Katia, a stubborn and judgemental, albeit protective and loving, Italian Nonna, is displayed as a strong woman who acts as the matriarch of the Alibrandi family. The subplot of the text reveals the traumatic past she had with Marcus Stanford. Katia endures the adversity of being a proxy bride and a ‘farm animal’ to a heartless and brutal husband who did not respect or love her, often leaving her alone for excessive amounts of time. Through these extensive periods she matured into a self-sufficient and independent young woman, but also felt compelled to commit adultery, to escape the loneliness. The birth of her illegitimate daughter Christina, a result of the affair, proved an issue for Katia because her husband immediately knew that it wasn't
