My great aunt, my grandmother’s sister, Francesca Fiorentino wrote an autobiography about her entire life. She was not an author or anyone famous, she just always wanted to write a book about her experiences. She titled the book Ricordi Di Una Vita Vissuta, which translates to Memories of a Lifetime. The entire book is written in Italian, so I cannot understand all of it. She includes all her stories, from growing up in Italy to getting married, having children, going through the tough times in war, having grandchildren, and seeing all her family grow up. I did not even know this book existed until a few months ago. My grandpa showed it to my mother and I one day when we went over for Sunday dinner. She had finished it back in 2007 when she was 80; she is now 88 and going to be 89 in August. She really went all out to make the book seem like a real professional published book. On the cover of the book she has a picture of herself when she was younger. She even put a blurb on the back cover describing what she will discuss in her book. Eventually one day I hope to sit down with my mom and translate the whole book.Even though I only met my great aunt Francesca a few times, I feel so close to her now, and it is as if I knew her my whole life.

– Amanda Schettini

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