Customer Reviews

Calabrian Tales

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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.

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.

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.

As a history buff, this has been a delightful insight into the
background and family history of a great wine producing family,
now of the famous Napa Valley of California

You really feel what it's like to know you will starve once the food you are growing runs out. That overwhelming insecurity was the life of many of our parents and grandparents. The story is fascinating and truly holds your attention. It illuminates our emotional inheritance while it entertains. I want to give this book to all the people who go on about how hard life is these days.

Every Italian American should read this book to understand why our forfathers and mothers came here!

This is a heart-rending story of triumph over tragedy. The characters come alive and invite the reader to see how determination of the human spirit lives on through their valiant lives. Ths story unfolds with a trip through this part of Italy and its history.

On a personal note, I purchased this book to find out more about my Calabrian roots. In short, I was not disappointed.
Peter Chiarella weaves a tale outlining the history of his family in early stages of Italian nationhood. His account is a perfect balance of narrative and history. We learn the background and conditions of early Italian feudalism, and of the corruption and hardships associated with it. The inhabitants of his native town try to get ahead in life -- some by deceit, some by perseverance. The result, in the end, is the same -- sorrow, suffering and tragedy. The hopes of a new life abroad prove little promise after the realities of racism and hardship set in. Those that remain in the new world feel cut off from their roots at home. Some succeed, some return home, most do a bit better than those that remained in Calabria.
I am sure that the stories that Peter Chiarella outlines in his account have been mirrored in the experiences of many cultures that have suffered under corruption only to persist in life and hope for a more promising future.

My wife is of Calabrian descent -- via both grandparents -- and I bought the book for her. She is delighted with the gift, and reads for a while in bed at night before retiring. She is engrossed in stories of where and how her ancestors managed to stay alive with so little.

What an incredible story! Any Hollywood producers out there? I think this book could be a blockbuster film. The descriptions of the characters of Angelo and Marianna are so perfectly written that I could envision many of Hollywood's mega-stars in these roles. Kudos to the author!!!