Overview

"Calabrian Tales is a unique story of inexplicable injustice and poverty, avarice and survival based on true family incidents that were revealed to the author in his youth. The book's chief character is the author's great aunt, Marianna, who became the mistress of a wealthy noble. The lifestyle she adopted repeatedly shamed her relatives until living in Italy became unbearable for them. Eventually, the author's father, Raffaele, fled his beloved Italy in the face of constant shame, and settled in the U.S. His son, author Peter Chiarella, grew up in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. There he heard the stories about life in Calabria from his grandmother, a principal character in the book. After her death, the stories kept coming, both from his father, also a character in Calabrian Tales, and from his mother, who had listened in on Nonna's recollections over a period of fifteen years. The stories of people who lived in what may have been Italy's poorest region, blend with the historical struggles of the times in a combination reminiscent of certain aspects of The Godfather and the ignoble humanity of Angela's Ashes. ""Twenty-two unforgettable personalities interplay in this picaresque page turner. Each one will fascinate you uniquely."" -- Anthony Kilgallin, author of Napa Valley Picture Perfect ""Calabrian Tales evokes the memory of stories I heard growing up among elder Italian immigrants."" -- James L. D'Adamo, author of The D'Adamo Diet ""A most intriguing and compelling read."" -- Joseph D. Sabella, MD"

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9781587900303

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Reviews

Twenty-two unforgettable personalities interplay in this picaresque page turner. Each one will fascinate you uniquely. -- Anthony Kilgallin, author of Napa Valley Picture Perfect Calabrian Tales evokes the memory of stories I heard growing up among elder Italian immigrants. -- James L. D'Adamo, author of The D'Adamo Diet A most intriguing and compelling read. -- Joseph D. Sabella, MD

Author Information

Peter Chiarella started life in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn in 1932. He was educated in the public school system and at St. John's University. Retired from the corporate world, Peter lives in Napa, California and enjoys the life of a gentleman farmer as a wine grape grower and vintner. He was widowed and remarried and has four children. Despite the shame and disgrace brought upon his family by his great aunt's improprieties and his innocent grandfather's two prison sentences, his grandmother's steadfast choices and enormous integrity placed a stamp of honor on the family that has been passed on to subsequent generations. It has allowed them to succeed as Americans and has endowed them with the courage to reveal the past.The author's father grew up in Calabria, immigrating to the U.S. in 1920 at age 22. His mother was brought to the United States as a toddler and grew up on the lower East Side of New York. Because his paternal grandmother lived with his immediate family, Peter needed to speak Italian to include Nonna in his conversations. Consequently, Peter grew up speaking and understanding Italian while internalizing what it means to be Italian. In his first years of life, he heard stories about life in Calabria directly from his grandmother, a principal character in the book. After her death, the stories kept coming, both from his father, also a character in Calabrian Tales, and from his mother, who had listened in on her mother-in-law's recollections for more than fifteen years. For as long as they can remember, the author and his two brothers felt the compulsion to reduce to writing, the stories they heard and reheard over the years. Encouraged by his brothers and other members of the family, Peter took on the task of writing Calabrian Tales, reflecting on the struggle and compromises that past generations of his family endured in turn-of-the-century southern Italy. At times you will have to remind yourself that these are true stories with real people.

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