It seems like a lifetime, yet it’s been just ten years since I published Calabria: The Other Italy. My intention was to shine a light on an area that seemed to have been left in the dark – the tree that fell in the forest with no one around to hear it. I found that there was an audience out there, eager to listen, from those with Calabrian roots searching for an English text about their ancestral homeland to Italophiles and other curious individuals looking for a “new” place to explore, familiar yet different, the “other” Italy.
Calabria was waiting to be “discovered,” never mind the countless peoples who had come across this land through the millennia. They conquered and settled, sometimes blending and at others merely exploiting the region that we refer to as being in the toe of the Italian boot. Set on a larger map, however, Calabria sits not at the foot of a country, but smack dab in the center of the Mediterranean, at the heart of the ancient world and what is still an important crossroads today.
EFFORT AND REWARD
My book in a media display case at the Amarelli Licorice Museum in Calabria
I have done my best to bring Calabria to center stage and am delighted to have been awarded the Calabria Prize for my book by the people about whom it was written. Selections for book club lists of the National Italian American Foundation and the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy was also a boost. Over the years, I have made numerous presentations about Calabria, ranging from libraries and Italian-American societies in the United States to high schools in Calabria, and I have been an invited guest on various podcasts. Calabria had too much to offer for just one book, so I continued with My Italian Blog and by popular demand, my Calabria Tours.
Perhaps the greatest surprise for me was how so many people upon reading my book were sparked with a desire to visit the region. They hadn’t realized how much there was to see, although it goes to reason that scratching the surface anywhere in Italy brings great likelihood of reward. Calabria, however, is particularly rich in history and is blessed with both incredible mountain landscapes its entire length and a gorgeous coastline all around – the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas that meet at the tip of the “toe” in the Strait of Messina.
A reader snapped this photo on a Calabrian beach!
PRAISE FOR CALABRIA BOOK
What a pleasure to read reviews of those with Calabrian roots who, with Calabria: The Other Italy in hand, felt inspired to make that first trip to their homeland, a mystical place that had been kept alive through stories and recipes passed down through generations.
“My deceased father’s family is from Calabria… I wanted to get to know the area and began looking at ‘guidebooks’. Calabria: The Other Italy is not a guidebook. IT’S BETTER. After reading through the first essay, I desperately wanted to know more about this part of the country that had always been in my heart if not on my mind. I finished reading this book in record time, so absorbed was I in the manner in which Karen describes the historical sites, the food and the people.”
Beautiful comments also came from those travelers with no ancestral ties to Italy, but who had visited almost the entire peninsula and had also passed through Calabria a few times on their way to and from Sicily, and were very happy to discover another corner, so rich, to explore.
“…finishing the last pages with a tear in my eye… Why Calabria? I’ve visited all regions and all the large islands of Italy, so yes, Calabria was last on my list, but I’m truly excited, and I want to thank Karen for her wonderful and eye-opening introduction to a lesser-known region of Italy… Grazie mille.”
As many readers have noted, Calabria: The Other Italy isn’t a classic “guidebook.” I tell a story, both mine and that of Calabria. My aim was to inform in both a serious and entertaining manner, to bring the reader along on my journey and to even amuse him or her as we explored.
“The content is excellent, but the presentation puts it over the top…. Her descriptions are animated, and they flow seamlessly…. I often felt as though I was listening to a friend ‘shooting-the-breeze’ about her adventure in Calabria. I had to sip a vino, or two, when I was reading…. I chuckled often and laughed out loud a few times.”
I wanted Calabria: The Other Italy to help readers become acquainted with the region, whether for personal enrichment from an armchair or with the objective of visiting.
“This book is a great resource for planning a trip to Calabria. The information about sites and experiences were invaluable for my trip.”
An Italian reader planning a trip to Calabria with my book
My goal was to put the reader in my shoes…
“To read Karen’s experiences of extended time spent in the ‘unknown’ part of Italy was a delight. Her descriptions are so good you can visualize what she is describing and feel you are on the journey with her…. I can’t wait to read it again – this book will be one of my favorite ‘return to’ books.”
And it appears I have succeeded…
“This is without a doubt, the single best book we have read on the subject.”
Thank you to all my readers and to those who have taken the time to review my book with such kind words, just a few of which I have quoted above, taken from Amazon and other online reviews, written by people I have never met but who now know me. I have done my part in bringing Calabria to light in the best way I could, and I am proud of the results. Happy 10-year Anniversary to Calabria: The Other Italy!
Calabria: The Other Italy and Basilicata: Authentic Italy by Karen Haid
Read about the fascinating Calabrian region in my book Calabria: The Other Italy, described by Publisher’s Weekly as “an intoxicating blend of humor, joy, and reverence for this area in Italy’s deep south,” and explore Calabria’s northern neighbor in my book Basilicata: Authentic Italy, “recommended to readers who appreciate all things Italian” by the Library Journal.
Visit Calabria or Basilicata on one of my SMALL-GROUP TOURS, beautiful Southern Italian regions, outstanding food and historical treasures within their context!
Follow me on social media: Basilicata Facebook page, Calabria: The Other Italy’s Facebook page, Karen’s Instagram and Karen’s Twitter for beautiful pictures and information.
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Comments 6
Auguri Karen!!! It seems like a lifetime, yet it also seems like it was yesterday. That was my feeling. I always enjoy reading your blog, and especially more now since I finally went to Calabria for the first time. One of these days I need to go with you and your tour. Here’s to many more years of blogging, writing and travelling! Ciao, Cristina
Author
Grazie, Cristina! It’s definitely an immersive experience where you can lose track of time. Traveling and writing… it’s a good thing!
🥂 Congratulations, Karen! So impressed with all you’ve done from writing your award winning book about Calabria, to your immersive blog posts, to writing another fabulous book about Basilicata, and also to your amazing tours of these stunningly beautiful regions! Brava 🍷
Author
Grazie mille, Kathy!
Upon meeting you on a previous trip in Switzerland, our interest was peeked that you had begun your own touring business . We had enjoyed your company so very much. So after reading Calabria, the Other Italy, there was no doubt that that would be one of our next destinations. And what an incredible experience you gave us. Mazeltov on your literary 10-year anniversary, Karen!!
Author
Thank you so much, Karen and Jerry! And especially for having been with me throughout my journey, from our European meeting to the book and all the way through to one of my Calabria tours this year – great having you along!