The Land of the Living - by Timothy Crellin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The Land of the Living is a historical novel that explores the themes of immigration and assimilation, war and its impact on families, the role of race and class in forging identity, and what it means to find home. The story follows Angela Amorelli and her husband Tommaso through Ellis Island and on to their new life in a New England fishing town. Angela sacrifices everything, hoping to create a better future for her children, only to be confronted with more loss and strife than one could bear. But with remarkable strength and resilience, she carries on through the wars and upheaval that shaped the 20th century, becoming the force that confronts war's impact and heals her family. An unforgettable story of family and faith, The Land of the Living inspires readers to rethink how we came to be who we are.

Review Quotes

"In his epic and intimate first novel, author Tim Crellin reveals himself as a masterful storyteller. The author's deep ties with his own Sicilian family endow this gripping multigenerational story with authenticity and grace. In seeking a better life for her family, Angela Amorelli faces the indignities and complications of immigrant life in a New England fishing town. Ultimately, she must summon even more resolve to take on an unjust political system. In this finely drawn and unforgettable portrait, the novelist subtly exposes the ironies of life in an immigrant nation with a selective amnesia about the immigrant experience." --James Rutenbeck, award-winning filmmaker of A Reckoning in Boston

"A beautiful saga that follows a family across generations and the wars that shaped them, while always remaining so deeply personal that you cannot put it down. It's like sitting at a table late into the night with dear friends, listening with rapt attention to their moving tales of faith and family and finding home." --The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, author of Songs My Grandma Sang and Love is the Way

"The Land of the Living weaves together history and culture in an enduring story of family-ties over generations. Crellin has crafted a moving story that pops with romance, tragedy, and light-hearted insights about Sicilian, Catholic, and WASP culture. 100% delightful and readable." --Chuck Collins, author of Born on Third Base and Altar to an Erupting Sun

"Timothy Crellin has written an epic immigration story of resilient Sicilians who make their way to America for a better life. The Amorelli family meets their match in the Lathrops, an old New England family who have their own point of view about the Italians. When Ellen Lathrop falls for Vittorio, more than sparks fly. Crellin weaves a heartfelt story told across generations, replete with joy, grief, and regret. A beautiful read." --Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone

"In Tim Crellin's extraordinary first novel, three generations of a Sicilian family struggle to make America home while their lives are upended by war and tragedy. . . . The layered plot covering more than six decades of family history, is held together by the running stitch of Angela, the first in the family to come to America. . . . The story is riveting; the issues, profound. The book is finely crafted -- and a great read!" --Lynn Potts, poet, historian, author of The Porthole View and The Relentless Pronoun

"The Land of the Living [is] wholeheartedly recommended for its sensitivity and lyricism and its clear-eyed avoidance of the folklorism and sentimentality which sometimes characterizes fiction based on immigrant stories. This is also a book with an unflinching contemporary message in its recognition of how much America owes to immigration." --Katherine Mezzacappa, Historical Novel Society

About the Author

Timothy Crellin is an Episcopal priest, ordained in 1996 after graduating from Brown University and Harvard Divinity School. He is rector of a church in central Massachusetts and serves as a hospice chaplain. His mother's family came to the United States from Sicily in the early part of the 20th century. His fascination with his heritage led him to learn Italian and to study at the University of Bologna. In researching The Land of the Living, the author located his relatives in Sicily, and has since made many trips to visit his cousins. He loves the outdoors and hiking.