A poignant personal account from a child of Calabrian peasants whose lifelong study of Italy unveils the mysteries of this Bel Paese, "Beautiful Land," where artistic genius and political corruption have gone hand in hand from the time of Michelangelo to The Sopranos. The child of Italian immigrants Luzzi straddles these two perspectives to link his family's dramatic story to Italy's North-South divide, its quest for a unifying language, and its passion for art, food, and family.

"My Two Italies deals with the enduring disconnect between the ideal Italy that is admired as a center of civilization, and the hardship and hardness of the emigrant experience. Both come vividly alive in Luzzi's heartfelt and illuminating book."—Gay Talese, author of Unto the Sons.

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Source: http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/