Just a reminder that My Cousin the Saint — in hard cover, paperback or e-book — makes a great gift for Christmas. It’s a timeless story about faith, family, and miracles. And much of the story is set in Italy! The prices in any format are really inexpensive these days. So order early and often!
Shot in Calabria, Italy, by Michael Frierson.
Some 30 years ago, I learned to write with passion, conviction and (hopefully) accuracy as a reporter and columnist for one of the finest student newspapers in America — The Daily Collegian at Penn State University. Today, writer Sandra Fischione Donovan (’72) writes about me and my book for Collegian AIG, the online publication of Collegian alums. The link is here.
Cherrye Moore, an American writer living in Calabria, and the keeper of the wonderful blog called My Bella Vita, reviews My Cousin the Saint today on her Web site. It’s quite lovely, if you don’t mind me saying. Thank you, Cherrye.
Author and critic Mary DeTurris Poust wrote this brief review of My Cousin the Saint for Our Sunday Visitor, the nation’s largest circulating Catholic newspaper:
“Ever since I read the hardcover version of this book, I have been recommending it to friends who are Catholic, friends who are Italian, friends who like adventure travel stories because it is at once a story of pilgrimage, a story of heritage, a story of newly discovered family love. Justin Catanoso’s search for the history behind Padre Gaetano Catanoso, his grandfather’s cousin who was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI, unfolds in beautiful prose that allows the reader to enter into the author’s own spiritual struggles and family celebrations. You will walk away from the book wondering how it is possible you didn’t know about Padre Gaetano long before you joined Catanoso on his quest for faith and knowledge.”
You’re welcome to judge for yourself. Click here.
Ok, I’m just a little excited. The paperback version of My Cousin the Saint comes out tomorrow, and I just got a little help from a wonderful American blogger in Calabria in getting the word out — Michelle Fabio, author of the popular Web site bleeding espresso. I was really happy to be able to excerpt her online review of my book in the paperback. Her post is here.
One year ago today, My Cousin the Saint was released across the United States and in Canada. It was a pretty thrilling day, and has been a very gratifying year. I’ve had the opportunity to give more than three dozen radio and newspaper interviews, had an op-ed published in the Los Angeles Times, stories published in Catholic and Italian-American magazines and have made more than 60 book talks to groups in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts and in New York City.
And through this web site, I’ve received heartwarming notes from readers across the country (and a few farther than that). The book has even connected me with Catanoso relatives I had never met before in the United States, Argentina and Brazil (Thiago Catanoso of Sao Paolo even visited me in NC last summer!). I am enormously pleased that my story of faith, family and miracles has resonated with so many people.
With the paperback due out in about a month, I am hopeful it reaches even more. Thank you all for reading and being in touch.
Sara Remington, a California photographer, just returned from shooting photos along the glorious, unheralded and certainly underappreciated coast of Calabria for an upcoming cookbook. Her photos are gorgeous (like the one above); Calabria has a new fan. See for yourself here.
This Sunday, I will be traveling back to New York to deliver the Joseph Valletutti Memorial Lecture at the Italian Cultural Center of St. John’s University in Queens. It’s a great honor, and I am really happy to have the opportunity. The event will be held at noon at the Donovan Hall Community Room on campus.
This is my second trip to St. John’s to share the story about the saint and my Italian family in Calabria. In November 2004, I spoke at the Gay Talese Writers Series sponsored by the National Italian American Foundation. That was long before I even knew I would be writing a book.
UPDATE: My talk at St. John’s was a great deal of fun. We had a good turn out, and it is always enjoyable to talk with a roomful of (mostly) Italian Americans, many of whom reveled in telling their own stories after my talk. Meeting members of the Valletutti family, for whom the event was honoring, was also a pleasure. Thanks to Joan D’Angela of St. John’s for the invitation and the hospitality.
