In 1910 Sabé Parella makes the journey from northern Italy to southern Colorado to join her husband who went ahead to work in the mines. But when she arrives along the banks of the Purgatoire River, he is nowhere to be found. As discrimination, extortion, and Prohibition close in on her family, the men succumb to drinking, crime, and mental illness, while the women find strength in themselves, and in each other, to survive.

Based on Prato's immigrant ancestors, Purgatoire is a novel-in-stories spanning several decades that traces how the shame and secrecy of one man's abandonment haunts a family for generations. Prato weaves a hopeful tale of sisterhood and the complex relationships between parents and children, expectations, reality and our true desires.

Liz Prato's previous books include Kids in America: A Gen X Reckoning, Volcanoes, Palm Trees, and Privilege: Essays on Hawai'i, a New York Times Top Summer Read and a finalist for the Oregon Book Award, and Baby's on Fire: Stories. She is a freelance developmental editor and teacher. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Liz now resides in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, a bookseller and author, and their furry feline friends. She lives for independent bookstores, literary community, and palm trees.