Between 1880 and 1920, more than four million Italians came to the United States, most taking their first steps on American soil at Ellis Island.

Many made their homes in New York City and the surrounding region, where they built communities, raised families, and left an enduring mark on the places they came to call home. For my grandparents, Vincenzo LaGuardia and Carmela Perciante, their American chapter took root in Pittsburgh, where they worked hard and sacrificed to build a better life for their children and grandchildren.

More than a century later, I’ll return to New York City with the story of that journey in It Takes a Lifetime to Learn How to Live: An Italian American Story of Coming Home. It is one family’s story, but within it are experiences shared by many Italian immigrant families: struggle and sacrifice, joy and sorrow, love of family, and hope for the generations who would follow.

The evening is being sponsored by Bordighera Press, the publisher of my memoir, and I’d be delighted to see friends, readers, and fellow Italian Americans there.

Excerpt from the Calandra Italian American Institute’s Writers Read Series: 

Libby Cataldi’s intimate, multigenerational memoir is immersed in the transnational journey between Rotondella (Matera province, Basilicata) and Pittsburgh.

Cataldi recounts her maternal grandmother Carmela’s immigration in 1915, her mother Laura’s determination to become “American,” and her own travel to their ancestral Southern Italian town. There she finds welcoming relatives but also discovers lingering shadows of the malocchio, omertà, stifling religious attitudes, and devastating poverty. Further searching uncovers family secrets that challenge her understanding of the past.

Ultimately, Cataldi’s journey helps her to better understand the women in her family and to make peace with herself and her place among them.

Discussion led by Helene Stapinski, author of Murder in Matera

A reminder to my Pittsburgh friends: If you’re planning to join me at the Heinz History Center on September 9, please remember to register. The event is free, but advance registration is required. I hope to see you there!