Our Good Name

by Catherine Marenghi

Overview

Our Good Name is the story of Stefano and his young bride Celestina, both Italian immigrants who leave behind the back-breaking field labor in their beloved Northern Italy to find their place in a strange new country. Sailing steerage class on the improbably named ship, "Champagne," Stefano gets a hint of the reality that lies ahead in the United States.

What Stefano and Celestina found in America was not the land of promise and opportunity they dreamed about, at least not for Italian immigrants in the early 1900s. From the squalor of the transatlantic voyage to the shock of their first encounter with Ellis Island to the lowest paid and most demeaning jobs they were forced to take, this is a tale of struggles, hardships, and heart-wrenching losses, including the execution of their friend Nicola Sacco. America-and their adopted town of Milford, Massachusetts-asked for many sacrifices.

And yet, the stories of Stefano and Celestina and their sprawling family, are filled with love, humor, and the determination to preserve their good name while making a life they could hand down to their children and grandchildren.

Inspired by true events, Our Good Name is a historical novel that surprises with a fresh and honest perspective about the hard realities of immigrant life in the United States and the courage required to make a home of one's own in the "New World."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781938798429
Publisher:	Arch Street Press
Publication date:	05/24/2022
Pages:	226
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.48(d)

About the Author

Catherine Marenghi is the author of the memoir Glad Farm, which President Jimmy Carter said was, "An inspiring story of a writer and journalist who overcame great handicaps to achieve success.” She is an award-winning poet with two Academy of American Poets prizes, among others. Her work has been published in North American and international literary journals. Her poetry chapbook, Breaking Bread, was published in 2020. Her first novel, Our Good Name, was published in May 2022.

The granddaughter of Italian immigrants, Catherine writes with a profound sense of place and a keen interest in where we come from and how we define home.

Catherine was born and raised in Milford, MA, a town where she has deep roots and a lifelong connection. She is an active member of the vibrant literary community of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She has served on the board of the San Miguel Poetry Cafe and, with poet Judyth Hill, co-founded the Poetry Mesa, an international community serving poets and poetry.