It Takes a Lifetime: Book Talk with Libby Cataldi

Join the Italian American Program for a conversation with author Libby Cataldi about her new memoir, “It Takes a Lifetime to Learn How to Live: An Italian American Story of Coming Home.”

Rooted in the legacies of immigration, family, and identity, Cataldi’s intimate memoir traces her family’s journey from the southern Italian village of Rotondella to Pittsburgh.

Raised in an Italian American household shaped by a past that was rarely discussed, Cataldi embarks on a deeply personal journey back to her ancestral home in search of truth, belonging, and a deeper understanding of the generations that came before her.

In Italy, she uncovers the lasting influence of tradition, silence, sacrifice, and resilience, exploring how forces such as poverty, rigid Catholicism, patriarchy, the Mafia, malocchio, and omertà shaped the lives of her grandmother, mother, and ultimately herself.

Through her family’s story, Cataldi will reflect on the enduring legacy of immigration, the strength of Italian American women, and what it means to reconcile the past while finding a sense of home.

Following the presentation, enjoy a Q&A with the author and a book signing.

Admission

This program is free with advance registration. The program will take place in the museum’s sixth floor Detre Library and Archives.

Doors open at 6 p.m.

About the Speaker

Libby Cataldi is the author of “Stay Close” (St. Martin’s Press), published in Italy as Stammi Vicino. A former educator, she holds a doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh and has shared her work widely in the United States and Italy through appearances on NPR, ABC, FOX, RAI Uno, and at the United Nations.

Cataldi divides her time between Annapolis, Maryland, and Florence, Italy. In Florence, she rowed with the Florence Dragon Boat Team for breast cancer survivors, served on the board of the International School of Florence, and is a member of AILO, an organization that supports charitable causes through volunteerism and fundraising. She is also a founding member of the Florence Literary Society.