Come Out the Wilderness: Memoir of a Black Woman Artist Book

I read this book because the author is from Utica, New York, and is a historical novel set in Utica and based upon the life of her grandmother. I didn’t know until I read this that most of the Italians who settled in Utica in the 19th century came from the region of southern Italy known as Calabria. The novel demonstrated how their origins in a rural, hilly area affected their behavior and outlook when they arrived in Utica.

The story was divided into three parts. The first, and most interesting part, described Umbertina’s life in Calabria, and how she came to America, arriving first in New York City, and eventually migrating to Utica. The descriptions of life in Utica back then, and how the Italians changed and culturally enriched the community despite some prejudice against them, was vivid and fascinating. The second part described the life of Umbertina’s granddaughter Marguerite, as she copes with being a second-generation Italian American in changing times, and the third part tells the story of Marguerite’s daughter Tina, who discovers what her Italian heritage means to her.

The reason I gave this book 3 stars (actually 3 1/2) is because, while I thoroughly enjoyed part one, I didn’t particularly like parts two and three. Not only were the characters not as interesting, but the latter two parts were written in a distinctly different style from that of part one. This was deliberately done by the author, who wanted to distance Umbertina’s story from the stories of Marguerite and Tina. Unfortunately, it made it feel like you were reading an entirely different book, which I found jarring.

So I highly recommend part one, Umbertina’s story—it’s well worth the effort, whether you’re of Italian descent or not.