First published 1938
Eight-year-old Nino lives in the rolling hills of Tuscany, where olive groves stretch toward ancient stone villages and his days follow the rhythms of Italian country life. His world revolves around family traditions, local festivals, and the familiar sounds of his native language echoing through narrow streets. But change arrives when his family decides to seek new opportunities across the Atlantic Ocean. Nino must leave behind everything he knows and loves for the unknown promise of America. The journey transforms him from a carefree Italian boy into an immigrant child navigating a foreign land with different customs, sounds, and expectations. Angelo draws from his own memories to capture both the wonder of childhood in rural Italy and the courage required to start over in an unfamiliar country. The story follows Nino as he grapples with homesickness while discovering that growing up means learning to carry your heritage with you, even as you build a new home.
Genres: family-life, historical-fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Tuscany, America
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
244 pages · Hardcover · Viking Juvenile