Dances with Luigi Book

Who was the gentle man whose dying thoughts after a factory accident were not of his mutilated body but of his responsibility to his family? And why would a man who was a hero to his home village in Italy suddenly break all ties and never speak of his homeland again? In this spirited memoir, veteran TV journalist Paul Paolicelli does what all of us can only dream of---he picks up and moves to a foreign country in an attempt to piece together the mysteries surrounding both his grandfathers. With the help of Luigi, his guide and companion, he travels throughout Italy---Rome, Gamberale, Matera, Miglionico, Alessandria, even Mussolini's hometown of Predappio---and discovers the tragic legacy of the Second World War that is still affecting the Old Country. He visits ancient castles and village churches, samples superb Italian cuisine, haggles at the open-air market at Rome's Porta Portese, enjoys an Alessandria siesta, and frequents "coffee bars" where beggars discuss politics with affluent Italians. He finds long-lost cousins during the day and performs with an amateur jazz group during the night. Along the way he discovers deeply moving stories about his family's past and learns answers to questions that have plagued him since childhood. This is a story about Italian grandfathers, but in a larger sense it is also a story about all grandfathers---all the risk-takers and immigrants from any generation---who were willing to sacrifice personal comfort in order to provide a better and more secure life for their families. It is a story about honoring our linkage to the past through the memories of the present. More than just a spiritual account of one man's ancestral search, Dances with Luigi is also a stunning portrait of la Bella Italia---both old and new----that is painted beautifully in all of its glamour, history, and contradiction.Read More