by
Barbara Marolla Roberts
Featuring a book presentation and signing
About the book:
The Vineyard on Mulberry Street is a saga of the Ghirardi family that spans over forty years and four generations. The patriarch, Francesco, leaves his roots in the small town of Armento, in Potenza, Italy, in 1890 as a child, and emigrates to Mulberry Street in New York's Lower East Side. When he's a young man he marries Angela, and they have four children; the eldest, Catherine, develops into the beauty of the family, an Italian American Scarlett O'Hara.
We are given a bird's eye view into the lives of the Ghirardi family members from the Sunday feasts, filled with tarantellas and singing of, “O Sole Mio” to the challenges faced by the family during World War II, where there are rations and food stamps, and almost every family has someone in the Armed Forces, including the Ghirardi's own son, the family's “golden boy”. The family's struggles are further complicated as Catherine falls in love with a married man and proceeds to lead a “secret life” despite strong objections.
Please join us as Barbara Marolla Roberts presents her novel about the evolution of an Italian American family in New York, from its immigrant roots through World War II, and on through the 1960's and 70's. This is as much a story about the changing times, for women and for this country, as it is a portrait of secrecy, loyalty and the special bond between a mother and a daughter.
About the author:
Barbara Marolla Roberts was born in New York City and is a graduate of Skidmore College where she majored in art. She taught elementary school and was an executive recruiter before working for Pace University in Westchester, New York, first as the Assistant Director of Graduate Admission and currently as the Graduate Program Coordinator of the Master’s in Counseling Program.
Thursday, August 25, 2011 – 6:30pm
Italian American Museum
155 Mulberry Street
New York, NY 10013
Suggested donation of $10 per person
** Seating is Limited **
PLEASE RESERVE EARLY
To reserve a place for this event please call the
Italian American Museum at (212) 965-9000
or
email: ItalianAmericanMuseum@gmail.com
