Threads of Belonging: The Imposter Phenomenon as Lived by Immigrants - and Felt by Those Who Journey Through Life with Them
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Threads of Belonging: The Imposter Phenomenon as Lived by Immigrants - and Felt by Those Who Journey Through Life with Them
Sale price
$32.99
Regular price $39.99
Threads of Belonging is a work of creative nonfiction that traces a multigenerational Italian family's journey from rural Southern Italy to the United States—and the invisible legacy that migration leaves behind.
Beginning in villages shaped by poverty, tradition, and the long shadow of war, the story follows the crossings that promised a better life: the courage to leave, the pressure to succeed, and the quiet rules families create to survive. In America, the work continues—factory floors, unfamiliar language, paperwork, citizenship tests, and the unspoken fear of being found out. Across generations, that fear evolves into something recognizable: the imposter phenomenon, not as a private flaw but as an emotional inheritance shaped by displacement, class, loyalty, and love.
With vivid scenes of kitchens, festas, classrooms, and workplaces, Dr. Mena Maria Perone-Birett explores what it means to live in the hyphen—Italian-American, old world, duty/self—and how belonging is often treated as something to be earned. Moving through "Roots," "Crossings," "Inheritance," and "Legacy." Threads of Belonging offers both story and insight: a portrait of resilience, sacrifice, and the lifelong work of claiming your place without apology.
For readers drawn to immigration narratives, Italian-American identity, intergenerational family stories, and the psychology of self-doubt. Threads of Belonging is an invitation to name what was passed down—and to belong to yourself with fewer conditions.
Beginning in villages shaped by poverty, tradition, and the long shadow of war, the story follows the crossings that promised a better life: the courage to leave, the pressure to succeed, and the quiet rules families create to survive. In America, the work continues—factory floors, unfamiliar language, paperwork, citizenship tests, and the unspoken fear of being found out. Across generations, that fear evolves into something recognizable: the imposter phenomenon, not as a private flaw but as an emotional inheritance shaped by displacement, class, loyalty, and love.
With vivid scenes of kitchens, festas, classrooms, and workplaces, Dr. Mena Maria Perone-Birett explores what it means to live in the hyphen—Italian-American, old world, duty/self—and how belonging is often treated as something to be earned. Moving through "Roots," "Crossings," "Inheritance," and "Legacy." Threads of Belonging offers both story and insight: a portrait of resilience, sacrifice, and the lifelong work of claiming your place without apology.
For readers drawn to immigration narratives, Italian-American identity, intergenerational family stories, and the psychology of self-doubt. Threads of Belonging is an invitation to name what was passed down—and to belong to yourself with fewer conditions.