Precious Cargo : A Collection of Stories from the Italian Immigrants of Matawan, New Jersey

Between 1880 and 1914, more than four million Italians left Italy and came to America. Of these, nearly 100 families settled in a small town in Central New Jersey named Matawan. This book contains the true stories of why they came, how they lived and the legacy they left behind. Told by sons and daughters, these stories are their recollections of parents and grandparents who are now gone with only our memories to keep them alive. The stories trace these brave people and bring them to life. They worked, they loved and they made great sacrifices to start a new life in a strange country with a different language and unfamiliar customs. This book is an attempt to save the stories of those who came before, to bring them back to life for future generations who never met them and may not even know their names. Through the stories you can hear their laughter, see their tears, and feel their heartbreak and joy. You will follow them on the boats, witness them meeting their true loves, and accompany them to war on ships and in battlefields. Every family has stories that are passed down from one generation to another. Many are lost along the way. This book was written to ensure the stories of these courageous people live on and do not disappear into the decades.