This episode of Big Blend Radio features author Anna Monardo who discusses her new and award-winning memoir, "After Italy: A Family Memoir of Arranged Marriage" (Bordighera Press, May 14, 2024).


Author of "The Courtyard of Dreams" and "Falling in Love with Natassia," Anna pivots from her career as an established fictional author to reveal the truths she discovered while investigating her family’s story. Starting in Southern Italy, 1948 leading to the U.S. and igniting a family feud so volatile it leads to separation, domestic violence, and an inescapable legacy of fractured love. At 39, caught in her own failing “marriage of convenience,” Anna looks to her family’s immigration history as she charts her personal path to self-discovery and the adoption of her son.


Anna’s story speaks to those breaking the cycle of family trauma, the cultural conflicts among immigrant families, and the risks we take when going against family expectations. More: https://annamonardo.com/