The Last Lady of Mulberry: A Story of Italian New York

In the bustling taverns of a Genoese mountain village, a young carver named Armando wrestles with the shadow of his aging uncle’s modest reputation. Though his hands shape ten‑inch saints, his imagination yearns for something grander, spurred by a night of barbera and whispered stories of marble triumphs. When his uncle dies, Armando vows to create a masterpiece that will raise his name from the low hills to the heavens, clutching a photograph of Falguière’s celebrated Juno as his talisman.

The narrative follows Armando’s restless spirit as he wrestles with family expectations, the lure of distant seas, and the promise of a new world where his art might finally break free. Along the way, colorful characters—craftsmen, merchants, and dreamers—populate his journey, hinting at a future that stretches far beyond Italy’s craggy peaks. Listeners will be drawn into a vivid portrait of ambition, tradition, and the early stirrings of an Italian diaspora poised on the brink of change.