“The swing and the magnolia” is the title of the Salerno native’s debut novel Mariagiovanna Giuliano.
Published by Capponi Publisher, the book retraces the events of Consiglia Irno and her family from the beginning of the twentieth century until the Second World War. Daughter of Italian emigrants, Consiglia was born and raised in Boston, but her life was turned upside down by her parents’ decision to return to Salerno with the wealth accumulated in America. Her return to Italy is difficult and painful, in a country that she feels is foreign despite her roots.
The author paints a portrait of Salerno of the last century. The streets, squares and atmospheres of the city emerge forcefully, offering the reader a journey through time, to discover not only a community that has been able to resist and be reborn from difficulties, but also customs, traditions and places that are part of the history of the city. The book is available in bookstores and online.
Plot
At the beginning of the twentieth century, many Italian families left their country to seek their fortune in America. Stories that intertwine with each other through hope and sacrifice. This is one of those stories, with a difference: it doesn’t tell of departure, but of return. And for Consiglia, daughter of Italian emigrants, born and raised in Boston, it is a difficult and painful return. Will she be able to adapt to her new life in Italy, despite having left her heart on the other side of the ocean? “The Swing and the Magnolia” explores the fear of pursuing one’s dreams, the eternal struggle between the past and the present, and the value of human connections. In an intricate narrative of love, loss and rebirth, the novel offers the portrait of a family like many others that has crossed distances and generations to find its own identity.
Author’s biography
Mariagiovanna Giuliano was born in Salerno in 1994. She lives in Rome, where she graduated in Political Sciences and Communication. Currently, she works in digital communication for an international humanitarian organization, thanks to which she manages to combine her passions with her vocation for social issues.
“The Swing and the Magnolia” is his first novel.
