L'America
Logline
In the decades preceding WWII, hundreds of thousands of Italians flocked to our shores in hopes of starting new lives in a land that promised freedom and opportunity. They immigrated through the Great Hall of Ellis Island, in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, and spilled out into the streets of New York City and beyond in anticipation of a kind of renaissance. L'America follows the journey of three families, who board the Santa Ana in 1915 through the ports of Palermo and Naples. For 13 days they share brutal passage in steerage. But the voyage is only the beginning of their trials. Eventually, they settle in New York City, Cleveland and Monterrey, California. Immigration in the early 20th century was difficult at best. But assimilation proved an even greater challenge. The confused and frightened Italian in America is embodied in the lives of Giuseppe Mosca, Aldo Grimaldi and Paolo LaChimia, as they make their way in a world in conflict with their heritage. In Book one, Adagio con Fear, they will endure the harsh reality of discrimination, World War, generational conflict, socialism, anarchism, fascism, Carlo Tresca, and Sacco and Vanzetti. Book two, Adagio con Promise, will continue the story as their descendants face the complexities of Mussolini, “enemy alien” labels, West Coast relocation and even internment.
Genre
Historical Fiction,
Short Summary
Three Italian families, in an effort to escape the ravages of 1915 Italy, endure brutal passage on the steamship, Santa Ana. The story follows each of them as they attempt to assimilate as aliens in a world they don't understand.
Setting
Italy (Calabria, Palermo, Naples), New York City, Cleveland, Monterey, CA
Based on a True Story
Yes
Plot - Premise
,Immigration and assimilation
Plot - Other Elements
Meaningful Message, Philosophical Questions,overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds
Mature Audience Themes
Information not completed
Main Character Details
Name: Giuseppe Mosca - talented Calabrian tailor- unsure of himself, Aldo Grimaldi, contractor from Naple who wants to apply his skill in L'America, Paolo LaChimia - stowaway from Palermo, pickpocket, petty thief who aspires to the Black Hand
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Complex
Additional Character Details
Name: Aldo Grimaldi - see above
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Role: Skeptic
Key Traits: Aspiring
Additional Character Details
Name: Paolo LaChimia
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Role: Skeptic
Key Traits: Aspiring
Additional Character Details
Name: Paolo LaChimia
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Role: Antagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous