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specializes in offering a
selection of books primarily
written by authors of Italian
heritage who write about
Italian American and Italian
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ABOUT US CONTACT FOR AUTHORS ADVERTISERS
Featured Author
Francesca V. Mignosa
My Sicily: Life in the cusp of the
Mediterranean Sea
Author Interview
I
was
so
grateful
to
travel
from
2012
to
2015
around
the
USA
with
a
book
tour
of
55
stops
to
present
it
–
an
unforgettable
journey
that
allowed
me
to
meet
and
interact
with
so
many
other
immigrants
with
the
same
love
and
feelings.
I
wrote
about
Sicily
because
it’s
my
native
island,
what
I
know
best;
but
really
anyone
from
any
other
cultural
background
may
relate
to
it
as
they
relate
to
their
fondest
childhood
memories.
It’s
been
seven
years
since
the
book
was
published,
and
although
I
will
always
look
at
it
and
talk
about
it
with
affection,
so
much
of
me
and
my
writing,
and
of Sicily has changed.
What is the most important attribute of your book?
That
it's
a
genuine
gathering
of
memoirs
of
a
Sicilian-American
young
woman
reliving
and
attempting
to
bring
to
life
the
senses,
colors,
energy,
and
often
mystical
stories
of
her
childhood
and
family
travels
throughout
all
of
Sicily.
For
anyone
interested
in
learning
more
about
the
island,
it
may be a light, easy read as an introduction.
Why should someone read it?
Anyone
planning
to
travel
to
Sicily
and
wanting
a
more
biographical
approach
to
travel
may
enjoy
it;
it’s
almost
written
in
a
diary
format.
Sicilian
immigrants
worldwide
may
enjoy
it
because
it’s
a
dance
between
nostalgic
memories,
travel
through
Sicily,
and
what
is
left
from
both
that
molds our present identity.
What inspired you to write your book?
I
wrote
My
Sicily
in
six
months
to
encapsulate
the
memories
and
travels
around
my
native
Sicily
during
my
childhood
and
also
as
a
way
to
cope
with
the
deep
nostalgia
I
was
feeling.
The
book
is
a
collection
of
my
favorite
memories
as
I
associate
them
with
each
destination,
its
people,
food,
and
rituals.
It
also
offers
travel
and
cultural,
as
well
as
language
advice.
What
made
you
decide
to
offer
tours
and
start
your
new
travel
boutique?
Well,
travel
is
in
my
DNA
with
my
father
being
Sicilian
and
my
mother
Sicilian-American.
I
grew
up
in
a
bicultural,
multilingual
home
where
Italian,
Sicilian,
English,
and
French
were
spoken
daily.
I
have
traveled
from
Italy
to
the
USA
and
back
at
least
once
a
year
in
my
life,
and
have
hosted
Italians
in
the
USA
and
Americans
or
internationals
in
Sicily
and
Italy.
It
was
a
natural
progression
for
me,
and
years
of
travels
throughout
my
island
and
the
entire
peninsula
have
allowed
me
to
strengthen
connections
in
the
tourism
field,
that
I
now
share
with
my
clients
as
if
they
were my family and friends.
I
have
professionally
done
this
for
eight
years
focusing
only
on
Sicily
and
Italy
–
before
that,
it
was
on
an
international
level
with
16
years
of
professional
experience.
It
is
truly
a
privilege
and
a
delight
for
me
to
assist
my
clients
in
designing
personalized
journeys
to
Sicily
or
Italy
according
to
their
exact
wishes
and
budgets.
My
job
is
never
boring,
always
diverse,
I
have
designed
and
led
genealogy
trips,
anniversary
trips
for
families,
weddings
and
honeymoons,
culinary
and
language
tours,
weekend
getaways,
day
trips,
wine
and
food
tours,
island
journeys,
writing
and
artist
retreats,
business
conferences
–
Italy
is
a
kaleidoscopic
country
so
rich
naturally
and
historically.
My
connections
are
local
experts
who
do
their
job
with
passion
and
fun,
and
I
thoroughly
enjoy
the
creative
and
human
process
behind
each
journey,
ensuring
that
my
clients
are
happy
with their travels to
La Bella Sicilia
and
Italia
.
Can you describe some of the changes you mentioned earlier? Especially those in Sicily.
The
Sicily
I
describe
and
remember
in
my
book
was
the
Sicily
of
my
childhood
–
although
many
of
the
places
I
recall
still
resemble
those
of
my
childhood.
