The Absolutely True Story of la Befana

The Absolutely True Story of la Befana
Author: Paolo Mazzucato
Publisher:
Total Pages: 78
Release: 2021-11-09
Genre:
ISBN: 9781733640695

Part rumor, part folklore and part magical invention, the classic origin story of the Italian Befana and her Christmas Epiphany visit to all children, naughty and nice, is presented here in a colorfully illustrated storybook. Told from an...unusual point of view, myth meets reality as we learn how things "actually" happened that fateful night when three wise guys, or...wise men, came searching for a newborn baby king and got a warm bowl of homemade minestrone instead.Unwilling at first to disrupt her evening plans, the old Befana sends her three visitors on their way, only to realize later that her chance to be part of a greater story of hope in the world is disappearing fast, like slices of freshly-baked panettone at Christmas dinner. Only her own journey that night to deliver her gifts and treats helps her realize that the hope for a better world of peace and love lives in every child. A playful reimagining of a traditional, Italian tale, told through warmth, humor and a few delicious, Italian recipes.

Lessons on Jesus

Lessons on Jesus
Author: Jan (Jon) Sverre Rustad
Publisher: Page Publishing Inc
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2024-06-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

Remember when we were kids or you might be a kid now and we wondered where would we end up if we tunneled through the Earth? Well, wonder no more. In the pages before you, you will see where you would come out. Have you ever heard of an antipode? It is defined as “true opposite.” Do you like adventures? I have one right here. In the pages of this book, you the reader, will enjoy an action, adventure, mystery, comedy, and romance with just a dash of drama that will take you around the world with Chris Collier and April Mckenzie, exes for the wrong reason, who are on an adventure that results in a discovery. Don’t believe me; see for yourself.

Italian Folk Magic

Italian Folk Magic
Author: Mary-Grace Fahrun
Publisher: Weiser Books
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2018-05-01
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1633410552

In this fascinating journey through the magical, folkloric, and healing traditions of Italy the reader learns uniquely Italian methods of magical protection and divination and spells for love, sex, control, and revenge. "Mary-Grace Fahrun's Italian Folk Magic is an intimate journey into the heart of Italian folk magical practices as they are lived every day. Having grown up in an extended Italian family in North America and Italy, the author presents us with the stories, characters, saints, charms, and prayers that form the core of folk religion, setting them in context in an authentic, down-to-earth, and humorous voice. A delight to read!"—Sabina Magliocco, Professor of Anthropology, University of British Columbia Italian Folk Magiccontains: magical and religious rituals prayers divination techniques crafting blessing rituals witchcraft The author also explores the evil eye, known as malocchio in Italian, explaining what it is, where it comes from, and, crucially, how to get rid of it. This book can help Italians regain their magical heritage, but Italian folk magic is a beautiful, powerful, and effective magical tradition that is accessible to anyone who wants to learn it.

His Christmas Princess

His Christmas Princess
Author: Kathleen O'Brien
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Total Pages:
Release: 2017-10-25
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1947636480

Willow Arden adores her life as the coronation planner in the Vicenza palace. The tiny island kingdom is the perfect place to raise her baby daughter. But when Emory, the sexy heir to the throne and her almost lover, comes home after a year-long hiatus, her perfect life is shaken to its core. Emory’s spent his whole life putting Vicenza’s interests over his own. After taking a year off to live the kind of life he always wanted, he’s returned and he’s committed to the throne. But when Willow and Emory meet again, the attraction between them ignites, as white-hot and hopeless as ever. Emory can’t betray his commitments, and Willow must protect her heart at all costs. One way or another, one of them will lose everything.

The Best of Gene Wolfe

The Best of Gene Wolfe
Author: Gene Wolfe
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 479
Release: 2009-03-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0765321351

The best stories of a long and influential career by “quite simply a superb writer” (The Washington Post Book World)

Being Santa Claus

Being Santa Claus
Author: Sal Lizard
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2012-11-08
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1101600527

A veteran Santa reveals heartwarming true stories and lessons from his twenty-year career spreading Christmas magic. With the holiday shopping season beginning earlier each year, more than ever. Americans are struggling to remember the true meaning of Christmas. And who better to deliver the gift of Christmas inspiration than a man who has spent the last two decades playing Santa? Sal Lizard was in his twenties when his beard and hair turned completely white. Today he appears everywhere from malls and parades to schools and hospitals. And— from his custom-made red velvet suits to the mistletoe that hangs from the rearview mirror in his Santa-mobile—he is Santa Claus three hundred and sixty-five days a year. In Being Santa Claus Sal reflects on his experiences with both children and adults including: Christmas magic is all around us: We don’t always see it, but it is there, shaping and enriching our lives. Sometimes you need to go that extra mile:Santa Claus is the one person who can’t even use a blizzard as an excuse not to honor his commitments, and Sal teaches adults the importance of always showing up for our children. Even a small child can make a big difference: Sal has met some impressive children over the years, and he’s learned that you don’t need to be a grown-up to make an impact on the world around you. In Being Santa Claus Sal shares these lessons, along with often heartwarming, occasionally heartbreaking, and sometimes downright hysterical stories from his twenty-year career as Santa.

The Befana Is Returning

The Befana Is Returning
Author: Steve Siporin
Publisher: University of Wisconsin Pres
Total Pages: 341
Release: 2022-08-16
Genre: History
ISBN: 0299337308

On the night of January 5, in certain areas of southern Tuscany, a costumed, singing troupe of characters visits residents' homes, expecting to be fed and feted. This is the Befanata, a mumming tradition centered in Tuscany, whose main character--the Befana--is a kindly old woman or grandmotherly witch who delivers toys, candies, and gifts. The Befana Is Returning is a deeply researched, deftly insightful presentation of this living tradition that adds a large missing piece to the array of contemporary ethnographic scholarship on mumming.

Restored in Tuscany

Restored in Tuscany
Author: Angela Correll
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2024-03-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0736988424

Restored in Tuscany is the true story of a weary and grief-stricken woman who unexpectedly embarks on a messy renovation of a Tuscan village house, but finds that it is her soul that most needs repair and restoration. Author Angela Correll is under a deadline to finish her second book, anxiously approaching her fiftieth birthday, and still reeling from a string of painful losses when she and her husband follow a dream and buy an ancient villa in the heart of Tuscany. Angela soon realizes that her dream home needs more than a little TLC—this is a full-scale renovation that will stretch her patience (and budget) to the limit. Follow Angela’s journey as she restores her home to its former glory and heals her heart in the process. Along the way, you’ll experience all the charm and romance of Tuscany—leisurely meals with new friends, quirky and loveable locals, exquisite art and architecture, and the beauty and splendor of the Mediterranean.

The Christmas Witch

The Christmas Witch
Author: Ilse Plume
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 36
Release: 1993
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN:

Retells the traditional Italian tale of the poor peasant woman who, long ago, set out to find the Christ Child and wanders to this day, carrying a sack of gifts to distribute to good children at Christmas.

Take Me with You

Take Me with You
Author: Carolyn Marsden
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 175
Release: 2010-03-23
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0763637394

Raised in an Italian orphanage in the years following World War II, a biracial girl named Susanna and her best friend Pina want to be adopted but fear being separated.