In this fascinating book, an Italian literary scholar traces the story of his grandparents' childhood on Stromboli, Italy, at the end of the 19th century, and their later immigration to New Zealand. Painting a lively picture of life in Island Bay, New Zealand's "Little Italy," from 1900 to the 1960s, this book weaves events and themes into a moving story of the family's moments of joy and sorrow. Ending with the death of the author's mother, Rosina Barnao Moleta, in 2004, the book sheds light on a little-understood strand in New Zealand's post-colonial history, and the rich culture the AEolian migrants brought with them.