Debut author Timothy Crellin’s The Land of the Living is a gripping story that follows a Sicilian immigrant family in 20th-century Massachusetts through three generations and three major wars. Angela Amorelli sacrifices everything for her husband’s American Dream, only to be confronted with more loss and strife than one could shoulder. But with remarkable strength and resilience, she carries her family through war and crisis, determined to make her husband’s dream a reality even while uncontrollable forces work against her. With this elaborate saga, Crellin provides astute commentary on societal notions of race and immigration, war’s unyielding impact on families, and the importance of cultural and familial identity.
As a reader, you will develop deep connections with each Amorelli as they grow up, following them on their journeys through love, self-discovery, and life-altering realizations. This heartrending story, based on the author’s family history, will move you to tears, laughter, and excitement time and again as you discover with the characters what is truly important in life.
Advance Praise for The Land of the Living
“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 and author of Songs My Grandma
Sang and Love is the Way
“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
“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. Men are killed in battle, widows try to make new lives, and sons without fathers seek an identity in their strange, new homeland. The layered plot of immigrant struggle, 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 – and the one Crellin uses to end the novel with a delicately tied knot. The story is riveting; the issues, profound. The book is finely crafted — and a great read!”
About the Author
Timothy Crellin is an Episcopal priest, ordained in 1996 after graduating from Brown University and Harvard Divinity School. He is rector of a church in central Massachusetts and serves as a hospice chaplain. His mother’s family came to the United States from Sicily in the early part of the 20th century. His fascination with his heritage led him to learn Italian and to study at the University of Bologna. In researching The Land of the Living, the author located his relatives in Sicily and has since made many trips to visit his cousins. He loves the outdoors and climbs Mt. Monadnock at least once a week. He is also a gardener, bread baker, and Boston sports fan.
SPECS
The Land of the Living
FICTION
Paperback Original with textured linen cover stock
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Page Count: 440
Price: $21.95 (CA $29.95)
ISBN: 979-8-9904801-1-7
Publication Date: February 25, 2025
Distributor: IPG/Chicago, Ingram.
Rights sold: All rights available.
Rights & PR: Dede Cummings, dede@greenwriterspress.com
Distributor: IPG; also available through Follett/Baker & Taylor, Ingram, and other wholesalers.
Individuals can pre-order directly from Bookshop.org, or contact your local, independent bookstore.
Booksellers, libraries, colleges/universities, gift shops, etc., can order through IPG:
Independent Publishers Group
814 N. Franklin Street
Chicago, IL 60610
Order Placement: (800) 888-4741
To request an advance reader copy—digital or print—email dede@greenwriterspress.com