L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano A ccording to various sources, it is esti- mated that approxi- mately 700.000 to one million books are published in the US each year. That is a staggering number! And sometimes, a few of these thou- sands turn out to be particular gems. One of those is author Mary Tolaro-Noyes' book, Sicily: A Heart's Journey. L'Italo-Amer- icano was fortunate to speak with Mary about her journey as an au- thor and an Italian. Were you raised in the quin- tessential Italian family? Absolutely! I believe I was raised in a quintessential Italian family. I would probably describe CATHERINE ACCARDI with him, wherever he goes." With that, Maria Calogera turned away, and left her family's home in Pietraperzia, Sicily, forever. That was in November 1913. As her American granddaughter growing up in a small Vermont town with my Sicilian-American family close by, I heard their love story often: she would hold me on her lap and recount the fairy- tale about her Prince Charming, my grandfather Filippo Tolaro, their courtship, marriage, and life in America." The title of your book and the cover image appear so fit- ting. Were they an immediate obvious choice? The title has always been, Sicily: A Heart's Journey, even when I would send my father the early collection of stories. How- ever, the cover has changed. Ini- tially I believed we would use the photo I took in June 1989 when I first saw the island of Sicily from the ferry, as we crossed the Strait of Messina. In the meantime, I had come into possession of the actual photo used on the cover, a much more iconic representation of Sicily and my family. Many of us who have read the book are inspired to find our own heart's journey. How does it feel to have touched peo- ple so deeply and so univer- sally? To be honest, I have been sur- prised by the readers' reactions and enthusiasm. I really did not have a book in mind at the be- ginning. I just wrote stories for my father and myself—and for anyone else in the family that might be interested. As I have experienced the book events for the Italian version, primarily in Italy, I discovered that, in fact, the immigrant story is a universal one, which involves not only the lives of those who have left, but also the lives of those who have been left behind. What does your family think of your book?   The Sicilian family in general is very pleased and proud. The American family is a mix of very enthusiastic and not particularly interested. Curiously, it's the younger generation that seems more delighted. Many have not only contacted me as they read it, but also thanked me for writing it. Luckily I have not offended anyone on either continent though! Recently, Mary and I "had a conversation," in front of an au- dience, as part of her book launch. The event was held at the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club. It was, in itself, a heart's journey about a universal story that can resonate with immigrant families worldwide. If you would like to learn more about Mary and her books, visit her website at http:// www.marytolaronoyes.com. my Italianness differently now that I have spent 30 years going back and forth to Italy and Sicily in particular. I have learned that being Italian-American and being Italian have similarities, but are not the exactly the same to me. To describe my Italianness in a few words, I would say that the significance of Family and the sharing of Traditions and Cele- brations, especially with regard to food and holidays, probably define best the core of it. What brought you to write Sicily: A Heart's Jour- ney? I have always been a writer, although not necessarily a pro- fessional one. My profession was "teacher of literature and writing, history, and art." I wrote my first poem in fourth grade about the mountains of Vermont and have kept diaries and journals my whole life. I have been a technical writer; written about the ballet and the arts; worked with chil- dren and their writing in the pub- lic schools; and taught writing in the Department of Rhetoric at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Sicily: A Heart's Journey had to be written I guess—it became my passion—and was actually begun 30 years ago when I met the family the first time. I had written about my grandmother before, but just to celebrate her on family occasions. Later the book never felt quite finished with just the stories of finding the family. I really thought it would be my first book—and perhaps the last! Then I got truly inspired by Italy in general in 1989, and pas- sionate about writing and travel and "life as a journey." I had usu- ally written because "I had to write" for myself, not because I felt the need to share it with the public. I did write many of the stories shortly after the experiences and shared them with my father. The book was going to be a gift for him. However, I waited too long—he passed away in 2013 before I had finished it. Luckily, I had always shared the stories with him so he did relive the joy he had felt when he was finally able to meet our Sicilian family. Share with us one of your fa- vorite passages. Prologue: P. 19 - One might say that my grandfather stole my grandmother from her family! "I'm sorry, Papà, but Filippo is my husband now, and I will go Dad holding soil from the land his father purchased in 1913. Photo courtesy of Mary Tolaro-Noyes Vincenzo di Cataldo sheparding goats as a boy, c. 1950. Photo courtesy of Mary Tolaro-Noyes Catherine Accardi, San Francisco Supervisor, Aaron Peskin, Mary Tolaro-Noyes & Tom Noyes (Photo by Dennis Hearne) Sicily: A Heart's Journey, a conversation with Mary Tolaro-Noyes SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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