Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 from 7 to 9 pm in The Galleria

Free for Members, $10 Non-Members

Welcome to Casa Belvedere’s “Sweet Reading” book club! This month our book will be Given Away, A Sicilian Upbringing by Marianna Randazzo. Read the book and gather on Wednesday, Nov. 6 for a discussion led by AnnMarie Cicero. The novel can be found at Amazon and  Barnes & Noble. Light refreshments will be served; drinks and concessions will be available for sale.

About the author: Marianna Biazzo Randazzo, the daughter of Sicilian immigrants, is the author of five books, whose writing has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards. Among these honors are The Sons and Daughters of Italy Literary Award, The Morgagni Silver Medal Award, and The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum Recognition Award, all of which celebrate her remarkable contributions to the Italian American community. In her writing, Marianna explores the rich and complex theme of Italian immigration as seen in the “Italians of Brooklyn”, (Arcadia Publishing), her versatility as a writer is evident in “Brooklyn’s Best: The Michael Behette Story”, a captivating account of a Brooklyn firefighter. Her family’s memoirs, “Given Away: A Sicilian Upbringing,” has also been translated into Italian, and resonates with readers across countries.

In recent years, Marianna has been an ardent and effective advocate for Italian American literature and culture. She has tirelessly promoted her books at organizations, museums, bookstores, and book clubs across the United States. Her work has been recognized by the NYPL World Literature Festival, where she was featured as a distinguished author.

Marianna is a native of Staten Island and a member of the Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere.