Claudia lives in a very small town in Southern Italy where the cobblestone streets are so narrow you can't have a car, not that there is any money for one. No money, no food and barely any education. All around her is poverty and nothing to do but marry a local boy and start a family of her own. But Claudia has a feeling that there's more for her out in the world. One fateful visit from a distant relative and suddenly she knows what she needs to do. Despite all the obstacles she knows she will face, Claudia sets out on a very difficult and unknown journey that challenges her every step of the way. A journey that will either be the best thing she's ever done or the biggest mistake of her life. Beyond the Cobblestones is a heartwarming tale based on true stories told to the author by her parents. It reminds us that it is important to stay true to oneself; to follow one's dreams. Readers will feel inspired by this story to take action in their own lives and follow their passions! →"Luisa Livorno Ramondo has written a personal, deeply felt immigration story that has resonance in the moment. For those readers who would like a first hand account of how one girl turned a life of poverty, pain and betrayal into a life of aspiration and meaning, this is the story for you! Beyond the Cobblestones is a place where dreams come true in a new home called America." -Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone → "In Beyond the Cobblestones, Luisa Livorno Ramondo beautifully captures the essence of poverty and the dreams of escape which it inspires. From the hardest of soil, a flower emerges in a compelling coming-of-age story told through a compelling prose style that reflects the beauty of the narrative. This heartfelt story is a must-read for anyone who is inspired by tales of perseverance and the spirit to pursue dreams." - Andrew Cotto, award-winning author and regular contributor to The New York Times →"Beyond The Cobblestones is a portal into the mind, heart and soul of my immigrant Italian grandparents. The storylines and landscapes transported me into the struggles and triumphs of hearty people deeply committed to family and fiercely determined to make life better." -Cara Bradley, author of On The Verge: Wake Up, Show Up and Shine. →"This story really pulls you in and makes you want to follow her journey as she figures out how to get to America." -Anne E. Hill, author of Lerner Books

In this magnificent novel, Hungary's great writer Péter Lengyel reclaims his city and re-establishes an ethic for the citizen in contemporary society.

“Giovanni Ruscitti has written a wonderful book of special relevance for all North and South Americans whose ancestors have migrated from Asia, Europe, and Africa. His journey to the land of his forefathers is so meaningful not only because of the discovery of what connects us ‘Americanos’ to the rest of the world but also the journey within. A trip in which we all feel recognized. Bravo maestro!” —Hernando de Soto, finalist for Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, and author of Mystery of Capital Amazon #1 Bestseller Cobblestones, Conversations, and Corks is a passionate and deeply moving story about a father-son relationship; a culture rooted in family, food and wine; and an ancestral small town in Central Italy that was left behind after World War II. On November 11, 1943, the Nazis invaded Cansano, forcing its two thousand inhabitants to make a tough decision—fight and be killed or sent to a POW camp, stay behind as servants to the Nazis, or move into the unforgiving mountains of Abruzzo while the Nazis used their village as a home base. Giovanni Ruscitti’s family chose the latter and spent the next few months living in horrendous winter conditions in the rugged mountains. When the war ended, they returned to a village so ravaged by the Nazis that, today, the town has less than two hundred citizens and remains in a dilapidated state. In this memoir, Ruscitti visits Cansano for the first time with his family, including parents Emiliano and Maria. As he walks Cansano’s cobblestones, his father’s stories and life are illuminated by the town piazza, the steep valley, and the surrounding mountains. He relives the tales of his parents’ struggles during World War II, their extreme post-war misery and poverty, their budding romance after, and their decision to immigrate to the US in search of the American Dream. Ruscitti’s adventure is not just an exploration of his homeland but reveals what family, culture, wisdom, and love really means. And what our heritage really tells us about who we are.

Stories, poems, and facts about water, air, fire, coal, paper, salt, etc., all reflecting the glory of God.

17 self-guided tours for observing the history and diversity of unique cobblestone buildings.Historical Secrets Revealed:Learn why, during a mere 35-year span in the middle of the 19th century, approximately 700 cobblestone structures were erected within a 65-mile radius of Rochester, New York, and no where else. Many have endured the test of time and stand today as monuments to human ingenuity in using available resources. Learn about this creative building technique and about the lives of the early pioneers who developed it.Go See For Yourself:On the tours you'll view a diversity of cobblestone buildings, including homes, farmhouses, barns, stagecoach taverns, smokehouses, stores, churches, schools, factories, and more. Each cobblestone building is a unique work of folk art, created by local craftsmen.Enjoy the tours by car, motorcycle or bicycle.

Nicholas A. Kefalides recalls a time when the heavy boots of invading armies echoed off the cobblestone streets of Greece, where he was born and spent his childhood and youth. Kefalides memories begin with the 1930s as social and political events shaped his attitudes and beliefs. It was also a period that set the stage for a war that would see people starve, fight and die. As German and Italian armies invade the country, the young people of Greece are robbed of their childhood and adolescence. But Kefalides and his brother are among those who fight back, joining the resistance. They are soon arrested and imprisoned by the Gestapo before being sent to a concentration camp in Thessaloniki. It will take all the courage they can muster and the determination of an entire nation to regain liberty. After winning his freedom, Kefalides embarks on a new adventure, this time in America. He pursues a career in medicine and becomes a successful professor, but as the decades pass by, he can still hear Echoes from the Cobblestones.

From her early childhood days in Italy to her life as a young wife and mother in Brooklyn, Marietta is haunted by hard questions from her past. In her struggle to be free, she realizes what she must do: discover the truth about her tangled family life even at the risk of losing the little she has left. This is a deeply moving novel about the enduring power of love amid abandonment, rejection, betrayal and the consequences of other's decisions. ---PRAISE for Orange Peels and Cobblestones--- "In this intimate and engaging debut novel, Rose Marie Dunphy provides us lessons about love, loss and how the power of forgiveness will make us whole again...This lovely book is poignant, heartbreaking, and like all good stories is full of redemption and insight." - Dr. Fred Luskin, Director, Stanford Forgiveness Projects. Author of Forgive for Good and Forgive for Love. "A coming-of-age love story, compellingly told, with a combination or controlled sentiment and wry humor that brings to life Italy during the early postwar years, Brooklyn during the 1950s, and New York and Southern California during the 1960s - each location forming the backdrop of Marietta's unique narrative and complicated family life...A great read." - Marion Osmun, Editor, New York, NY.

This book is a collection of poems. It reminds the author of the bumps and roughness we go through in our lives.