The Land of the Living is a historical novel that explores the themes of immigration and assimilation, war and its impact on families, the role of race and class in forging identity, and what it means to find home. The story follows Angela Amorelli and her husband Tommaso through Ellis Island and on to their new life in a New England fishing town. Angela sacrifices everything, hoping to create a better future for her children, only to be confronted with more loss and strife than one could bear. But with remarkable strength and resilience, she carries on through the wars and upheaval that shaped the 20th century, becoming the force that confronts war’s impact and heals her family. An unforgettable story of family and faith, The Land of the Living inspires readers to rethink how we came to be who we are.
.
Praise for The Land of the Living
“Timothy Crellin has written an epic immigration story of resilient Sicilians who make their way to America for a better life. The Amorelli family meets their match in the Lathrops, an old New England family who have their own point of view about the Italians. When Ellen Lathrop falls for Vittorio, more than sparks fly. Crellin weaves a heartfelt story told across generations, replete with joy, grief, and regret. A beautiful read.”
—Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone
“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!”
Media and Reviews
“The Land of the Living is a saga that spans continents and generations, reflecting deeply on the heavy price families pay in the name of war, wealth, and society. . . . You will not be able to put this novel down until you have stayed by Angela’s side through the decades. It is a tale of sorrow, yes, but much more than that, it is a beautiful story of what it means to find home.”
—Sonja Bolton, The Monadnocker
“Timothy Crellin’s, The Land of the Living, is like slipping into a deeply intimate letter from the past—a story rooted in Sicilian soil yet stretching across oceans to the harsh, hopeful shores of early 20th-century America. Crellin writes with such authenticity that the salt of the sea, the ache of homesickness, and the friction between survival and pride feel achingly real. His lyrical prose and deep empathy for his characters make this book a beautiful tribute to those who crossed oceans in pursuit of dignity, and a reminder that even in foreign lands, the pulse of home can still be heard.”
—Swapna Peri, Book Blogger on Book Reviews Cafe
“The Land of the Living [is] wholeheartedly recommended for its sensitivity and lyricism and its clear-eyed avoidance of the folklorism and sentimentality which sometimes characterizes fiction based on immigrant stories. This is also a book with an unflinching contemporary message in its recognition of how much America owes to immigration.”
—Katherine Mezzacappa, Historical Novel Society (link to full review)
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: 430
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