This week we published the third in a series of five ‘easy reader’ ebooks which tell the story of three generations of an Italian family that emigrates to the USA.
If you missed Libri 1 and 2, you’ll find them here:
Colpa della terra, Libro 1, Colpa della terra, £7.99 | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Colpa della terra, Libro 2, La traversata, £7.99 | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Libro 3 begins approximately ten years after the first one, in the first decade of the twentieth century and is narrated by Antonio, one of the twins. He came to New York from Italy when he was just as a child, but is now a young man, a merchant sailor, and hoping to start of a family of his own.
“Forza, maledetti italiani! Che avete? Non volete lavorare? Volete stare seduti sugli alberi a prendere il sole senza fare niente, come siete abituati al paese vostro?! Forse volete diventare ancora più negri dei negri!” Un giovane americano spavaldo e arrogante ci insulta con disprezzo, sventolando alcuni fogli che ha in mano.
Siamo tutti ragazzi giovani, poveri e abbastanza affamati, quindi lavoriamo per poco. La paga che ci ha offerto, però, è davvero troppo bassa. Sento due siciliani che parlano tra loro e uno dice: “No, compare, per questi quattro spiccioli non lavoro. Mi rifiuto! Non siamo bestie.”
Io sto in silenzio guardando il mare e poi mi giro verso la mia ragazza, che è venuta ad accompagnarmi al porto. Vengo umiliato dal reclutatore di marinai proprio davanti a lei, ma non ho il coraggio di ribellarmi. Rosalba, la mia fidanzata, mi dice all’orecchio: “Andiamo via, Antonio, domani ci sarà un’occasione migliore.”
- .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
- .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
- 8 chapters to read and listen to!
- Comprehension questions to check your understanding
- Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
- Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Buy Colpa della terra, Libro 3, Senza dire niente, just £5.99 this week only! | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
And the others in the series are:
- Colpa della terra, Libro 1, Colpa della terra, £7.99 | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
- Colpa della terra, Libro 2, La traversata, £7.99 | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
What if B2/C1 (upper-intermediate/advanced) is too hard, or too easy for you?
There are plenty of easier, and harder, stories listed, by type and in level order, on our Catalog page.
And they all have free sample chapters, which means you can evaluate the level and format of the material, and check that you know how to open it on the device you plan to use it on, BEFORE buying…
How do I access my ebook?
When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after payment), a download link will be automatically emailed to you. It’s valid for 7 days and 3 download attempts so please save a copy of the .pdf ebook in a safe place. Other versions of the ebook (.mobi/Kindle-compatible, .epub) cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them.
P.S.
Tuesday’s bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news (text + audio) was published this morning.
You can read/listen to it FOR FREE here.
