Event Calendar

The Dante Alighieri Society of Denver Presents

Liz Prato, author of
PURGATOIRE: A Novel in Stories

Based on Prato’s ancestors in the southern Colorado mining towns in the first half of the twentieth century, Purgatoire paints a gripping portrait of Italian immigrants in rural America. Join Liz for a conversation about how her genealogical research ultimately led to creating her family story through fiction, and the importance of preserving culture and community.

The book will be for sale at the event, or you can purchase it in advance wherever you buy books. Liz will happily sign your copy.

LIZ PRATO’s most recent book is Purgatoire. She is also the author of Volcanoes, Palm Trees, and Privilege: Essays on Hawaiʻi, a New York Times Top Summer Read and Finalist for the Oregon Book Award; Kids in America: A Gen X Reckoning; and Baby’s on Fire. Descendant of people from Piedmont and Alto Adige, Liz was born and raised in Denver and now lives in Portland, Oregon.

WHEN:  Friday, September 11, 7:00 pm
LOCATION: Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Servite Hall)
ADDRESS: 3549 Navajo Street, Denver Co 80211
COST: This event is free and open to the public

Bring a friend and join us for a memorable evening.

WHAT CRITICS & READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PURGATOIRE

PURGATOIRE was recommended by the Denver Public Library for Immigrant Heritage Month

“This delightfully surreal novel follows the threads of history back and forth, resulting in a portrait of a family as American as only an immigration story can be.”  —Elizabeth Gonzalez James, author of The Bullet Swallower

“An exquisite blend of storytelling and family history, featuring the eternal themes of love, loss, and identity.”  — Library Journal, Starred Review

“Prato writes with the magic touch, incorporating both the real and the fabulist into one aching, beautiful novel.” — Rene Denfeld, bestselling author of The Child Finder

“Liz Prato breaks open secrets and gives voice to spirits from the past, speaking directly to the bonds of family, the pain of fracture, and how those histories ripple through to the present day.”  — Wendy J. Fox, Colorado Book Award winner for What If We Were Somewhere Else?

“Purgatoire is a gorgeous novel of connection, bringing to life how we’re tethered across generations, through blood and soil and the stories we carry.” —Rebecca Beardsall for Psaltery & Lyre