News & Events

Sons of Italy® Releases Summer 2003 Book Club Selections

Press Contact: Kylie Cafiero, (202) 547-2900 kcafiero@osia.org

NEWS-For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2003 The hardships and triumphs of Sicilian immigrants in Louisiana, the life of a complex baseball legend and memories of growing up Italian American in the 1940s are the subjects of the Sons of Italy® Book Club selections for summer 2003.

• "Bread and Respect: the Italians of Louisiana" by A. V. Margavio & Jerome J. Salomone [$25; hardcover; 320 pages; Pelican Publishing Co. To order: 800/843-1724.] A recounting of true stories that depict the struggles and prejudice an estimated 100,000 Sicilian immigrants encountered in early 20th century Louisiana and their successful fight to overcome these obstacles.

• "DiMaggio: Setting the Record Straight" by Morris Engelberg & Marv Schneider [$24.95; hardcover; 420 pages; MBI Publishing. To order: 800/826-6600.] Drawing on personal recollections, DiMaggio's attorney and close friend Morris Engelberg and sportswriter Marv Schneider explore DiMaggio's strengths and frailties in an intimate and colorful biography.

• "Italian Women in Black Dresses" by Maria Mazziotti Gillan ($13; softcover; 148 pages; Guernica Editions. To order: 416/658-9888.) This poignant collection of prose poems takes readers back to their own childhood, shaped by strong Italian American values and wise immigrant parents, bringing to life the everyday pleasures and heartaches of family life in a long-gone era.

ALSO WORTH READING...

• "Around The Roman Table: Food And Feasting In Ancient Rome" By Patrick Faas ($29.95; hardcover; Palgrave Publishing 212/982-3900.) Explores how food influences the religion, society and passions of the Romans.

• "Ciao America! An Italian Discovers The U.S." By Beppe Severgnini (Paperback $12.95 Broadway Books. In bookstores.) A hilarious account of a modern Italian journalist's experiences in American society.

• "Many Beautiful Things: Stories & Recipes From Polizzi Generosa" By Vincent Schiavelli (Hardcover; $26.00; Simon & Schuster. In bookstores.) An enticing collection of recipes and anecdotes about family, cooking and life in one of Sicily's ancient hilltowns.

• "Smack Dab In The Middle" By Anita Riggio (Hardcover $15.99 G.P. Putnam's Sons. In bookstores.) A charming children's story about Rosie Roselli and her big Italian American family.

The Sons of Italy® National Book Club is dedicated to the works of Italian American writers who focus on Italian American issues, themes and experiences. OSIA chooses three to four fiction and non-fiction books each quarter for a total of 12 to 16 titles a year.

The three book club selections can be bought on the OSIA Web site (click here) or in bookstores nationwide. OSIA encourages its 700+ lodges as well as other Italian American organizations, clubs and individuals to choose one or more of the books each quarter to read and discuss.

OSIA is the largest and longest established national organization for men and women of Italian heritage in the United States. It has more than 600,000 members and supporters and a network of more than 700 chapters coast to coast. OSIA works at the community, national and international levels to promote the heritage and culture of an estimated 26 million Italian Americans, the nation's fifth largest ethnic group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.