BOOK REVIEWS
WINTER 2022
A TUSCAN TREASURY: Stories from Italy’s Most Captivating Region By Paul Salsini
Set in (no-surprise) Tuscany, A Tuscan Treasury is a captivating collection of short stories that span World War I to present day. Through the stories, author Paul Salsini deftly uses fiction as a tool to recreate the past, and in the variety of stories he shares, there is something for every reader. The opening story, Also Under the Tuscan Sun, sets an entertaining tone for what readers can expect. The plot focuses on four old men in the lesser-known town of Cortana, which would come to prominence through Frances Hayes’s novel, Under the Tuscan Sun. This story serves as an example of how Salsini takes a slice of true events and builds fictitious ones around them in an enjoyable and enriching manner.
DID YOU KNOW? In the 14th century, flag throwers, known as flag wavers, were used as signalers to communicate between military regiments on the battlefield to coordinate movements and attacks. Salsini’s stories range from a modern-day take on Romeo & Juliet coming from rival contrade of Siena, the plight of Albanian immigrants who find their way to Florence by way of Bari, the role of women partisans—known as staffette—during World War II, and the tradition of flag-throwing and how it persists in Pienza today. One story, set during World War I, is told solely through letters sent between Florence and the Italian front as it pushes into Trieste. With well-crafted characterization and fairness to every character, Salsini develops unique individuals, each set in unique times and circumstances, that all have various motives and perspectives. This combination makes every story a fresh new tale and makes it difficult for readers to have a favorite. In the end, the collection’s title accurately reflects what it really is—a treasure of Tuscan stories. WINTER 2022
20
ITALIANS SWINDLED TO NEW YORK: False Promises at the Dawn of Immigration By Joe Tucciarone and Ben Lariccia
Italians Swindled to New York is an eye-opening, highly edifying read that focuses on the origin of Italian immigration to the United States. The thorough research by authors Joe Tucciarone and Ben Lariccia reveals very sad and stark circumstances that will enlighten even the most educated of readers. The book traces the onset of The Great Migration, which arose after Italy’s unification in 1861 and the hardships it brought, particularly on peasants in southern Italy. With the destitution that southern Italians faced, outsiders devised a way to exploit them by misrepresenting the opportunity that existed in the United States. The scheme, which developed as early as 1870, was not solely the work of outside opportunists. It also implicated Italy’s own government. Charging double the steamship ticket price, swindlers sent peasants to America with the promise of jobs that didn’t exist while pocketing the fee. Many cheated immigrants ended up not just in the United States, but also in Argentina, Venezuela, and Peru. Immigrants who could not afford the ticket prices were forced into indentured servitude to pay back the ticket. Even more unsettling than that were the children sold into veritable slavery, being shipped off to beg and play music on the streets of New York.
DID YOU KNOW? The first documented lynching of an Italian in the United States was in Coalburg, Ohio—near Youngstown—on July 27, 1873. The victim was a replacement worker for striking coal workers. This ugly truth behind the origin of Italian immigration—which not only lined the pockets of swindlers but was also used to undercut American workers—is that they were the victims of human trafficking, a consequence of the impoverished conditions of their homeland. In this, Italians Swindled to New York proffers the heartbreaking reality that many emigrants do not want to leave their homeland unless they have no alternative. ITALIAN AMERICA
