The author would like to invite the reader to take a journey with her back in time.
I am writing this novel about my family who lived in the late 1800s. My parents, Michael and his wife Filomena Dell'Orfano, were born 1878 and 1882, respectively. Chusiano di San Domenico d' Avellino is a small town in the Province of Avellino in the Region of Campania in Naples, Italy.
Raffael and Camella Dell'Orfano lived there with their sons, Massimeno and Michele. The Dell'Orfano family and others in that area were identified as Bianco or "whiteheads" due to their fair skin, blond and red haired.
During the day, the boys went to school and afterward worked in the fields, and learned the value of hard work at a young age. Later, Michele became interested in a young lady by the name of Filomena, though his father disapproved.
After a longtime disagreement between father and son, Michele, decided to marry his long time girl friend, Filomena, and left the homestead where he was born and raised. Later, Michele made his way to America, to build a new life for his family.
Creating a new identity is never easy. They struggled, but their love keeps them strong as they remember the old country and looked forward to their new land.