Description
The Inheritance
Marianne Perry
Synopsis:
The Inheritance tells the story of a family disintegrating from conflicting loyalties in Calabria, Italy. Set during the period 1897 to 1913, the region was subject to earthquakes and tsunamis; the land harsh and poverty the norm. Superstition clashed with religion and a class system ruled the people. Calabria is the perfect backdrop for the tragedy that unfolds in The Inheritance.
Caterina is an atypical woman, and The Inheritance chronicles her life from birth to young womanhood. Born with an inheritance of loss into a society that has predetermined what she can and cannot do, she vows to live a life of her choosing. Caterina refuses to allow the limits of her gender, the constraints of her class and the demands imposed by those in power to stand in her way. Caterina remains steadfast in her commitment to become the woman she imagines. Her decisions ignite conflicts and fuel a chain of events that result in dire consequences for all whose path she crosses.
About the Author
Family dynamics, genealogical research to solve ancestral mysteries and international travel are Marianne Perry’s priorities. A second-generation Canadian-Italian, she is the author of The Inheritance, a historical fiction set in Calabria, Italy from 1897 to 1913 inspired by her grandmother’s early life in Calabria. With a thirty-year career in education and communications, Marianne holds a Master of Education Degree from The University of Western Ontario (Canada).
A past member of the Board of Trustees, the Canadian National Arts Centre Corporation, she has also published non-fiction genealogical articles throughout North America. As a girl, Marianne fell in love with The National Geographic Magazine and dreamt of exploring the world. With her recent visit to Antarctica, she achieved her goal of stepping foot on every continent. The mother of two grown children, Marianne and her husband live on the shores of the St. Mary’s River, which drains Lake Superior on the outskirts of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. She continues to research family history and write non-fiction genealogical articles. In addition, she is working on her second novel and planning further adventures.
Marianne blogs about genealogy, travel, family and writing on her website. Visit her at http://www.marianneperry.ca. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Goodreads.
Author Interview
Why did you write The Inheritance?
Family mysteries intrigue me and I wanted to understand why my paternal grandmother, Nana Caterina left Calabria, southern Italy in 1913 as a young woman; sailed on a steamship across the Atlantic Ocean; landed at Ellis Island, New York; settled in Canada and never returned to her homeland. Our large family knew scant about Nana’s early life so I started genealogical research to investigate her history. I eventually travelled to her ancestral village and The Inheritance is a tale inspired by my discoveries.
Why is there a photo of a crumbling stone cottage on the book cover?
Authenticity is important to me as a writer and I snapped this photograph on a research trip to Calabria. The crumbling stone cottage was located in the mountains near my Nana Caterina’s ancestral village and it is in the vicinity where The Inheritance is set. The image is intrinsic to Caterina’s life as a peasant in this novel and I felt a personal photograph would also give the reader a sense of my values.
Tell me about the cameo brooch Caterina inherits.
My mother has long suffered from dementia and I cherish a cameo brooch that I inherited from her. It belonged to her Sicilian-born father but she knows nothing about its origin. The clasp is broken and the brooch, fragile. I have long been haunted by the milky carving of the elegant lady depicted and it seemed the perfect gift to symbolize the ailing Anna Marino’s quasi-maternal affection for Caterina.
What do you hope the reader will gain from reading The Inheritance?
Travel informs us about the world and I included a map of Calabria at the beginning of the book as a guide for readers. The region is less well known than Tuscany, for example, and I hoped my book might stimulate interest in exploring this part of Italy. Everyone has family mysteries and I included a genealogical resource section with practical information to help readers solve theirs.
Where do you write?
I have a den dedicated to writing and genealogical research with windows fronting Lake Superior in our Northern Ontario, Canada country home. I believe in positive energy and every item in the room honours family, cherished mementos and treasured books. I have travelled to the seven continents and there is a map of the world on the wall on which I record places I have visited.
Giveaway
3 print copies of The Inheritance (Canada & USA)
2 ebook (kindle) copies (Canada & USA)
3 $15 Amazon gift cards (International)
Tour Schedule
Sept 7 - Library of Clean Reads - review / giveaway
Sept 7 - 3 Partners in Shopping - review / giveaway
Sept 8 - Olio by Marilyn - review / author interview / giveaway
Sept 8 - Singing Librarian Books - review / author interview / giveaway
Sept 9 - The Autistic Gamer - review
Sept 10 - Griperang's Bookmarks - review / guest post / giveaway
Sept 11 - Il Mio Tesoro - review / author interview
Sept 14 - allthingsbookie - review / giveaway
Sept 14 - Working Mommy Journal - review / giveaway
Sept 15 - View from the Birdhouse - book spotlight / giveaway
Sept 15 - FLY HIGH! - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sept 16 - The Things We Read - review
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Sept 17 - 100 Pages a Day - review / giveaway
Sept 18 - Vic's Media Room - review
Sept 21 - Book Stop Corner - review / author interview / giveaway
Sept 21 - Book Nerd - review
Sept 22 - Essentially Italian - review / giveaway
Sept 22 - #redhead.with.book - review / giveaway
Sept 23 - Italophilia - book spotlight / author interview
Sept 23 - Studentessa Matta - review / giveaway
Sept 24 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review
Sept 25 - Book and Ink - review / guest post
Sept 27 - Writers and Authors - book spotlight
Honestly, I rarely read this type of books, so it would be good for me to try!
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