If You Eat, You Never Die: Joyous and Heartbreaking Stories of First-Generation Italian American Family Life in Chicago

by Tony Romano

In a neighborhood on Chicago's outskirts, Fabio and Lucia Comingo have built a new American life—and struggle to comprehend the influences that distract and change their restless young sons. Through this masterful evocation of a time and place, Tony Romano, the acclaimed author of When the World Was Young , brings a first-generation Italian American family vividly and poignantly alive in closely related tales at once joyous, heartbreaking, and honest. Weaving two dozen stories into a stunning, cohesive family history, Romano gives readers hope for togetherness amid the painful generational cycle of loss and redemption—as children grow and learn, and decide which treasures of cultural inheritance they will cherish.

Genres: Short Stories

257 pages, Paperback

First published December 20, 2008

Reviews

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were so many stories in this book that reminded me of my life growing up among immigrant parents and extended family/community. I appreciated the changing voices in the different chapters. What I did not like was that the sons had issues with infidelity. It reminds me of the scene in Moonstruck when Olympia Dukakis asks why men cheat--because they fear death. It just pulled me out of the immigration narrative and into something that is all over our daily political and entertainment news. And there was no "real" crisis of identity in the sons' experience of it; the mother, on the other hand... that was more integrated into her very existence as an immigrant! (though, admittedly, not as important as food--but what is?)

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are some solid stories. Nicely done. I like the bigger framework the book fits them into as well. Warm and focused.

[Katy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had really good intentions. I wanted to like it. I stuck it out to the bitter end, but unfortunately that's what it was: bitter.

The author is an Italian American whose parents immigrated to the US in the 60s. Each chapter is a vignette from their lives growing up in Chicago as immigrants and trying to make ends meet. I’m a sucker for that shit, but bouncing from narrator to narrator each chapter did little to help character development. I think had the author chosen one narrator (preferably himself) and divided the chapters by event it would have been more effective. As it was, it left me feeling like I was just reading words with no meaning.

I’m surprised. NPR’s Louisa Lim gushed about this book, and she’s super smart. Bad Louisa.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similiar to Daniel Handler's Adverbs, but infinitely more readable, Romano's If You Eat, You Never Die is almost a series of short stories, told from the different perspectives of the different family members. The book progresses chronologically, but also haphazardly, and while the jumping can be distracting in a few stories, the characters themselves are so well developed it's worth having to flip around to figure out to whom the author is referring. I almost wished I was listening to an audiobook, the mother's Italian accent was so well written. I could almost hear her. And of course, I finished the book wanting to eat a big bowl of pasta with red sauce.

[TalGarik · Rating 1 out of 5]

broken-english and google-translated italian. Seven narrators guide us through the americanization of three generations of Italian-Americans, the broken-english of the title sounds authentic and it is full of promise, but the stories set in Italy fail to describe a reliable image of southern Italy in the nineteen-forties, but the irritating feature of the book is the broken-italian we have to meet every time Romano's characters speak Italian: "papers to sign" becomes "carta insegna" instead of the correct "documento da firmare" - Signor Romano gets paid for his writing, why is he behaving like a "dilettante"?

[Elc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both funny and sad--especially moving at the end when a son recounts his mother's death. Romano's stories make me think that the lives of first-generation immigrants of all ethnicities aren't too different--that their children experience the same sorts of tension that pull between the old world (their parents' traditions and ways of doing things) and the new (the American one).

[Brett Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

A set of tales told by an array of narrators, this story will take you from the streets of Chicago to the fields of Italy in a story of family, marriage, and real life problems faced by immigrants and their children as they acclimate to the New World in Chicago.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Culturally interesting, but the characters are not especially developed, which I like prefer. Still worth reading, though.

[Kipahni · Rating 3 out of 5]

a four person narrative about an italian american family. each chapter has a distinct voice which makes this a good read.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely gutsy stories about 1st generation growing up in America.

[Lwyatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

So close to home! Great Italian story taking place in Chicago.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each chapter is a little short story of this italian american family building a life in Chicago. An easy, entertaining read.