The lives of Italian migrants through the eyes of their grandchildren
Viaggio di ritorno alle origini
Edited by CONCETTA CIRIGLIANO PERNA
 
A journey back to origins is a bilingual anthology containing 44 stories of Italian migrants, envisioned through the eyes of their grandchildren. Their grandparents’ lives are revealed with vibrant and disarming authenticity. Through their grandparents’ tales they've borne witness to hardship, endurance, and triumph over countless obstacles.
These stories represent only a small ‘taste’ of human experiences so complex that can never be entirely narrated. Migrants’ stories may all look the same, however they are all unique. They share a journey. The journey that determined the destiny of individuals and families. That journey is retraced in reverse by young Italian Australians, in search of their roots.
A journey back to origins is a chronicle of evolving identities, starting and ending with common denominators: curiosity, discovery, admiration, gratitude, pride, love. And if Elyssa Dent, in Tears of an Ocean, calls herself «proud of having some Italian running through my veins», we can be reassured by the precious goal achieved by our migrants.
Memory is a gift if it brightens our present and propels us towards an enhanced future.