Description
Book SynopsisHow do you choose your nationality?
This is a question that Anne Pia often asked herself whilst growing up in Edinburgh. Born to Scottish-Italian parents, she was sent to Catholic School in contrast with her Scots-Italian cousins and spent her days helping out in the family café in Edinburgh. Tackling themes such as growing up, romantic love and motherhood, Pia’s memoir traces her journey as she discovers her place in the world.
Studying in France, Pia tries to come to terms with her unconventional family and the two nationalities she bridges. A truly honest book that delves into hard-hitting issues without veering into the sentimental, Pia’s memoir will strike a chord with readers of any nationality.
Trade ReviewLanguage of My Choosing throws fresh light on the Italian community in Scotland and gives its women their individual voice in a new way. This story resonates with the challenges of migration and immigration which we continue to face today. Donald Smith, Director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre
The language of the title is that of the author’s selfrealisation, as a professional, a mother and an artist. That language, born between different cultures, communities and religions, and between public and domestic life, emerges grateful, nurturing and affirmative. Meg Bateman, Poet
Bold and honest, raw at times but ultimately celebratory, beautifully written and razor sharp; a wonderful blend of autobiography and social history. Ann Marie Di Mambro, Playwright and Television Screenwriter
This is the story of a brave and clever woman who refused to deliver the lines that had been prepared for her by the Scottish Italian community that had both nurtured and wounded her. So she set about finding a language of her own choosing that would express the passions of her own restless soul. She has written a book that will challenge its readers to tear up all the scripts society has written for them and find their own words. Richard Holloway
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements
Author’s Note
Openings
A Complicated Relationship with Milk
Backlights – Backdrop to my Life
Where it All Started: Viticuso, Frosinone, Italy
The Night Neighbours Became the Enemy
The Sinking of the Arandora Star
Highlights – Early Influences
A Contentious Marriage
The Power of an Italian Grandmother
A Family and Community in Transition
An Appraisal and Matters of Choice
Walking with and Losing Grandma
Terra Straniera: An Education
Spotlights
Glorious France: A Study in Self-Making
A Reluctant Homecoming
The Copper Kettle Chronicles
On the Matter of Rooting
Good Times with My Mother
Religion and Sexuality
The Loss of My Mother
The Oak Tree
The Mammissima
Footlights
Concluding Thoughts
Viticusar
The Language of Viticuso and Thereabouts
Timeline
