Thursday, December 11, 2008

Local Author Spoke at Town of Pelham Library

On October 25, the Pelham Library was fortunate to have local author Robert Zweig, Ph.D., give an author's talk. Dr. Zweig has written a remarkable memoir of his multi-cultural childhood, Return to Naples: My Italian Bar Mitzvah and other Discoveries. It is available at Pelham and four other libraries. In these interconnected stories, Zweig takes readers on a journey deep into the life of the impoverished Naples of the 1960’s. It was the birthplace of his mother and the home of his extended family. Upon his arrival each summer, Zweig, an American of Italian, German, and Jewish descent, is quickly immersed in the ways of the Neapolitans. He learns more about his parents, and how they managed to survive Fascism and Nazism. Zweig includes fascinating descriptions of the city itself as well as the Neapolitans who became part of young Robert’s life and have remained in his heart ever since. During the talk, Zweig shared some of the funniest stories , and the audience laughed and was charmed. It was an excellent presentation.