Valley resident revives tragic story in book

Valley resident revives tragic story in book

CORTLAND

Joseph Pasquarella of Cortland, a lifelong Valley resident, has published his first book, “Elegy of the Song Sparrow,” along with co-author Alex Riscuta.

The story is about two teen boys who stumble upon the headstones of a mother, 48, and her son, 17, who died a week apart back in 1941.

Years later, the curious friends look up the obituaries and discover a family tragedy. The book is based on a true story of a Mineral Ridge family and the friends’ research into the deaths, which included finding the late 17-year-old’s friend, who is now 90, and getting the rest of the story.

The book’s setting is all local, but the name of the tragic family has been changed for privacy purposes.

The book is available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.