Umbertina A Novel
Umbertina A Novel by Helen Barolini, published by Feminist Press at CUNY in 1999, is a reprint edition comprising 453 pages. This historical novel explores themes of immigration, womanhood, and feminist ideals through the journey of Umbertina, a woman from Calabria, Italy, who encourages her husband to emigrate to the United States in search of a better life for their children. Set against the backdrop of the late 1800s, the narrative unfolds as Umbertina navigates the challenges of life on New York City’s Lower East Side and later in a developing town in upstate New York.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of experiences that highlight Umbertina’s determination and resourcefulness, which ultimately lead her family to financial stability. The novel delves into the complexities of cultural heritage and identity, particularly as Umbertina’s daughters and granddaughters grapple with their roles as Italian Americans and women. Through its multi-generational perspective, Umbertina presents a nuanced portrayal of family life and the struggles faced by immigrants, making it a significant contribution to discussions of feminism and cultural identity.
Official synopsis Publisher
The “panoramic, descriptive, and solidly crafted” historical novel of immigration, womanhood, and the feminist ideals of self-reliance and self-confidence (Publishers Weekly).
This sweeping, multi-generational novel begins in southern Italy’s Calabria region in the late 1800s, as Umbertina–the wife of a simple farmer–persuades her husband to emigrate to the United States to pursue its promise of hope and freedom for their three children.
Through years of struggle on New York City’s Lower East Side and then in a growing upstate New York town, it is Umbertina’s determination, ingenuity, and business sense that propel the family into financial success and security–leaving her daughters and granddaughters free to sort out their identities both as Italian Americans and as women.
“Through a dazzling interplay of American and Italian characters in both countries, Helen Barolini delineates the major concerns of all thinking American ethnics.” This is no less true today, as this republication restores Umbertina to a reading public newly attuned to the complexities of cultural inheritance and identity (The Philadelphia Inquirer).
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