Rosina, the MidwifeFinalist for a 2014 Alberta Literary AwardBetween 1870 and 1970, 26 million Italians left their homeland and travelled to places like Canada, Australia and the United States, in search of work. Many of them never returned to Italy. Against this historic backdrop comes the story of Rosina, a Calabrian matriarch, who worked as a midwife in an area where only one doctor served three villages. She was also the only member of the Russo family to remain in Italy after the mass migration of the 1950s. Written by Rosina's great-great- granddaughter, Rosina, the Midwife is a charming memoir that is at once a Canadian story and an Italian one.Through Kluthe's meticulous research and great insight, we see her great-grandfather Generoso labouring through the harsh Edmonton winter in order to buy passage to Canada for his wife and children; we glimpse her grandmother Rose huddled in a third-class cabin, sick from the motion of the boat; and we watch, teary-eyed, as her great-great-grandmother Rosina is forced to say goodbye, one by one, to the people she loves. |
Contents
Map | 1 |
DUE projections | 14 |
QUATTRO meridian | 34 |
SEI trap streets | 55 |
OTTO scatterplot | 91 |
NOVE Alberta | 109 |
DIECI overlay | 124 |
UNDICI Calabria | 140 |
O D I CI borderlines | 161 |
TREDICI zenith | 175 |
compass rose | 189 |
Sources | 203 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alberta Altilia Amadeo Aquino arms asked baby Benincasa birth bright brother Calabrese Calabria Canada Canadian coffee Comune couldn’t curls dark daughter didn’t difficult doctor door Edmonton emigration eyes farm felt Ferrari field Filippo filled find fingers first five Francesca Generoso Giovanni glass Grimaldi hair hands head heard hill husband Iachetta imagine immigrants Italian Italian Canadians Italy jessica kitchen knew leaned limoncello Little Italy lived looked Maione Melissa Michelina midwife Morinville mother moved Nanni and Nonno Nanni Rose Nanni Rosina never night nodded parents pressed pulled Rexall Place river Rose’s Russo shoulder Sisina SS Andrea Doria stared stay stop stories streets talking tell Teresa Teresina thick tiny told Tonino trees trip Uncle village Vittorio waited walked wall wanted watched window woman women wooden words