The Saint of Lost Things

July 11, 2005
Castellani explores the lives of Italian-American immigrants in this eloquent, leisurely tale about dreams and disappointments, a follow-up to his debut novel, A Kiss from Maddalena
. Here, Castellani picks up Maddalena Grasso's story in 1953, when she is seven years settled in Wilmington, Del., but "always crying, always looking backward." She left her beloved Italian village for America, imagining that she and her new husband, Antonio, would live the American dream, but Antonio's ambition of owning a restaurant remains just out of reach, and beautiful Maddalena, once an aspiring actress and model, now sews piecework, pining for the family she left behind. Maddalena befriends Guilio, a lonely, middle-aged accordion player mired in grief since the death of his elderly parents, and they eventually help each other find the courage to move past their own regrets. (She finds hope in a long-awaited pregnancy, though she will face a difficult labor.) By structuring much of the novel in flashback—albeit to reflect Maddalena's mentality—Castellani slows the story's momentum, but the natural, easy beauty of his prose captures the Italian-American immigrant community of a bygone era. Agent, Mary Evans.

November 1, 2005
Adult/High School -It is 1953, and Maddalena Grasso, newly arrived in the United States from Italy, is trying to make sense of the language, the customs, and her place in her new, extended family. Her perpetually dissatisfied husband, Antonio, yearns for the American Dream: shiny new car, new home, and children. Having convinced the beautiful Maddalena to marry him and leave her family behind, he now watches over her jealously. He feels a mixture of contempt and envy for his brother, who seems perfectly happy with his average wife, nondescript daughters, and job managing a restaurant. While Maddalena tries to keep Antonio grounded in the simpler joys of the life they share, an adventurous and single childhood friend lures him with promises of easy riches. Maddalena befriends a middle-aged single man who has recently lost both parents. Giulio Fabbri is drifting through life, but as his friendship with the Grassos deepens, he comes to understand himself and his dreams better. Threading through the various relationships are undercurrents of racial tension. When an African-American family moves into their predominantly Italian neighborhood, the community reacts with ugliness. Maddalena, Antonio, and Giulio interact with Abraham Waters in markedly different ways, and these differences are telling in how each individual handles life's disappointments and surprises. Castellani's lyrical and elegant novel goes beyond the story of a mid-20th-century Italian-American community. His characters are finely drawn, and he has a keen eye for the subtle dramas of family and friendship." -Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2005
In this sequel to his well-received debut, "A Kiss from Maddalena", Castellani skillfully captures the Italian immigrant experience at mid-20th century. Contrary to the perceptions of Maddalena's parents -who happily gave her to Antonio Grasso -the streets of Wilmington, DE, aren't paved with gold. In America, everyone works, but these immigrants toil at menial assembly-line jobs or do piecework at sweatshops. Those who've made it operate family restaurants; Antonio dreams of owning one. He resents his younger brother, who works at a popular neighborhood spot, and misses his chance to go into a partnership with thuggish Renato, a successful pizza entrepreneur. Childless for seven years, Maddalena is equally unsatisfied and restless, retreating into dreams of the village her family left behind. Interwoven with their story is that of Julian (Giulio) Fabbri, adrift after the death of his parents. Castellani's is a fresh voice in Italian American fiction, not as prevelant today. This lovely, haunting, unhurried story will have readers clamoring for more. -Jo Manning, Miami Beach, FL

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2005
It's been difficult for Maddelena to adjust to living in the U.S. There are no donkeys, nor are there any olive trees. Most of all, she misses her family back in the tiny mountain village of central Italy where she grew up. And ever since 1946, when her new husband, Antonio Grasso, brought her to live with his family in Delaware, Maddelena has come to realize that life in postwar America is complicated. When she tells Antonio that she is finally pregnant, he reacts poorly. Why? Because Antonio has begun to dream of owning his own restaurant. A larger family changes things. The Waters family also has a dream, that of owning a nice house in a good community. But being black, their dream is not shared by most Italians in the neighborhood. However, not all dreams are lost in this fine novel that lovingly evokes a time in America's past that many people think of as idyllic but is revealed by the author to be filled with complexity, failure, misunderstanding, and some hard-earned success--not unlike our own.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)