Reflections: Stories of Love, Inspiration, Remembrance and Power

A wide-ranging collection of essays centering on the author’s Italian family members.
Iodice (Future Shock 2.0, 2014, etc.) begins his book with the life story of his mother-in-law, Giovannina, who survived a Spanish flu epidemic and two world wars on the island of Ponza. His father Silvio’s story was similarly linked with major historical events and twists of fate; for example, Silvio arrived in New York City the day after the cataclysmic stock market crash of 1929. As the author reveals, his father went on to save a young man’s life twice in the same night and also formed an unlikely friendship with two captains of industry that lasted a lifetime. In “The Night of the French Fries,” Iodice recounts an amusing adventure he had with his brother Ralph, in which their mother, Lucia, covered for them after they broke the rules. Additionally, he reflects upon the nature of leadership, analyzing the traits of such famous figures as Napoleon Bonaparte, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Thatcher, Oprah Winfrey and Martin Luther King Jr. Throughout, Iodice demonstrates a clean, accessible writing style. His extensive profile of legendary performer Mario Lanza, for example, is quite informative, although Iodice’s unabashed enthusiasm may be too much for some readers: “I…imagine that at God’s side is the Emperor of all tenors who entertains him with his magical tones of power and sweetness that captures the divineness of the angels, the force of the wind and the warmth of the sun.” In a nice touch, he also includes an ode to pesto, along with his own personal recipe. The book concludes with 140 pages of quotations, helpfully divided into categories such as faith, friendship and gratitude; there’s something for everyone here, including potentially inspiring words from Confucius, Mohandas Gandhi, singer LaToya Jackson and former first lady Barbara Bush.
Remarkable stories of love, sacrifice and survival.