IN THIS HEART-WARMING AND TANTALIZING STORY, the middle-aged narrator sets off on what he thinks will be a very simple journey of returning his father's remains for burial to his hometown in the south of Italy. And while doing that, he hopes to enjoy all the wonderful art and architecture of Italy, on this his very first trip. But as is often true in these stories, the leading character is actually on a different journey than he thinks. Once in his father's hometown, he begins to unravel the mystery of his father, a stern and withholding man with whom he had a very uneasy and difficult relationship, and the mysteries and the secrets he uncovers are not only surprising but also shocking. And they lead him to a more accepting and kinder knowledge of himself. And he discovers, with a sensitivity and also a wonderful sense of humor, that we do indeed "travel to achieve an inner change." MY VILLA IN CALABRIA by Vincent Romeo "....an emotionally charged work of fiction...tells the story of Tony Romeo... who returns his father's ashes to his ancestral home in Calabria." -Kirkus Review "In the most compelling storyline in the book, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with an eccentric, English-speaking painter named Artemis, known in town as a "pizza," or crazy, for gathering in traditional costume." "An admirable...novel about the importance of family roots."