By Jennifer Anton
My novel, Under the Light of the Italian Moon, was born from a deeply personal journey into my family’s past in northern Italy. What began as a search for answers became a fourteen-year exploration of love, loss, and, above all, the strength of Italian women.
Set against the backdrop of two world wars and the rise of fascism, the story follows women who endured unimaginable hardship while holding their families and communities together. It follows Nina Argenta, the daughter of a strong willed midwife, as she falls in love with Pietro Pante, a childhood friend who leaves Italy for the coal mines of America.
As an Italian-American, bringing this story back into the Italian language has been especially meaningful.
In the lead-up to Mother’s Day, I’m reminded that this novel is, at its heart, a tribute to mothers, grandmothers, and the generations of women whose courage shaped our lives and deserve to be remembered.
Bio: Jennifer Anton is an Italian-American author and Under the Light of the Italian Moon is her debut novel. She divides her time between London and Lake Como.