secretly listening to her family speaking about how they will pay for her sister's marriage, revealing she is their best hope for a better life in a new world.