Nicholas Manfredo always said he lived his childhood as the archetypical barefoot boy- with no shoes, ragged clothing, and ever-present hunger.In this memoir, author Joseph N. Manfredo recounts his father's life story-from his birth in 1900 to his death at age ninety-three in 1993. Born into abject poverty in southern Italy, Nicholas was abandoned by an uncaring father who immigrated to America leaving behind his wife and two little boys. Twelve years later, Nick's father sends for him and he travels to America. Here, his story of struggle continues as he marries Anna and strives to raise a family during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The years that follow are both heartwarming and bittersweet.
Entertaining and emotional, Only the Living is a life story that could fit any one of the many thousands of European immigrants who brought to America the muscle and integrity that made it a great nation.