"Timothy Crellin has written an epic immigration story of resilient Sicilians who make their way to America for a better life. The Amorelli family meets their match in the Lathrops, an old new England family who have their own point of view about the Italians. When Ellen Lathrop falls for Vittorio, more than sparks fly. Crellin weaves a heartfelt story told across generations, replete with joy, grief and regret. A beautiful read."

-Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone, host of You are What You Read podcast

"In his epic and intimate first novel, author Tim Crellin reveals himself as a masterful storyteller. The author’s deep ties with his own Sicilian family endow this gripping multigenerational story with authenticity and grace. In seeking a better life for her family, Angela Amorelli faces the indignities and complications of immigrant life in a New England fishing town. Ultimately, she must summon even more resolve to take on an unjust political system. In this finely drawn and unforgettable portrait, the novelist subtly exposes the ironies of life in an immigrant nation with a selective amnesia about the immigrant experience."

— James Rutenbeck, award-winning filmmaker of A Reckoning in Boston

"A beautiful saga that follows a family across generations and the wars that shaped them, while always remaining so deeply personal that you cannot put it down. It’s like sitting at a table late into the night with dear friends, listening with rapt attention to their moving tales of faith and family and finding home."

— The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, author of Songs My Grandma Sang and Love is the Way

"The Land of the Living weaves together history and culture in an enduring story of family-ties over generations. Crellin has crafted a moving story that pops with romance, tragedy, and light-hearted insights about Sicilian, Catholic, and WASP culture. 100% delightful and readable."

— Chuck Collins, author of Born on Third Base and Altar to an Erupting Sun

"In Tim Crellin’s extraordinary first novel, three generations of a Sicilian family struggle to make America home while their lives are upended by war and tragedy. . . . The layered plot covering more than six decades of family history, is held together by the running stitch of Angela, the first in the family to come to America. . . . The story is riveting; the issues, profound. The book is finely crafted — and a great read!"

— Lynne Potts, poet, historian, author of The Porthole View and The Relentless Pronoun

"The Land of the Living is a saga that spans continents and generations, reflecting deeply on the heavy price families pay in the name of war, wealth, and society. . . . You will not be able to put this novel down until you have stayed by Angela’s side through the decades. It is a tale of sorrow, yes, but much more than that, it is a beautiful story of what it means to find home.”

—Sonja Bolton, The Monadnocker

Reviews