Follow My Dream

About the Book

This is a true story, rich in suspense, passion, violence, intrigue, pain and poetry. It is the tale of a whole generation told through the real life experiences of one man and his family. It is a journey into the traditions of an Italy which has now disappeared, but which was throbbing with colours, flavours and smells made more intense by the contrasts encountered in a new world: Australia, a land made up of both challenges and promises. It is a warning to both the old and the new generations not to forget how we were and what we have become. A poor boy abandons the olive fields of Calabria and embarks on a journey by ship, holding a cardboard suitcase and a basket full of lemons in his hand. He starts working when he is thirteen and a half years of age. He becomes a young man among the skyscrapers of Melbourne with his head full of dreams and his fists clenched, dealing out blows in clandestine boxing matches. He hasn’t studied, and he doesn’t speak either Italian or English well, but he knows how to bluff. And he has courage enough to discover that the world doesn’t end behind the mountain, as he used to believe when he was a little boy. Only having crossed an ocean full of uncertainty was he able to become aware of his own convictions and build his own future. “For me, coming to Victoria has been my victory. Never stop dreaming big: when you lose everything you are finally free to do anything you want.” John Volpe’s life story was written by Eleonora Borghesani.

About the Author

Eleonora Borghesani (1985), obtained a degree in Literature and Medieval and Modern Philology at the University of Padua, and has completed a Masters in Direction and Development of Human Resources at the University of Verona, her native city. In 2014 she moved to Australia, where she obtained teaching qualifications at the University of the Sunshine Coat. She now teaches Italian in Australia, and works on various cultural and artistic projects linked to the appreciation and dissemination of Italian language and culture. “Victoria” is her first published biographical novel, directly inspired by the protagonist of the narration, whom she knows personally. Anna De Peron translated the original Italian version into English. Anna De Peron was born in Italy and came to Australia in the early sixties with her parents. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), a Diploma in Education, a Diploma in European Studies, a Diploma in TESOL and National Accreditation of Translators and Interpreters (NAATI Level 3). She lived in Italy for three years, working as a translator, teacher of English and tour organiser. After returning to Australia she moved to Far North Queensland, where she worked on several projects researching the history of Italian migration to the Innisfail region, in particular the stories of the women who followed the cane cutters. She now lives on the Sunshine Coast, where she teaches Italian, Spanish and French to adults.