Cobblestones, Conversations, and Corks
A Son's Discovery of His Italian Heritage
Published on 16. August 2022
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-1-63576-817-6 (ISBN)
Description
Giovanni Ruscitti's memoir about his father and his hometown in Central Italy, the author's parents' struggles as children during WWII in Italy, their relationship, and their eventual "American Dream" immigration to the US. It is an inspiring love story about people, a town, and a culture, told through a trip the author took with them to their hometown in 2013 that brought his father's stories and life-long wisdom to life for the family.
Giovanni Ruscitti has written a wonderful book of special relevance for all North and South Americans whose ancestors have migrated from Asia, Europe, and Africa. His journey to the land of his forefathers is so meaningful not only because of the discovery of what connects us 'Americanos' to the rest of the world but also the journey within. A trip in which we all feel recognized. Bravo maestro!
-Hernando de Soto, finalist for Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, and author of Mystery of Capital
Cobblestones, Conversations, and Corks is a passionate and deeply moving story about a father-son relationship; a culture rooted in family, food and wine; and an ancestral small town in Central Italy that was left behind after World War II.
On November 11, 1943, the Nazis invaded Cansano, forcing its two thousand inhabitants to make a tough decision-fight and be killed or sent to a POW camp, stay behind as servants to the Nazis, or move into the unforgiving mountains of Abruzzo while the Nazis used their village as a home base. Giovanni Ruscitti's family chose the latter and spent the next few months living in horrendous winter conditions in the rugged mountains. When the war ended, they returned to a village so ravaged by the Nazis that, today, the town has less than two hundred citizens and remains in a dilapidated state.
In this memoir, Ruscitti visits Cansano for the first time with his family, including parents Emiliano and Maria. As he walks Cansano's cobblestones, his father's stories and life are illuminated by the town piazza, the steep valley, and the surrounding mountains. He relives the tales of his parents' struggles during World War II, their extreme post-war misery and poverty, their budding romance after, and their decision to immigrate to the US in search of the American Dream.
Ruscitti's adventure is not just an exploration of his homeland but reveals what family, culture, wisdom, and love really means. And what our heritage really tells us about who we are.
Giovanni Ruscitti has written a wonderful book of special relevance for all North and South Americans whose ancestors have migrated from Asia, Europe, and Africa. His journey to the land of his forefathers is so meaningful not only because of the discovery of what connects us 'Americanos' to the rest of the world but also the journey within. A trip in which we all feel recognized. Bravo maestro!
-Hernando de Soto, finalist for Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, and author of Mystery of Capital
Cobblestones, Conversations, and Corks is a passionate and deeply moving story about a father-son relationship; a culture rooted in family, food and wine; and an ancestral small town in Central Italy that was left behind after World War II.
On November 11, 1943, the Nazis invaded Cansano, forcing its two thousand inhabitants to make a tough decision-fight and be killed or sent to a POW camp, stay behind as servants to the Nazis, or move into the unforgiving mountains of Abruzzo while the Nazis used their village as a home base. Giovanni Ruscitti's family chose the latter and spent the next few months living in horrendous winter conditions in the rugged mountains. When the war ended, they returned to a village so ravaged by the Nazis that, today, the town has less than two hundred citizens and remains in a dilapidated state.
In this memoir, Ruscitti visits Cansano for the first time with his family, including parents Emiliano and Maria. As he walks Cansano's cobblestones, his father's stories and life are illuminated by the town piazza, the steep valley, and the surrounding mountains. He relives the tales of his parents' struggles during World War II, their extreme post-war misery and poverty, their budding romance after, and their decision to immigrate to the US in search of the American Dream.
Ruscitti's adventure is not just an exploration of his homeland but reveals what family, culture, wisdom, and love really means. And what our heritage really tells us about who we are.
Reviews / Votes
Moving memoir...The author lucidly combines the personal and the political...A thoughtful consideration of the meaning of a person's sense of self and the nuanced ways in which it is constituted by elements that preceded the individual and elude full comprehension. As a result, the author's recollection transcends the particulars of his own life and should resonate with readers similarly gripped by the struggle to understand their origins. A captivating, candid, and insightful account about a man's Italian heritage.-Kirkus Reviews
A deftly scripted, inherently engaging, and ultimately inspiring account of the impact of war upon a community and a family...A story of survival and immigration-especially timely in today's denigration of the value and causes of immigrants to America by families seeking asylum from the horrors and aftermath of war, and for a better life for themselves and their children...A compelling read from cover to cover.
-Midwest Book Review
At the end of the day, Ruscitti proves that not only can you go home again, you can also go home for the first time. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
-Manhattan Book Review
Giovanni Ruscitti's father Emilio urged his son to 'tell our story.' This remarkable memoir fulfills not only that promise but describes the hopes and dreams of immigrants who brought to this country their traditions, their love of family, and a unity that survived the melting pot of the American experience. This first-generation Italian-American author has created a beautiful, intimate, and touching portrait of not only a father's love but a family's commitment to each other and what we all hope to know-where we came from and who we are. It is a story that preaches the art of living life in full, with joy and compassion.
-Dan Luzadder, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author and journalist
This touching and inspirational book is a must-read for all walks of life. The United States was built from immigrant families with these shared experiences.
-Bobby Stuckey, James Beard Award winner, and author of Friuli Food and Wine: Frasca Cooking from Northern Italy's Mountains, Vineyards, and Seaside
Giovanni Ruscitti has written a wonderful book of special relevance for all North and South Americans whose ancestors have migrated from Asia, Europe, and Africa. His journey to the land of his forefathers is so meaningful not only because of the discovery of what connects us 'Americanos' to the rest of the world but also the journey within. A trip in which we all feel recognized. Bravo maestro!
-Hernando de Soto, finalist for Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, and author of Mystery of Capital
After reading Cobblestones, Conversations, and Corks, I was filled with immense pride. Giovanni Ruscitti's book is an eloquent and poetic tribute to his father and his family. It's a work of art that made me laugh and cry.
-Vic Lombardi, thirty-three-time Emmy-winning sportscaster
I'm in the middle of the NFL playoffs and couldn't put the book down. I had to finish it. Readers will love Ruscitti's book!
-Mike Shanahan, two-time Super Bowl champion head coach
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Diversion Books
Product notice
With printed dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Weight
411 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-63576-817-6 (9781635768176)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Giovanni Ruscitti, Esq. is a first generation Italian-American who grew up in Frederick, Colorado, a small coal mining town that his parents immigrated to in the 1950s. A nationally recognized attorney, arbitrator and mediator, Giovanni is the Managing Partner of national law firm Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti, LLP. He holds a degree in Economics and a M.B.A from the University of Colorado, as well as a J.D. from Denver University. Giovanni has served on numerous non-profit boards and is currently the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Boulder Economic Council. Giovanni and his wife of over thirty years, Aggie Blake-Ruscitti, have three adult children, Dante, Donato, and Izabella. Giovanni and Aggie currently live outside Boulder, Colorado, where they enjoy traveling, biking, hiking, yoga and Italian wines.