“Joseph M. Orazi gives us a captivating and well-written novel in “L’America.” The author is no stranger to the saga of Italian immigrants. He was the screenwriter and associate producer for a riveting documentary on the internment of Italians in World War II titled “Prisoners Among Us.” He delved into the subject to explore new angles and sub plots not normally covered. In “L’America,” Orazi tells the story of three men who find themselves on the same ocean vessel in steerage “in the belly of the beast called SS Santa Ana.” There is Giuseppe Mosca, a peasant farmer from Calabria who leaves for America to become a tailor. There is Aldo Grimaldi, a skilled contractor in Naples where corruption and nepotism has all but excluded him from the market. He hopes to restart his business in the United States where he believes work is won on merit instead of connections. Paolo LaChimia is the youngest of the three; a teenager from the streets of Palermo whose early life in crime leads him overseas. Dialogue between characters convey the conditions of past migration; much more dire and ominous than what we see today. In one scene, a ship’s steward explains steerage to Paolo. “Get used to it. This is the best it’s going to smell. Wait until we’re a week out. Then you will long for day…This is steerage. The occu- pants are nothing more than cargo with legs.” Historical photographs often show Italians by them- selves as a group of immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island. In truth, people from many different countries were represented on the same ocean liner. When Aldo gets settled inside the large boat, he sees “the strange assembly of nationalities and the drone of voices evoked a kind of Babel. There were Russian Jews, Irish farmers, Greeks, people strangely attired in kilts, Arabs in long robes, and even Cossacks with terrifying scowls and long, curved swords that hung from their belts in ornate sheathes. Thirteen days suddenly seemed like an eternity.” Orazi is an observant writer whose passion for history comes through in every scene and sentence. The reader is immersed in the past at every turn and twist in this incredible novel. Most appealing are characters who possess the hopes and flaws to make them approachable and understandable. Even on the rare occasions when they are at their worst, we somehow still root for them. Orazi is commended for writing such a profound novel that takes readers back to a time much different than our own. “L’America” will inspire in all of us inherent respect and admiration for those who came to give us a better life. “
F&L PRIMO / THIRD EDITION 2019 / 59
“Amazing Book. Not a mystery yet I could not put it down! So beautifully written it makes you long for more and more.
I was familiar with many of the places and traditions because that is exactly where my people are from. Reading about those places and people in such a beautiful way meant a lot to me.
This is a book your children must read!” Gene C. 8-1-2018
“Amazing book. Not a mystery, yet I could not put it down.”
G.C. – AuthorHouse
After reading Orazi’s L’America, I found myself reflecting on what it must have been like for those passengers in steerage on the Santa Ana more than 100 years ago. A fetid swamp in a dour situation compounded by fear and depression. What it must have been like to go through the inhumane and chaotic “processing” at Ellis Island. And I can only imagine the fear of the unknown, the hopelessness. The stress of arriving in a strange land wondering where their next meal would come from, whether or not they would find family or friends in this unknown land that held many possibilities, but no solid promises. They say survival is the strongest instinct, but how many of us have been pushed to such limits? Although these three families were fictional, their stories only make me wonder what reality must have been like. It’s the essence of writing historical fiction – make the reader think.
Tackling historical fiction takes much more than strong writing skills and perseverance; it requires tireless research to mine the available material to obtain and present the facts of the specific era (check); it requires a deep passion for the subject matter (check); and lastly; a combination of imagination and creative writing to craft the story with believable (and unforgettable) characters (check). Orazi achieves high marks on all three. I understand the book took ten years to complete. I’m guessing research took the bulk of those ten years. Then, there was the character building (the three families), and their back stories. This is where I believe the author’s passion for the subject matter was inspirational in pushing him through the dreaded “writer’s block” days.
I was captivated by Orazi’s ability to seamlessly control the narrative of the plight of the three families while keeping the story flowing. Just when I started wondering what happened to Paolo, the next section break brought me back on track to his on-going escapades. And Giuseppe and his son Franco: my favorite line in the book was when Franco was having second thoughts about their journey to L’America after only one day at sea: “Before he was resurrected, our Lord had to suffer.” Giuseppe said. “We can do this much for those we love.” Brilliant.
In school, History teachers spend maybe one or two days “teaching” the class about how people immigrated to America and left us wondering about the many hardships they endured. But I remember that few details were provided on what that experience must have really been like. In the classic The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck put us right in the moment with his sad tale of the Joad family during the Great Depression. And the horrific true story of cannibalism the Donner party had to resort to, as a wagon train of pioneers snowbound in the Sierra Nevada in the 1840’s. But it was Daniel James Brown’s historical fiction novel, The Indifferent Stars Above, that provided a realistic glimpse of the level of desperation and will to survive those poor people had to endure. I rank L’America with these books in that I now have a better understanding – and appreciation – for the plight of the Italian immigrants.
Orazi has brought perspective and earned respect to the plight of his ancestors in L’America. It’s a story of family love and devotion. A story of mere survival. A story of sadness, determination, heartbreak, and pride. A story that needed to be told.
It’s a story I enjoyed immensely. lo consiglio vivamente. I highly recommend it.
-Bill H.