Calabria: The Other Italy

What Readers are Saying

“We have several books on southern Italy and Calabria specifically since my wife has numerous relatives there. This is without a doubt, the single best book we have read on the subject…. Should anyone be in a position to visit Calabria, or is even just thinking about going to Italy and wondering what part they would like to visit that is off the touristy path, this is definitely a book to read. In fact, read it anyway, It’s beautifully written and very descriptive of a deeply historic area of Italy. Few who visit Italy as tourists, and perhaps even few Italian-Americans with roots there, are fully aware of its cultural depths.” — Amazon Reader
 
“I found Karen’s book by accident. My deceased father’s family is from Calabria and I am planning to travel there next fall. I wanted to get to know the area and began looking at “guidebooks.” Calabria: The Other Italy is not a guide book. IT’S BETTER. After reading through the first essay, I desperately wanted to know more about this part of the country that had always been in my heart if not on my mind. The author keenly observes the Calabrian people without judgement, and offers her insights into the motivations for how things work in Calabria. I finished reading this book in record time, so absorbed was I in the manner in which Karen describes the historical sites, the food and the people. When I finished, I felt like I had made the trek myself. Pick up a copy if you have any relations to Calabria, or plans to travel to southern Italy. It was a worthwhile read without having to page through the exhaustive details of “must see” listings.” — Amazon Reader
 
 “I’ve read and absolutely loved your book on Calabria. It brought back memories of my youth growing up in Gioia Tauro and going around playfully in Calabria. The cultural essence of Calabria and its people that you depicted in your book touched me deeply.” — Facebook Reader
 
“I took my time reading Calabria: The Other Italy, and savored each chapter as one might enjoy traveling through the region, tasting a bit of this and that, seeing the varied sights and taking in all the universal personalities that somehow seem more alive and exciting when you’re in a new place. When I finished, all of those vignettes merged into a larger picture of the region of Calabria, and had me thinking about when I might be able to plan a visit – the sooner, the better! The author, Karen Haid, has a knack for wry observation and artful description, and has crafted a book that should find a larger audience than just those interested in Italy. Lacking the self-indulgence of some other well-known travel re-tellings, one still gets to know the author without her insisting that she be the star; instead, as it should be, the star is Calabria.” — Amazon Reader
 
“This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in Italy beyond the descriptions of blue seas and skies which we read about on a daily basis and of which hundreds, if not thousands, of books crowd the travel section in every bookshop. I loved it and found it a fascinating snapshot of a region of Italy which is mysterious and perhaps slightly forbidding to those of us who have never visited. It captures the culture, with its ancient history and time-honoured customs in a setting of mountains and sea where the people are friendly and were certainly eager to show off their region to a blonde American lady when she spent time living among them. Written in a highly readable and amusing style, I can recommend this book to anyone with a love of Italy.”  — Travel Blogger

“One of the best books I have ever read, brilliantly written yet easy and pleasant to read. Very informative with descriptive language giving the reader the impression of being in Calabria.” — Amazon Reader