Three Rivers Home

Description

Three Rivers Home weaves a narrative of heartache and hope, highlighting the sacrifices made for family and the relentless pursuit of a place to belong.

• Based on the author’s grandfather’s childhood,
• A poignant tale of siblings, sacrifices, and true belonging.
• Set in early 20th-century Pittsburgh,
• Follows the journey of Francesco “Frankie” Fortunato, his sister Maria, and brother Joey, as their Italian immigrant parents’ dream collapses under the weight of illness and poverty.

With no one left to care for them, Frankie and Joey are thrust into Allegheny County’s rudimentary foster care system, where dependent children are “farmed out” — rented — to agriculture and industry for $5.60 a week.

Frankie finds unexpected peace and stability with his foster parents, Ethel and Raymond Collins, until a shocking scandal of alleged murder and sexual assault pulls them into a media maelstrom that threatens to destroy his future.

As Frankie nears his sixteenth birthday and the end of county care, he faces a choice: abandon his brother and their pledge to stay together, or plan a bold escape to create the family they’ve always wanted.

Binding Type: Paperback
Author: Lara Brenckle Malmont
Published: 03/18/2026
Publisher: Milford House Press
ISBN: 9798888193785
Pages: 296
Weight: 0.79lbs
Size: 0.74″ H x 9.00″ L x 6.00″ W

About the Author
Malmont, Lara Brenckle: – Lara Brenckle Malmont is a Pittsburgh native specializing in stories about the people and places that call us home. Since age fourteen, she has been consistently published across various media and genres, ranging from poetry and essays to newspaper articles, columns, social media and websites.Lara graduated with honors from Ursuline Academy and earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, magna cum laude, from Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.Following a decade-long career as an award-winning Pennsylvania newspaper reporter, she transitioned to corporate marketing, branding, and communications. Lara is a member of Pennwriters, past president of the Public Relations Society of America Central Pennsylvania Chapter, and proud Jeopardy! first runner-up. She lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Jason, daughter, Jillian and their three cats. Three Rivers Home is her first novel.