"Italian Americans of a new generation are discovering their homeland, and they could not ask for a better guide than Mark Rotella."
— GAY TALESE
"Stolen Figs is the anti-Mayle version of travels in Europe, of finding one's true home, whether you like it or not, the source of your personality and appetites."
— SUSAN SALTER REYNOLDS, The Los Angeles Times
"Stolen Figs is a charming, entertaining, graceful, warm-blooded tale, a genuine contribution to what we know about who we once were."
— BILL TONELLI, EDITOR OF The Italian American Reader
"Calabria deserves to be discovered and Mark Rotella is an enthusiastic and compassionate guide, traveling from the top to the toe of this least-known region of Italy to uncover the people, the food and the folk traditions that make up his Calabrian heritage."
— MARY TAYLOR SIMETI, AUTHOR OF On Persephone's Island: A Sicilian Journal
"<The author's intensity and personal commitment to a country and its inhabitants cast a spell .... Readers, whether Italian or not, will find themselves captivated."
— Publihers Weekly (STARRED REVIEW)
"<Evocative, beautifully rendered travelogue/memoir by Publishers Weekly editor Rotella, recounting his adventures in Calabria, the toe of Italy's boot and the land of his ancestry..."
— Kirkus Reviews (STARRED REVIEW)