S. M. Nostrini - Emilia and the Monument Builder: Remembering the Sacrifice

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Emilia and the Monument BuilderEmilia and the Monument Builder

REMEMBERING THE SACRIFICE

SM Nostrini

In loving memory of Jack, Emily, Silvana and Aldo

(Australia)

Franca, Nino and Adriana

(Italia)

Contents

Authors Note

Acknowledgements

Maps

Prologue

Part One Italia

Chapter 1 Coming and Going

Chapter 2 A Budding Romance

Chapter 3 Rumours of War

Chapter 4 War Time

Chapter 5 Reunion

Chapter 6 1941

Chapter 7 Spring

Chapter 8 On the Battlefront

Chapter 9 Escape

Chapter 10 A Long Way to Go

Chapter 11 The Fall of Fascism

Chapter 12 Celebrations

Chapter 13 Departure

Part Two Australia

Chapter 14 A Sunburnt Country

Chapter 15 The Time Has Come

Chapter 16 Oceania

Chapter 17 A New Beginning

Chapter 18 Struggles

Chapter 19 Renzo from Boffetto

Chapter 20 Reckoning

Chapter 21 I Do

Chapter 22 Monumental Decisions

Part Three Ever After

Chapter 23 Return Tickets

Chapter 24 Adversity

Chapter 25 The Park and The Lodge

Chapter 26 Mamma

Dear Reader

I had long admired the courage of my mother-in-law, Emily Nostrini, for the challenge she faced to leave her home and family to join her husband on the other side of the world. My respect has grown beyond measure as I discovered details I never knew before.

Our family pride in my father-in-law, Jack Nostrini, for his significant contribution to the construction of the Anzac Desert Mounted Corps Memorial on Mt Clarence continues today. While the heritage listed monument states Harold Hartman as the stonemason, it was in fact, Jack who erected the block work. He was assisted by Adam Rodolewicz and other labourers who worked for Mr Hartmans sub-contract builder, George Hodgson. June Hodgson gave the family several photographs of Jack as he worked on the memorial and some of these are at the back of the book. Harold Hartman, brother of Alice Hartman, owned the stone quarry on Mt Melville. It would seem his business cut and supplied the granite paving slabs that sit between the monument and the surrounding semi-circular wall.

My thanks go to each family member for allowing me to probe their memories to create this story. Special thanks to Rosie and Aldo (sadly, he has since passed away) for all the time they gave me. Aldos penchant for detail and dates was invaluable. These threads of fact are woven into a fabric of fiction to re-create Jack and Emilys journey written for their descendants. I hope this depiction of their lives will help those who follow to understand their Italian-Australian roots. Other readers may recognise similar stories within their own families and the sacrifices made for a better life other than the one expected in their time.

Where the lines of fact and fiction blur, and where events have not necessarily been used in chronological order, this has been for the sake of storytelling. Some names have been changed, and any fictitious character that resembles a real person is purely coincidental. Regarding historical detail, any errors are mine.

Writing this novel has been a rewarding experience for me. My confidence in pursuing such a task has at times been challenging, but saying that it has also grown me as a person. I have loved the research, reading copious books and accessing the voluminous amount of information available on the internet. I often felt like I was walking alongside Emily and Jack in their experiences, which has been an emotional journey in itself.

I trust I have honoured the two people we have loved dearly and miss daily. I hope you enjoy and appreciate Emilia and the Monument Builder.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE assistance of draft copy proofing by Richard Pittman, Sharron Wise and Audrey Payne. Thanks, Audrey, for our writing mornings in our booth at Dome on Fridays. Also, for the encouragement received from family and close friends, particularly my husband, Steve, to help me persevere with the project to completion.

Albany Summer School writing classes in 2017 and 2018 were positive learning experiences. Input from our Great Southern Writers Group is valued and appreciated, and I thank my church family for their prayer support.

John 15:12-14 (NIV) My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.

Love and sacrifice go hand-in-hand. God gave us the greatest example in giving His Son for us. These traits have also been demonstrated in families throughout time, and I thank God for the gift of these actions expressed through the words on these pages.

Emilia in Morbegno

Giovanni in 1942

Main Characters

Del Barba Family:

Lorenzo (Papa)

Rosa (Mama)

Emilia (Emily)

Giacomo (Nino)

Franca

Anna-Maria

Giuliana

Nostrini Family:

Cesare (Father) (Chez-uh-ray)

Silvia (Mother)

Giovanni (Jack)

Bruno

Francesco

Luigi

Maria

Luciano

Rosanna (Rosie)

Cesare (Cesarino - Ces)

Silvana (Sil)

Steven (Steve)

Nadia (Nard)

FromMorbegno: (Mor-ben-yo)

Raphael Bartolucci (Raph)

Lonconi Brothers

Renato (Alpino)

Guido Della Vedova

FromSondrio:

Carla Negri

Aldo Scamozzi (Renzo)

FromGenoa:

Mimi

FromSomma Lombardo:

Zio (Uncle) Peppino (Zio Pino)

Zia (Aunt) Chiara

FromLago di Como:

Nunzio

InAlbany:

Peter and Teresa Caraffa

Geoff and Olive Preston

Bruno and Bruna Rizzi

Alberto DAlesio (Albert)

Patricia Ann Thomas (Pat)

Sheryl Lawrence

John Knuiman

Part One Map of Europe

Part Two Map of Australia

Part Three Town of Albany

Morbegno, Northern Italy

January 13, 1922

The faint odour of paint mingled with wood smoke from the open fire in the next room made Rosa feel nauseous. She glanced out the window through the lace curtain to where snow crystals were illuminated by the moonlight, glistening on the pathway.

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