What does it really mean to be Italian American?
“Anthony Fasano is living the dream! He returned to bella Italia and unearthed his glorious roots in four ancestral villages. His journey will inspire and delight you. Every Italian American and every American of immigrant descent (is that all of us?) will find much to savor here. Bravo Antonio!”
Adriana Trigiani
Bestselling author of The Shoemaker’s Wife
“My own dream of Italy was fulfilled when I visited my ancestral hometown in southern Italy in the summer of 1995 by just showing up with some names of ancestors and a few pages copied out of a local phone book which I found at the Italian Tourism Board in New York City. I wish there had been something like Anthony’s book to guide me at the time. This is both a practical guide and a love letter to Italy and Italian-American culture. It makes the process less daunting. If you are even thinking about finding your Italian roots, get Anthony’s book and make the trip — your life will be changed forever!”
Kathy McCabe
Host, Dream of Italy on PBS
After 35 years of saying this, and with the birth of my third child and the aging of my grandparents, I decided that this vague response wasn’t good enough anymore. I decided I was going to learn everything I could about my Italian family roots.
Fast-forward three years, and not only did I learn about my family, but I found living relatives in Italy, learned Italian, and spent 40 days in Italy with these newfound relatives, and I wrote this book to help you do the same…[/text_block]
- Hold conversations with elder relatives to unlock your family history.
- Perform genealogical research and build a family tree complete with images and documentation.
- Find and connect with living relatives in Italy, or at the least learn about your Italian relatives.
- Learn how to speak conversational Italian.
- Plan and take a life changing trip to Italy to visit your Italian relatives and/or visit the villages from where your family emigrated.
Check out what industry experts are saying about this book….
“In his eminently practical and deeply passionate guide to visiting Italy and discovering his extended family, The Italian-American Podcast co-host Anthony Fasano details step-by-step how to research and retrace your ancestral roots. The fruits of his efforts affirm that we never truly leave the past behind, but rather our past shapes and informs the person we become.”
Maria Laurino
Author of The Italian Americans: A History
“Anthony is one of those rare people who lets passion and curiosity spur him forward. As he began to learn more about his Italian-American heritage, it was inevitable the path would lead back to where it all began, and he would let none of the easy excuses – lack of time, money, language skills – stop him. Through fortitude and a deep, genuine desire to reconnect with his Italian roots, Anthony did what most people only dream of: found his Italian relatives and traveled to Italy to meet them! In doing so, he’s reunited the American and Italian sides of his family for future generations as no one before him was able to. And now he’s giving you a guide to do the same for you and your family. “
Dolores Alfieri
Co-Host of The Italian American Podcast
With this book, you don’t have to be an expert….
The first part of this book provides step-by-step guidelines for researching your family roots, learning Italian, and planning a voyage of discovery trip to Italy.
The second part of the book takes you on my 40-day Italy trip so you can feel the emotional roller coaster that is connecting with your Italian relatives or simply visiting your ancestral villages. Now, every Italian American can experience the feeling of reconnecting with la famiglia.[/text_block]
- Ask the right questions of your elder relatives to gain the information that you need to trace your family history and write your story.
- Use online genealogy tools to build an amazing family tree rich with records, photos, and documentations.
- Learn conversational Italian that will help you along your journey and allow you to maximize any time you spend in Italy.
- Plan a cost-effective trip to Italy during which you can visit your living relatives or your ancestors’ birth places.