Jo, an Italian-American woman, was haunted by the last
photograph of her grandfather, taken just two weeks before he
died. There they were seated, her two brothers and one sister, in
the arms of the legendary family figure. On a cushion of pride.
Wrapped in his strong and tender hands. It was Jo's birth after his
death that led her to his homeland, her nonno's homeland, to learn
his language, breathe his air, walk his streets, and meet the family
that remained and grew after his one-way trip to Ellis Island
stripped him from them forever. Once in Italy, the spiritual journey
Jo had anticipated was enhanced by a country that romped inside
and outside the guidebook descriptions of the land. Italy's boot
kicked hard with humor, fear, loneliness, and love, and ultimately
forced her beyond the lines of her well-ordered life, far away from
the majority privileges she embraced back home, far away from the
freedoms she had unknowingly inherited.
"A wonderful read about the importance of family and discovering oneself while in
Italy. Ms. Cummings is a beautifully descriptive writer with the ability to make one
laugh and cry on the same page. Italy came alive to me in these pages and I felt as if I
were a partner on this beautiful journey to find self, family, and emotional growth.
Poignant, meaningful writing at its best!"
"A book that made me laugh, cry, laugh-cry (which means I was actually laughing
and crying at the same time), and just think about the world and my position in it.
STRADDLING THE BORDERS was a feast of my favorite subjects: food, human
relationships, cultural understanding, travel, art, and again, FOOD! Jo's experience
helped me not only to appreciate but to embrace the similarities as well as the
differences across cultures and between the sexes. I saved the last chapter for a
Saturday morning. It was like the last square of a Hershey bar. I just let it sit there on
my tongue, savouring it and wishing for more."
photograph of her grandfather, taken just two weeks before he
died. There they were seated, her two brothers and one sister, in
the arms of the legendary family figure. On a cushion of pride.
Wrapped in his strong and tender hands. It was Jo's birth after his
death that led her to his homeland, her nonno's homeland, to learn
his language, breathe his air, walk his streets, and meet the family
that remained and grew after his one-way trip to Ellis Island
stripped him from them forever. Once in Italy, the spiritual journey
Jo had anticipated was enhanced by a country that romped inside
and outside the guidebook descriptions of the land. Italy's boot
kicked hard with humor, fear, loneliness, and love, and ultimately
forced her beyond the lines of her well-ordered life, far away from
the majority privileges she embraced back home, far away from the
freedoms she had unknowingly inherited.
"A wonderful read about the importance of family and discovering oneself while in
Italy. Ms. Cummings is a beautifully descriptive writer with the ability to make one
laugh and cry on the same page. Italy came alive to me in these pages and I felt as if I
were a partner on this beautiful journey to find self, family, and emotional growth.
Poignant, meaningful writing at its best!"
"A book that made me laugh, cry, laugh-cry (which means I was actually laughing
and crying at the same time), and just think about the world and my position in it.
STRADDLING THE BORDERS was a feast of my favorite subjects: food, human
relationships, cultural understanding, travel, art, and again, FOOD! Jo's experience
helped me not only to appreciate but to embrace the similarities as well as the
differences across cultures and between the sexes. I saved the last chapter for a
Saturday morning. It was like the last square of a Hershey bar. I just let it sit there on
my tongue, savouring it and wishing for more."
| STRADDLING THE BORDERS: THE YEAR I GREW UP IN ITALY |
| BOOKS |
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