About this item
Once the hub of the Mediterranean, Calabria now dangles, largely ignored, at the bottom of the Italian boot, struggling for survival, acceptance and a place in modern Italy and the world. Little-known even to Italians outside the nefarious activities of its 'Ndrangheta mafia organization, Calabria allures with its simplicity and rewards with an underlying complexity, as in savoring an artisanal cheese, appreciating an ancient Greek masterwork or interpreting a particularly expressive phrase in the local dialect. Calabria: The Other Italy paints a compelling picture of contemporary Calabria and Southern Italy, weaving observation, personal anecdote, salient historical information and social commentary into a nonfiction narrative that combines travelogue with an exploration of everyday life and culture.
About the Author
Karen Haid inherited her love of Italy and its traditions from her parents. Raised on a wholesome diet that featured plenty of pasta, she learned the meaning of "al dente" before it was in vogue. Karen went on to study the Italian language and culture at schools in Rome, Florence, Lucca, Sorrento, Taormina and Reggio Calabria, and earned Dante Alighieri Society's Advanced Certification of mother tongue equivalency, as well as credentials to teach the Italian language and culture from Reggio Calabria's University for Foreigners. She teaches, translates and writes on Italy and other topics. Her travel writing capitalizes on her experience as a tour leader for educational excursions throughout Europe in which she developed a talent for encapsulating the essential information intrinsic to the understanding of a civilization, whether to aid in communication directly with a native inhabitant or to enhance one's world view from a comfortable armchair at home.In Calabria: The Other Italy, she attempts to answer the question, "But why Calabria? " that so many Italians, Calabrian and non, continually asked, not able to fathom what could have possibly lured an American without Calabrian blood to linger on their shores any longer than a brief summer vacation or a pass through on the way to Sicily. However, from the moment she set foot on Calabrian soil, the author was intrigued by the characteristic determination of the Calabrese people, the wealth of its history and art, the beauty and variety of its landscape, and its rich culture, most often celebrated in terms of extraordinary culinary offerings. Calabria: The Other Italy grew out of her four-year immersion, observing, interacting and absorbing the wonders of the people and the place.
