Stolen Figs

By Mark Rotella,

Book cover of Stolen Figs: And Other Adventures in Calabria

Book description

Calabria is the toe of the boot that is Italy -- a rugged peninsula where grapevines and fig and olive trees cling to the mountainsides during scorching summers. Calabria is also a seedbed of Italian-American culture; in North America, more people of Italian heritage trace their roots to Calabria than…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked Stolen Figs as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

When I first read Mark’s book, I was jealous of the access he had to his own Southern Italian family. Over the decades, his father had kept strong bonds with the relatives back in Calabria, and so Mark goes with him on a journey that uncovers family secrets and the history of the region.

His beautifully wrought prose brings the landscape, the food, and its people to vivid life. Though it’s labeled a travelogue, it’s much more: a deeply felt story of family and what binds us together.

Want books like Stolen Figs?

Our community of 11,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Stolen Figs.

Browse books like Stolen Figs

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Italy, Rome, and Venice?

Italy 406 books
Rome 339 books
Venice 70 books