Product Description

"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 United States. 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".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #549100 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 377 pages

Review
"A most intriguing and compelling read." -- Joseph D. Sabella, MD

"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"

"Twenty Two unforgettable personalities interplay in this picaresque page turner. Each one will fascinate you uniquely." -- Anthony Kilgallin, author of "Napa Valley Picture Perfect"

About the Author
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 is married and has four children.

Despite the shame and disgrace brought upon his family by his great aunt's improprieties and his 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 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.

For as long as they can remember, the author and his older brother felt the compulsion to reduce to writing the stories they heard and reheard over the years. Encouraged by his brother 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 Italy. At times you will have to remind yourself that these are true stories with real people.

Customer Reviews

A deftly written tale of enduring humanity, pride, & culture
Drawn from a true succession of personal family incidents, Calabrian Tales: A Memoir Of 19th Century Southern Italy by Peter Chiarella is a compelling saga about a family who lived in one of Italy's poorest regions more than a hundred years ago. Here are memorably crafted stories of inexplicable injustice, poverty, avarice, indomitable pride, and survival. Marianna (who is the author's great aunt) is a woman who mortifies her family by becoming the mistress of a wealthy noble. The resulting familial clashes, the trials of emigration, and the struggle to make a new life in America enhance this engaging and deftly written tale of enduring humanity, pride, and culture.

Absolutely the best book I've read this year!
While reading this book I felt as though I was allowed to observe and be included in the life of the Chiarella family. This deeply moving tale of a courageous family will live in my heart forever. The joy, the struggles, the sadness and the hope that the author so eloquently writes about in his book is truly an amazing literary work of art. To the Chiarella family, thank you for such a wonderful book. May God Bless you always.

Calabrian Tales
This story is more than a tale of a Calabrian family's fortunes and misfortunes, it is an accurate look at a culture during a period of hardship that would eventually lead to great change. The author adds depth to the characters through more than just words, he gives them life through their thoughts and actions. An excellent book for those interested in a true picture of the times and events that shaped the people of southern Italy.