"The House on The Fondaco Plain". A Presentation of the Novel by author, Natale Caruso with introduction & commentary by Francesco Bonavita, PhD and original translator, Marino D'Orazio. Tuesday, April 17th @ 7:00 PM Casa Belvedere - 79 Howard Avenue - Staten Island, NY 10301

Natale Caruso's novel, The House on the Fondaco Plain, is a masterpiece worthy of the highest narrative tradition reminiscent of the great Giovanni Verga. Set in the Sicilian countryside, this work takes us on a journey spanning several generations, across three continents. It reflects the plight and aspirations of the Italian immigrant experience, as well as laying bare the human condition of universal sufferings, passions and ideals shared by all. But it is much more! It is a lyrical composition that touches a wide range of human emotion.

It is a valuable historical testament that illustrates the struggles and the dignity of the human spirit against adversities. It is an evocative narrative that blends in flawlessly with the Italian literary tradition. But what makes Natale Caruso's artistic creation so compelling? What is there that renders this novel a universal prose? You are invited to explore these points in a presentation of the novel, during which you will meet the author, the translator of the original Italian version, Nelle braccia del tempo, Marino D'Orazio whose English rendition is a work of art in its own right, and Francesco Bonavita who will examine some of the merits of Caruso's art.

ABOUT THE NOVEL
At the beginning of the 1970s, Teresa Licciardi, a young widow, shutters her ancestral house and leaves her small town in Sicily, with her sons, for a new life in America. Her departure is the culmination of this beautiful novel, in which the story of a family across generations and continents becomes a hymn to the memory of lost time, people and places, and a celebration of the courage, dignity and love of the author's family and ancestors. Images of daily life, popular beliefs and superstitions, and magical events overlay cinematic scenes spanning the Russian steppes in World War II and the boundless prairies of Australia, the gentle Sicilian hillsides, the vine fields of Napa Valley, and early XX century Manhattan. This is a stirring epic of the immigrant adventure.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Natale Caruso was born in Licodia Eubea, Italy. He immigrated to the United States at the age of twenty, and worked as a professional tailor till the age of twenty-seven. He is an adjunct professor for foreign languages at CUNY. He taught Italian and Spanish at Franklin Delano Roosevelt for thirty-one years. He attended elementary school in Mirboo North and Boolarra South, in Australia and is a graduate of Brooklyn and Hunter Colleges in New York City. He also attended graduate studies at UCLA and New York University. His previous publications include a collection of bilingual poems, Oltre i confine del mondo* Beyond the Boundaries of the Universe and the novel An American Story - A novel of Black Migration North. Soon to be published is Medusa, a collection of short stories.

Please reserve in advance for this wonderful program so that we can plan accordingly. Suggested Donation for Program and Reception: $20 per person (Incl. Refreshments & light fare). Pre-payment is recommended and appreciated. We accept credit cards over the phone. Parking will be located directly across the street at Notre Dame Academy Elementary School. For any questions or to RSVP, please call 718-273-7660 or email [email protected]