Stone Doll

An Immigrant’s Memoir from War-Torn Italy to the American Dream

From a dirt floor in Italy to the halls of American power, this is one woman's incredible journey.

In 1955, five-year-old Toni Boucher and her family left their primitive stone farmhouse in war-torn Italy and boarded a ship for America with nothing in their pockets and no understanding of the English language. But they had hope.

Stone Doll is the stirring memoir of an immigrant girl who turned away hardships, determined not to let challenges place limits on what she could achieve. She arrived in a country that promised everything but guaranteed nothing, and Toni grew up seeing her illiterate parents battle to create a new life when tragedies seemed destined to rip the family apart. Instead, through heartbreak and obstacles, she found her indomitable spirit—first nurtured by her father and brother, and later elevated through her loving partnership with her husband.

From those meager beginnings, Toni found herself to be a leader who exceled in all she took on: entrepreneur, politician, philanthropist. Boucher has run seventeen political campaigns and won fifteen. She reached the highest levels of Connecticut state government. With her husband, she rode the entrepreneur’s roller coaster—complete with devastating failures and formidable achievements, never losing faith in the power of an idea worth fighting for.

Today, Toni is a benefactor of the University of Connecticut and voice for society’s most vulnerable, She shows that the American Dream isn’t just about where you end up—it’s about lifting others as you climb.

This is her American story.

$29.95
ISBN: 979-8-89138-625-9
SKU: 18-1423-01
Categories:New Releases, Inspiration and Personal Success, Political, Politics and Current Affairs

“Toni, sometimes Cinderella stories do come true!”

—Mark Anson, president, CEO, and CIO, Commonfund

“Toni Boucher’s story is a marvelous example of America’s promise at work. Both her accomplishments and contributions to her community are a remarkable example of a life well lived.”

—Carl Anderson, Lafayette University trustee and former chairman, Arrow Medical Devices

“I got to know Toni Boucher, a poor immigrant to our great country, when we served together in the state legislature. Now as a major philanthropist, Toni’s success story is an inspiration to us all.”

—Tom Ritter, attorney, former Connecticut speaker of the house, and University of Connecticut trustee

“I’ve helped build companies that hired hundreds, but Toni Boucher’s journey from a dirt-floor farmhouse to Wall Street boardrooms and political power stopped me cold—this is what real American grit looks like. She doesn’t just tell you how an illiterate immigrant’s daughter became a force of nature; she shows you every brutal failure, every impossible comeback, every moment that would have broken anyone else. If you’ve ever been told you don’t belong, can’t succeed, or should give up, this book is your ammunition—because if Toni Boucher can go from nothing to everything, what’s your excuse?”

—Guy Iannuzzi, founder and former CEO, Mentus; founder and director, Biocom California

Toni Boucher

Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Politician

Toni Boucher has dedicated her life to public service and entrepreneurial innovation. Currently serving as First Selectman (mayor) of Wilton, Connecticut, her remarkable political career includes roles as State Representative Minority Leader, State Senate Chief Deputy Minority Leader, and Connecticut State Board of Education Commissioner. She has won fifteen of seventeen political campaigns, becoming one of Connecticut’s most respected public servants.

In the private sector, Boucher has been a trailblazing business leader, managing billion-dollar budgets for major corporations and recently retiring as director of a $30 billion asset management company. A serial entrepreneur, she has founded multiple start-ups and held Series 7, 63, and 31 investment licenses.

As a philanthropist and education advocate, Boucher is transforming entrepreneurship programs at the University of Connecticut School of Business and serves on numerous nonprofit boards funding groundbreaking research and initiatives. She is the author of The Husky Effect: How UConn Is Creating the Entrepreneurs of the Future and has been inducted into Marquis Who’s Who.

Boucher holds an MBA from the University of Connecticut and has called Wilton home for forty years, where she raised three children and now enjoys six grandchildren. Her life’s work continues to focus on creating opportunities for others to achieve their own American Dream.

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