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My Father Came from Italy  By  cover art

My Father Came from Italy

By: Maria Coletta McLean
Narrated by: Carol Schneider
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Editorial reviews

At a certain point, most people have an urge to reconnect with their familial roots, and Maria Coletta McLean’s memoir examines just that. My Father Came from Italy is a tender and sentimental account of a daughter mending her relationship with her father by bringing him back to his native Italy, a land he hasn’t touched in over 60 years. Narrator Carol Schneider brings the beautiful, rustic scenery to life with her gentle delivery, and her animated portrayals of Bob, Guido, and the rest of the cast are bound to keep listeners’ fingers away from the pause button.

Publisher's summary

After 64 years, Mezzabotte Coletta, a retired truck driver for a Toronto macaroni factory, is retuning to his native Italia. In his native village of Supino is a rundown villa bought sight unseen by Mezzabotte Coletta 's daughter Maria - an olive branch after years of family struggle. While she and her husband breathe in the chatter of local tradesmen, the fragrant offerings of well-wishing neighbors, and the aroma of fine wine, her father awaits in Canada, anticipating the day he will again touch Italian soil. Hoping to avoid the wounds of his difficult marriage and the onset of senility, father and daughter retrace footsteps that yield from the Saint of Special Favors a miraculous recovery.

©2002 Maria Coletta McLean (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about My Father Came from Italy

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Sweet story

A sweet story of going to the Italian village of her father’s. I have gone to my Italian grandparents village so I enjoyed the story very much!

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A beautiful story.

I decided on this because I wanted to try something different from my normal genre. I am so pleased that I did. This novel is lyrical. I laughed, cried, was thoughtful and felt angry. Most of all, as a person who comes from Italian immigrants, I felt I had come home because the story was so familiar to me. if I could give more stars I would. This is a wonderful wonderful book.

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Loved this book

I have recommended this book to friends and family. The descriptions were so well written and read that I felt part of the story. I laughed and I cried. Such a good book!

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Beautiful story

The story was moving and delightful. The writer puts you in the little town of Supino and it’s easy to imagine everything that is described there. My mother was Italian I’m growing up with all the relatives around us have cooked and grew vegetables and made handmade pastas and sauces, it put me in a beautiful place. Makes one want to move there immediately! Thank you for this beautiful gift

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A beautiful story; a treasure.

Such a well written story about Italian life, culture, customs, and family. I couldn’t stop listening. The only criticism that I have is that the narrator imitated an Italian accent (for the father in the story) that was so poor that it almost sounded like someone from Russia trying to speak English. He was a special character in real life and in the story and this flaw truly took a lot away from this book. I wish you could fix it with a more genuine Italian accent. I would like to think the author for penning this wonderful life story of hers.

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Fell in love with this.

Being itAlina I fell in love with this story. I went to Italy 2 years ago and understood so much more for it.

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Heard it

Wonderful. Full of life, compassion, friendship and laughter. Story of a daughter's love and devotion to her father and his heritage. Didn't want the story to end. Its a keeper to listen to again.

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