Literature has always been an important part of Italian culture, and that importance has carried through to Italian-American culture, as well. There have been many great books written by Italian-American authors, like Mario Puzo, for example, who wrote The Godfather.
Besides “The Godfather, Mario Puzo also wrote a few other books around this topic. “The Fortunate Pilgrim,” is a semi-autobiographical account of Puzo’s own family and their struggles as Italian immigrants in New York City. “The Neighborhood” is a novel that tells the story of a group of Italian-American families living in a New York City neighborhood and the challenges they face as their community changes over time.
Here are a few more…
“A Tree Still Stands: Jewish and Italian Women Immigrants in New York” by Joan M. Jensen – This book examines the lives of Jewish and Italian women immigrants in New York City and the challenges they faced.
“Christ in Concrete” by Pietro Di Donato – This semi-autobiographical novel tells the story of an Italian immigrant family living in the tenements of New York City.
“The House of God’s Laughing Mouth” by Robert Viscusi – This novel explores the experiences of Italian-American families in Brooklyn in the early 20th century.
“The Italian Americans: A History” by Maria Laurino – This book provides a comprehensive history of Italian-Americans in the United States, from their early immigration to the present day.
“The Big Night and Other Stories” by Joseph Papaleo – This collection of short stories explores the experiences of Italian-Americans living in New York City.
“Lucia, Lucia” by Adriana Trigiani – This novel follows the life of a young Italian-American woman in the 1950s and explores themes of family, love, and identity.
If you have any other suggestions beyond the ones mentioned here, please let us know and we will update this page.
And if you’re interested in literature, read more here about the origins of Italian Literature: La letteratura italiana.