Anna Monardo Libros

This culturally rich first novel by Anna Monardo tells the story of seventeen-year-old Giulia Di Cuore, a first-generation Italian-American growing up in the 1960s. The young protagonist struggles with the old-world values of her father, who insists that she travel to Italy to visit her extended family. To her own surprise, Giula discovers there her place in the world as a daughter, as a woman and as an American."A novel of great beauty and perception."-Pat Conroy"An important novel which examines the metaphor of ocean crossings."-Professor Teresa Picarazzi, University of Arizona

The memoir delves into the complexities of arranged marriages spanning three generations, beginning with a union orchestrated to aid immigration from Southern Italy to Braddock, PA, during and after WWII. It examines how these marriages shape family dynamics and cultural identity, highlighting the enduring effects of tradition and the immigrant experience on personal lives. Through personal narratives, the author reveals the profound and often challenging legacy of these unions within the context of a changing society.