Freezing temperatures and about a half a foot of snowfall greeted us as we stepped off the plane in Milwaukee. But I'd come prepared in a new coat and pair of boots, having braved many winters in the Dairy State.
I was born in Milwaukee, the place where my grandmother's family settled after emigrating from Sicily in the late 1930s. She spent the war years separated from the man she loved as he served in the Italian army, and she worked in a garment factory, each enduring their own struggles. They married in Sicily after the war, and he accompanied her back to Milwaukee, where they made a home and raised a family.
Their story inspired The Last Letter from Sicily. So, it was only fitting that my first public appearances for the novel would be in Wisconsin.
My first event was held at Vintage and Modern Books in Racine, where I was raised and where my author journey truly began. I began writing poetry at an early age, winning an award at 12 for a poem called "Song of the Forest." I continued writing, and one day, my Horlick High School freshman English teacher, Brian Kelly, recommended I join the Herald newspaper. Writing and reporting on the staff of that paper under the guidance of advisor Dianne Belland ignited a passion for storytelling that would lead me to pursue journalism.
Lindsay (second from left) with the Horlick High School Herald staff
Boswell Book Company hosted my second event in Milwaukee, where I earned my degree in Communications at Marquette University while moonlighting as an editorial assistant at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Author event at Boswell Book Company
I was grateful to have family and friends in attendance at both events. And it was wonderful to connect with readers. I look forward to sharing more and continuing to honor my grandparents' legacy.
Lindsay with her mother, Santa Maria Morris, at Racine's Vintage and Modern Books