Leaving America: My Life Sentences From Italy

I’m an American criminal defense attorney from California. Now retired, and having Italian heritage and recently acquired Italian citizenship, my book recites my first year living in a new country. Leaving America begins with a personal account of the emotional decision to move from a large city in America to Italy. After having represented criminal defendants in death penalty cases, these anecdotes will unfold as my “life sentences” from Italy. Why Italy? Why Abruzzo? Why Colledimezzo? The answers will unfold in this compilation of short stories containing my personal observations, thoughts, and no nonsense – and often unfiltered - reflections on the first year of my new life in Italy. The adventures are focused on the people and happenings in Colledimezzo, a small hill-top village in rural Abruzzo, and the surrounding villages. Leaving America describes my attempt to assimilate and make a new home in Italy. The experiences are eye-opening and thought provoking. From learning the language to understanding the culture. Living according to new customs and retooling my old American lifestyle to one as an Italian. Will I ever be more than an American immigrant? Can I ever become a part of this comune? My life sentences from Italy describe the good, the bad, and the ugly as an American expat in Colledimezzo, a small village of a few hundred people in the beautiful province of Chieti near the Adriatic Sea in central Italy. What a rollercoaster ride – and it’s not over yet.