A Grain of Sand

Guestbook and Comments are closed until further notice.

View all reader comments

Guestbook entries:
Roberta Fitzgerald    Formerly from Bloomfield NJ Wednesday, December 5 2012, 09:38 am
Wonderful memoir your family is very fortunate to have. My mother worked and was a dear friend of Irma's. I met her daughter on Facebook and in our chatting she told me about this book. Thoroughly enjoyed the read. While my maternal ancestors immigrated in the 1600s, the trials and challenges of life remain the same. Thank you for keeping your grandmother's life story alive! It's a tribute to love.
Jan Saporito    Bishop, California Thursday, July 1 2004, 03:38 pm
I was looking for Saporito's on-line and came across your website. Can this book be purchased? If so could you please e-mail me the information.

My Grandfather Giovanni Saporito was born in Corleone and came to Los Angeles via Baton Rouge were he met and married my grandmother.

It's nice to find other Saporito's.

Thanks, Jan
Maria De Venezia    San Francisco, California Tuesday, August 19 2003, 12:11 am
I would like to find out if Marie and I are related in some way. My grandfather's name was Sabino and he was born in Avellino around 1870. He died when my father was ten so I don't know much about him. What I know about him is that he left for Germany in his 20's. He got married twice there with two sisters. They both died. From the second wife he had a son called Orazio who was the step brother of my father. Sabino De Venezia went back to Italy and he married my grand mother, Maria Suardi. He had four sons: Ercole, Mario, Enrico - my father - and Erminio. I went to Avellino two years ago to find more details about him and his siblings but due to many earthquakes the City Hall hasn't got any birth certificates of those days. Do you have any information? I would love to hear from you.
pablo sumonte rojas    san clemente (talca) Saturday, June 7 2003, 02:49 pm
Querida johana yo soy de talca, e igual no tengo la certeza del origen de mi apellido.Agradeceria te contactaras conmigo mi e-mail es inmortalidad22@hotmail.com yo ahora estoy en concepcion, y me gustaria conocerte.
John DeVenezia    Oakland, CA Tuesday, October 9 2001, 03:46 pm
Thank you so much for publishing this on the internet. The location of my copy is always a question through my many moves. Please read the Afterword again and think of recent events. We are blessed to have the wisdom of Grandma speaking directly to us still.
Brenda DeVenezia Chmiel    Flanders, New Jersey Sunday, April 22 2001, 09:13 pm
Many of Grandma's stories, captured in this book, are so powerful that they have never left me from the first time I read them. If any of us think our lives are hard, all we have to do is look at the past! Grandma made a lot of joy amidst tough times.
Ann DeVenezia    Mt Lakes Monday, March 5 2001, 08:40 pm
My mother-in-law Marie, your grandmother, was an outstanding, loving woman whose story shows her strength, faith, and fortitude.
Thank you, Rich, for all your hard work to bring this wonderful book to the Internet.
Mom
Richard DeVenezia    Mt Lakes Monday, March 5 2001, 05:21 pm
Rich,
I love what you have done to bring my mothers book available to all. Great work!
Dad

Reader comments,
Claudette Bodnar    Aliso Viejo CA Monday, July 12 2004, 02:42 pm
My Grandmother's maiden name was Marie Domenica DeVenezia from Avellino Italy. She married Guiseppe Pastore and he came to the US in 1903. My Grandmother followed a little over a year later. Please email
Luca    Castelletto Ticino, Italy Sunday, August 25 2002, 04:11 pm
Hi,I'm Luca from Italy.
I'm Elena's boyfriend...
You maybe don't know who Elena is...
Elena is a member of De Venezia's family as well!!!
She lives in the North of Italy and this evening she told me about this book (she has a copy at home).
Then I searched on Internet for some informations about her family in U.S. but I didn't think that a Devenezia.com site exists...
Tomorrow I'll tell her everything but I would like, if you can, to have some contacts (e-mail addresses) of De Venezia in the U.S.

Sorry for my really bad English...

Reader comments, Chapter II - Loss of Mother
lydia malley-benscher Monday, March 5 2007, 11:39 am
Marie was my grandmother's step sister.
In chapter three she mentions her by name, Her name was Carmela. I read "A grain of Sand" a number of years ago. Marie brought a copy when she visited Carmela when they were still alive.
Ashlei    Vancouver Sunday, November 30 2003, 03:32 pm
My name is Ashlei and I am 14 years old. I was very touched by this story. I have recently had the same experience. I lost my mother when I the age of eleven. I was very touched and this story made me think about all I have to live for and I thank you. My family's prayers are with your family... best wishes to you all
Thank you very much, Ashlei

Reader comments, Chapter V - Emigration
macy     martinsville Sunday, January 29 2006, 08:26 pm
I thought this was a great story!

Reader comments, Chapter V - Newark

Reader comments, Chapter VI - A Depression Story
bess38555    crossville Saturday, January 25 2003, 02:58 pm
I think you guys made the right the decision. The people who were trying to sell you protection only were trying to see how the dog would work out to let them know of law or anyone else that might be around at the wrong time.They wanted to let you guys try the dog first.

Reader comments, Chapter VII - Lee, Richard, Marie
Peter D. B. Monday, October 17 2011, 08:27 pm
Suzie De Angelis is actually my great-grandmother, and this book is fascinating. The way my mother and grandfather spell De Angelis though is different, and is probably because of Ellis Island, but oh well. Great story!

Reader comments, Chapter XV - War Draft, Tony Leaves for Service, Coolidge Street

Reader comments, Chapter XXIV - Connecting
speranza    Langley British Columbia Canada Friday, October 14 2005, 03:45 pm
I stumbled across this website...by entering Atripalda...This is where my father was born. He left for Canada after the WWII. I enjoyed it very much.

Reader comments, Chapter XXIV - Paris

Reader comments, Chapter XXIV - Return

Reader comments, Chapter XXIX - Visiting Helen

Reader comments, Chapter XXXI - 1962 Travels

Reader comments, Chapter XXXIII - Harvest Festival, A Trophy

Reader comments, Webmasters Note
Judy Wagner    Washington DC Wednesday, February 26 2003, 02:21 pm
I was checking out "Irvington" on Google, and came across this web site with the DeVenezia name. My two aunts, Rose and Vi Kedersha, were friends with Marie, and they were always mentioning her when I was a child. They were always going to this or that club meeting with her. (Neither of them had married) This memoir by your grandma is very touching. It's interesting to me that what matters in the end (as people sum up their lives) is their families ... friends are there, but not worth mentioning at an older age. My memoir would be the same, I think, though I know I will never write one.
What motivated your Grandma to write this?
Sincerely,
Judy Wagner
Victoria Dunne    London Friday, December 6 2002, 10:49 am
Hi,

I'd love to know if this book is still in print? Please contact me on the above email address. Many thanks.

Victoria
Mimi    Northwest US Thursday, September 26 2002, 09:35 am
Richard, thanks for sharing this story with us.
We'd love to see some photos to go along with the story!