Sicilian Knight

The blind old man tapped the boy’s shoulders with a long loaf of bread: “Angelino, you’re now a Sicilian knight. When you get on that ship and go to America, you have to stand up to bullies, show them you’re not afraid, never cry and defend all girls.” When Giuseppe Angelo stepped off the Queen Frederika and on American soil for the first time, on that day after Labor Day in 1955, the old man’s words were still echoing in his ears. He spent the first two weeks at P.S.112 getting beat up by bullies and trying to save girls from hair pullings and foot trips by the “bad” boys. But he didn’t show fear and he never cried. The old man would’ve been proud.

Through an exciting personal autobiography, Sicilian Knight tells the story of a Sicilian immigrant boy struggling to adapt to life in the United States. On his road to assimilation. the 9 year old overcomes homesickness, making new friends, and fighting bullies. Giuseppe used 1950s TV cultural icons (Superman, Hopalong Cassidy, Davy Crockett, the Cisco Kid), fads, hobbies (baseball cards and comic books) and the Boys Club (sports, games) to learn English as quickly as possible. Knowing that he would be put in first grade with his 6 year old sister if he didn’t learn his new language was also a huge incentive.

Sicilian Knight is a slice of time, a sweet little vignette, that takes place in 1955. The timeless school age struggles engage grandparents, grandkids and everyone in between who appreciate success stories about focusing on a goal, showing courage, and never giving up until that goal is achieved. But most of all, Sicilian Knight is a happy, coming-of-age tale that inspires readers to find strength to face new adventures without forgetting the importance of where they came from.