Paul Salsini is an accomplished Milwaukee journalist and the 2011 recipient of the Sons of Italy Leonardo da Vinci Award for Excellence in Literature. Beginning in the desperate days of World War II, Salsini’s narratives have followed Resistance fighters, the Allied intervention and the brave courage of ordinary Italian citizens. Combining personal family history and true events, his epics have spanned the generations from the tumultuous 1940s to the last days of the millennium.
In the final volume of A Tuscan Series, Salsini brings readers to Italy during the last decade of the 20th century. Based heavily on historical fact, The Fearless Flag Thrower of Lucca: Nine Stories of 1990s Tuscany features dramatic tales that highlight the powerful and little-known realities of Europe during this timeframe. Drawing on real-life incidents, one of Salsini’s stories features a sensational recounting of a 1991 attempt by a group of Albanian refugees to reach safety in the Puglia region of Italy while another chronicle was inspired by Francis Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun. Beloved characters, including Father Lorenzo, Ezio and Donna, alongside others, return to star in these novellas, bringing resolution to their individual journeys that readers have followed in other Salsini favorites including The Cielo, Sparrow’s Revenge and Dino’s Story. In The Fearless Flag Thrower of Lucca, Salsini, the son of Italian immigrants, has written another passionate novel that brings beautifully to life the country and people of his ancestry. He will appear at Boswell Book Co. at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 16 to discuss his latest book.
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Book Happening:
Anne Basting
7 p.m., Monday, June 20
Boswell Book Co.
2559 N. Downer Ave.
As the American population continues to age, more and more elderly residents are in need of intensive long-term care. A new book, edited by Anne Basting entitled The Penelope Project: An Arts-Based Odyssey to Change Elder Care, describes the innovative and successful collaborative performance project between Milwaukee’s Luther Manor nursing home, Wisconsin college students and a local theater company. Editor Anne Basting will share the inspiring story behind this collaborative community-based arts project.