Sadly, there was a time of domestic violence in our story. I knew nothing about that until I was in my 30s. It was terrible to learn about, and it was difficult to write.

Anna Monardo – 10 July 2024

The Back Flap

Like her grandmother and mother, Anna marries quickly, knowing little about her groom. And like her maternal elders, she struggles in marriage. Determined to break the cycle of marital sadness, Anna sets out to investigate her family’s history, from their Calabrian mountain village and WWII survival, to their immigrant life in a Pittsburgh steel town, hoping to better understand the underlying forces that led to her own failure in marriage: Was it an Old World curse or a multi-generational trauma? What was gained and what was lost when the family’s Italian heritage intersected with American ideals? In time, she arrives at her own definition of domestic love by creating a path to the hopeful adoption of her son.

About the book

What is the book about?

When my mother was 18, in 1948, her parents took her back to their Southern Italian village for an arranged marriage to a young doctor who was her 2nd cousin. If they married, he could immigrate to the U.S., establish his medical career, and send help back to his family in war-devastated Calabria. When the couple met, she felt it was a love match—and to some degree, it was. But within a year, a feud over the dowry erupted between the bride’s father and her husband. There was a 5-year separation that caused a damaging rift in the family. Though my parents eventually reconciled— I was born!—their marital wounds were never healed. The emotional fallout affected three generations.

When did you start writing the book?

In 2008, after my second novel was published.

How long did it take you to write it?

From start to acceptance and publication, about 15 years.

Where did you get the idea from?

I’ve had the desire to write about my family since I was a kid. The idea has never not been there. My first novel, The Courtyard of Dreams (Doubleday 1993), was a fictionalized version of the story I tell in After Italy. After I published a second novel—Falling in Love with Natassia (Doubleday 2006) was about a dancer—the family-memoir project was waiting for me. Recently, in my journal from that time, I found this entry: “The family memoir is the book I’ve been afraid to write all my life.” Clearly, it was time to step up and do it.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Oh, yes. Very much. Sadly, there was a time of domestic violence in our story. I knew nothing about that until I was in my 30s. It was terrible to learn about, and it was difficult to write. It’s still difficult for me to read that section.

What came easily?

Writing about my son—his adoption, his childhood. He’s 23 now. What a delight to look back at how we got here! Also, I like writing about when I was young in New York. That was fun.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

After Italy is a memoir, so all of the characters are real people. In a statement at the start of the book, I explain that I based my writing on my memories and on family documents. I did change some names and other identifying details to protect people’s privacy, but, in general, it’s all the truth as I remember it.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Oh, so many books have been my teachers! Over the past decade, while I was deep into writing this memoir, the novels of Elena Ferrante had an impact on me. It was fascinating to see how honestly she writes about Southern Italy, which is a complicated, often misunderstood, part of the world. And there’s also her honesty in writing about women’s lives: their friendships, the different stages of women’s professional careers, their contradictory feelings about family. Ferrante models the honesty I hope to bring to my own writing.

Do you have a target reader?

Anyone interested in their family and their family’s interpersonal history. Anyone interested in psychological dynamics within families. And anyone who likes Italy.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

Lots of trial and error. I begin by writing by hand in legal pads. Then I type my pages into the computer. I revise, print out again, revise, type into the computer again. I try to get to my desk in the morning, when my energy is best and my mind is clearest. I always have files with lots of notes about my characters and lots of research notes. If a detour comes up—for example, a character does or says something that surprises me—I follow it. I love when the surprises happen.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

No, I don’t use an outline. Instead, I use what I call an “inventory.” It’s a file stuffed with extra scenes, dialogues, and character details. After I’ve completed the whole narrative arc for the first time, I dip into my EXTRA file to see if there’s material there that would bring the characters and their journeys more fully to life. I draft out a timeline—lightly, in pencil—because I want to be ready to shift the structure around. I’m always looking for ways to position the sections and chapters to create surprising juxtapositions.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

Both

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

With earlier books, I listened to specific music. With this one, no. I like to write in silence, mostly at my desk in my small home office. Sometimes I go to a coffeeshop and I enjoy hearing the espresso machine hissing.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I do have a long-time agent who is terrific.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

My agent submitted my memoir to the larger publishers, but it didn’t find a home. On my own, I tried a few smaller presses. A friend mentioned Bordighera Press, so I submitted during their reading period. Bordighera publishes literature and scholarship of the Italian diaspora, and I feel After Italy landed exactly where it was meant to be. I’m having a lovely experience at Bordighera.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

The managing editor at Bordighera Press, Nicholas Grosso, takes care of so many details—including cover design. We worked for over a week, sending ideas back and forth by email, until we got a cover that seems to me to be perfect. I’m grateful for Nic’s patience and skill.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I contacted bookstores and reading series in cities where I knew there would be interest in the story and where I’d have an audience. For example, I have a lot of family in Pittsburgh, and much of the book takes place in Braddock, a steel-mill town outside of Pittsburgh, so I focused on Pittsburgh a lot. Then I focused on other cities where I have family and friends—Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, and Maine. And, of course, in Omaha, where I’ve lived for many years teaching at the university. I did hire a publicist to help reach out to influencers, because that’s an area I know nothing about. My son helped me update my web site. In terms of social media, I feel most comfortable with Facebook, so I post upcoming events and interviews on FB.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Keep at it! It’s a whole new publishing world out there, and indie presses offer us so many new opportunities. Go online and study the small presses, study their lists, and ask yourself, Would my book be at home here? In the long run, it’s worth your time to do research upfront, find the press that’s a possible fit for your project, rather than try to submit to many presses all at one time. Develop relationships with editors. Be patient, and resilient, and keep writing.

About You

Where did you grow up?

Pittsburgh, PA

Where do you live now?

Omaha, NE

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m a slow writer. When my first novel was finally published, after I’d worked on it for ten years, my cousins gave me a gold necklace with a tiny turtle on it to remind me that, even though it was a long time coming, I did finally finish the race. I wear that necklace a lot. I cherish that reminder.

What are you working on now?

A set of novellas about a large family living outside of Pittsburgh in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I love that era.

End of Interview:

Get your copy of After Italy (available in paper versions only) from here, here, or here.