On
many
levels,
Sicily
has
also
moved
forward
especially
in
tourism
and
its
internationalization:
more
English
and
Spanish
being
spoken
everywhere;
more
tourists
from
around
the
world
for
the
past
20
years
as
a
result
of
the
Inspector
Montalbano
series
–
that
featured
South
Eastern
Sicily,
in
particular
all
of
the
Ragusa
province – on RAI International; more international cruise ships and therefore clients.
For
other
aspects
(bureaucracy,
transportation,
infrastructure,
unemployment
rates
among
others)
Sicily
is
slower
and
has
a
radically
different
tempo
than
the
rest
of
northern
Europe.
This
can
be
an
obstacle
for
many
of
the
local
residents
while
it
can
be
a
fascinating
and
charismatic
invitation
for
tourists
looking
to
be
immersed
in
a
"different
and
timeless
dimension."
For
example,
recycling
reached
my
hometown
only
three
years
ago,
while
the
rest
of
Europe
and
the
world
have
done
it
for
at least the past 10 to 20 years.
Ragusa Ibla, the old part of the city.
In
all
the
places
mention
in
My
Sicily
,
and
with
the
exception
of
your
home town of Augusta, what are some of your favorites and why?
As
you
can
imagine,
I
get
asked
this
question
many
times
and
it's
always
very
difficult
for
me
to
answer
because
Sicily
is
naturally
a
very
beautiful
island
and
each
destination
has
something
unique
to
offer
and
explore.
I
will
mention four of the places I love visiting the most on the island.
Brucoli,
the
fishing
village
of
my
grandparents
and
great-grandparents.
It
is
literally
a
three-street
village
as
you
would
imagine
a
typical
Sicilian
village,
but
has
incredible
canals
and
seafood
and
a
precious
view
of
Mt.
Etna
and
the
entire city of Catania at a distance.
Mt.
Etna
[UNESCO
World
Heritage
Site].
in
the
past
four
years
I
have
taken
the
time
to
explore
the
volcano
at
360
degrees
from
its
peaks
with
volcanologists,
to
its
mountain
cuisine,
to
its
flora
and
fauna,
to
the
vineyards
all
around
exporting
some
of
the
best
wines
the
island
produces
worldwide.
It's
an
almost
lunar
environment,
a
dimension
unlike
any
other
you
might
have
experienced
in
your
life
and
I
now
recommend
it
to
all
of
my
clients,
family, and friends.
The
Aeolian
Islands.
The
seven
sister
islands
[UNESCO
World
Heritage
Site],
are
volcanoes
no
longer
erupting,
located
North
East
of
Sicily.
You
can
only
reach
them
via
ferry
from
Milazzo
or
Palermo.
They
are
very
raw,
simple
islands
that
only
offer
relaxation,
nature
and
sea
excursions,
incredible
seafood,
and
Malvasia
wine.
Il
Postino
was
filmed
partly
on
the
island
of
Salina.
I
sometimes
refer
to
them
as
the
"Hawaii"
of
the
Mediterranean;
their
rich
and
mystical
natural
beauty
is
indescribable.
Anyone
may
enjoy
2
to
3
days there, detoxing from the "real" world.
The
idyllic
Sicilian
gem
town
of
Taormina
[Tentative
List,
UNESCO
World
Heritage
Site].
Perched
high
above
a
mountain,
with
a
stunning
view
of
Mt.
Etna
in
the
distance
and
the
Mediterranean
Sea
below,
it
is
one
of
the
most
romantic
and
well
kept
destinations
in
all
of
Sicily.
I
love
going
to
Taormina
any
time
during
the
year
even
just
for
an
espresso
and
a
gelato,
or
a
Sicilian
granita (Sicilian ice) almond or lemon flavored, or a pizza and a passeggiata.
Brucoli
Mt. Etna
Aeolian Islands
(on the horizon)
What
have
been
some
of
the
most
memorable
tours
you
have
planned?
What was your most challenging tour to plan?
Truly
all
of
them
are
memorable
because
they
were
one
more
unique
than
the
other.
I
feel
honored
to
be
a
part
of
special
chapters
of
my
clients'
lives
by
assisting
them
in
the
design
and
realization
of
their
dream
journeys
to
La
Bella
Italia
and
Sicilia
.
The
most
challenging
was
a
tour
with
a
disabled
couple,
and
ensuring
they
would
be
included
in
all
activities/experiences
or
that
they
could
be
tailored
just for them. It taught me a lot about my own work as well.
Contact Francesca: thatsamoreboutiquetravels@gmail.com
Taormina, with
Mt. Etna erupting
Click on photos
to enlarge.