Michelle Damiani

Surrounded by glimmering olive groves and embellished with flower-lined alleys, it would be easy to believe that Santa Lucia is as innocent as it appears. After all, what drama could possibly unfold in such a storybook village?

Santa Lucia

Old secrets. New lies. An Italian village on the brink of catastrophe. Things are changing in Santa Lucia, and not necessarily for the better. As the town’s residents move through their daily lives, finding love, friendship, and themselves, the past starts to catch up with them…and spill its secrets. Sins thought long-forgotten return with vengeance, threatening the happiness of those who deserve it, and those who don't. When children go missing, it sets off a series of events that expose hard truths and painful lies. Will Santa Lucia crumble under the weight of these devastating revelations? "Michelle Damiani has done it again!" "A hair-raising ending keeps the plot moving up to the very last page." "Beautiful setting with interesting people and so well written. You must read them all. A great getaway during these trying times-or anytime!" "Loved the characters and their stories as much as I did the heavenly hilltop village. As an Italophile I was so wonderfully absorbed in this series." "Oh, I love the Santa Lucia series."

Book Three of the Santa Lucia Series

The Stillness of Swallows

Warm Italian sunshine casts long shadows… In the sleepy Italian village of Santa Lucia, espresso-serving Chiara has always been the one to turn to for the juiciest gossip. But when secrets hidden in the heart of the village start to unravel, Chiara finds herself in the middle of a brewing conflict that could threaten the lives of everyone in the town. As romances blossom and tensions rise, Chiara soon finds that not all secrets are meant to stay hidden. Will the exploding revelations prove deadly? Santa Lucia is the gripping story of a town on the brink of change and the villagers that call it home. "Santa Lucia is a wonderful, sprawling, satisfying novel....This was my favorite novel of 2017." "One of those books that keeps you awake at night reading. Loved the characters and the story." "Santa Lucia brings small town Italy to life!"

Book One of the Santa Lucia Series

Angelo Mazzoli

An Italian werewolf. A dancing devil. And a storyteller who chronicles it all. Italy has enchanted travelers for hundreds of years. Now, those who crave a deeper understanding of Europe’s favorite boot can find it through storytelling. Angelo Mazzoli, beloved teacher and ambassador of culture, recounts the stories he heard at the knee of his aunt Faustina—a communist, feminist seamstress who made everything from wedding gowns to bathing costumes for the residents of her Umbrian hill-town. The author shares sixteen of Zia Faustina’s stories, and thus opens the door to the folklore that dwells within the hearts of all Umbrians. Reading about Orlando’s massacre of female hearts in Spello reveals the spectacle of love passed from generation to generation in Italy. A story about a woman living alone in the mountain above Spello illustrates the vulnerability and strength that endure despite all obstacles. A bandit living in Saint Francis’s Assisi teaches us about Umbrian notions of good and evil. Beyond folklore, the author remembers the post-war years in Italy, when a nation struggled to find a direction and an identity. Anecdotes of a thriving main street—including the author’s father’s woodworking shop, his grandfather’s cobbler shop, and his aunt’s seamstress shop—create a vivid tapestry of the joy and community once easily found outside one’s front door. Adapted for English-speakers by Michelle Damiani (who authored the bestselling Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center, a memoir of her year in Spello), Tales from My Zia Faustina will capture hearts and imaginations. Lovers of Italy, especially those readying to embark on a trip to Umbria, will get more out of their travels by understanding the place names, customs, superstitions, and history of Umbria. Students of Italian will take particular delight in translating for themselves the original Italian, or at the very least, hearing the Italian lilt in the English translation. If you’re ready to discover new layers of Italy, it’s time to listen to Zia Faustina. Scroll up and click BUY NOW to discover the secrets of unlocking Umbria today! These stories are fabulous, vivid, vibrant, and lyrical. MIchelle Damiani captures the beauty of Angelo’s story telling. Love it! This book is coming out at an ideal time when the world is so transient with little regard for the importance of having roots and a sense of belonging. I love how Angelo celebrates women through his stories! Faustina was certainly a woman ahead of the times with a fierce and fearless spirit...and a big heart.

Folklore of Old Umbria

Tales from My Zia Faustina

In this witty and warm-hearted memoir, Michelle Damiani tells the story of abandoning her fast-paced American days in favor of discovering the Italian secrets of food, community, and life. Along with her husband and three children, the author untangles bewildering Italian customs, delights in glorious regional cuisine (recipes included), and creates lasting friendships. From grandmothers eager to teach the ancient art of pasta making to bakers bagging bread in their underpants to butchers extolling the benefits of pork fat, Il Bel Centro is rich with captivating characters. Throw in clinking glasses of Umbrian red with the local communists, wandering into embarrassing linguistic blunders, getting called to the mayor’s office, navigating a school system where corporal punishment is not off the table, and a village all-nighter of decorating cobblestone streets with flower petals, and you have all the ingredients for a spellbinding travel tale. Exquisitely observed, Il Bel Centro is an intimate and revelatory celebration of small town Italy, as well as a thoughtful look at raising a family in a new culture and a fascinating story of finding a home. Ultimately though, IBC is a story about how travel can change you when you’re ready to let it. With laugh-out-loud situations and wanderlust-inspiring storytelling, Il Bel Centro is a joyous and life-affirming read that will have readers rushing to renew their passports. Fans of the beloved Santa Lucia novel series will thrill to find the inspiration for the characters of that fictional town in the pages of Il Bel Centro. “A magical read.” “I absolutely couldn’t get enough of this book.” “I was instantly transported to Italy.” “This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read.” “Could not put it down.” “I just want more."

Michelle Damiani

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