Growing Up Italian in God's Country

by Patricia Costa Viglucci

Growing Up Italian in God's Country: Stories From the Wilds of Pennsylvania details the struggles and triumphs of four generations of the author's family from 1891 when her great-grandfather Giuseppe Policastro emigrated from the middle Apennines east of Salerno to the virgin forests of North Central Pennsylvania to find work on the legendary logging railroad, the Buffalo and Susquehanna. Her great-grandmother Vittoria followed in 1895, walking 35 miles with four small children to get to the steamship in Naples. Interviews with family members including two great-aunts in their late nineties give this story an on-the-scene quality. Other family members tell their stories in their own words including the author's father, Sam Costa Sr., who relates how he was pulled from the raging waters of the 1911 Austin, PA. paper mill dam break which claimed 78 lives. There are also first hand accounts from other relatives and neighbors, some now in their eighties, who talk about growing up in the Twenties and Thirties during the Depression. The author concludes with her own memories of schooldays in the Forties, of the impact of World War II on their mountain towns, and the idyllic holidays and vacations at her maternal grandparents' home deep in the Susquehannock Forest alongside the Sinnemahoning Creek. Kerosene lamps, patchwork quilts and homemade noodles against a backdrop of dirt roads, mountain streams and a one-room schoolhouse figure in the telling as do a mangy bobcat, rattlesnakes and a railroad that wound around the mountain in what was once a booming logging town. Despite the hardships recorded, the book is laced with humor.

Genres: Nonfiction

251 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

About the author

From author's website: "I am a native of Potter County in north central Pennsylvania which is still the wildest part of the Commonwealth. The wooded Allegheny Mountains have been my spiritual haven from an early age. The sun filtering down through tall trees to the pine-needle floor, the scent of hemlock, and the murmur of rock-filled mountain streams spell home to me.

I was born in Austin, Pa. A thriving boom town of 3,000 in the early 1900s, the hamlet is now the home of some 600 residents, who have built a wonderful repository of historical items. The Austin Historical Society and the E.O. Austin museum tells the story of Austin’s early days, most notably its logging history and the dam break of 1911. My father, Sam Costa, then 4, was one of those who escaped the raging waters."

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the author as a first read winner.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about four generations of Italian Americans in their success and struggle in rural Pennsylvania. Patricia Costa Viglucci hit a home run with this book. I felt like she was sitting next to me,showing pictures and telling me humorous tales of her family. I especially liked the tale of the nail polish and two coats and Jesus and his appendix. As a third generation Italian American I often wondered about stories of the old world as my grandfather passed on in 1996. While I was reading I could better understand the customs, beliefs, and roots of the Italians.Thank you for an enjoyable book.

[Gina Fabiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

An immigrant’s history. The beauty and love of the Italian family. Generational traditions, beliefs and values ingrained in their struggle to survive and thrive in a new world. Bravo!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this book. I am from southeastern PA, but travel through the northern forests at least once every year, usually more. It was a delight to realize in the opening pages that I had driven by or walked around most every one of the places the author writes about. I know where the old paper mill and Costello tannery were, driven the road to Cherry Springs, photographed the Bayless house, etc. I've camped at the state parks around the area, like Cherry Springs and Sizerville, and explored the dam park along Freeman Run. I photograph the places and the buildings and tell my students about them when I return home and teach older adults about the geography of PA, but now, reading Pat's book is filling those places with real people. It's a treat, since I'm not too comfortable going up to strangers to ask them about their town, unless I stop by a museum or shop and strike up a friendly conversation. It's giving me a whole new layer of familiarity, even if so much has changed. Keeping track of the generations was a little tricky at times, and I sometimes felt like I was listening in on stories told at a family reunion, but all that has ended up adding to the charm and keeping me interested.

[Kayt18 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Fun information about growing up Italian. Got an extra book as well. Both are well written and enjoyable to read. Even to someone that isnt Italian like me. These are really interesting. I received a copy from Goodreads for an honest review.

[Lacinda Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this book and I feel as if I am having a warm conversation with family. Patricia is engaging and her life is very interesting, I'm grateful for the peek inside her memories.