In my upcoming novel, The Ambition, the immigrant is the theme that sets the narrative in motion, rearing its head as the story progresses.

What is an immigrant? Dictionaty.com defines it as “a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence.” The patriarch of the Cippione family emigrated from Calabria, Italy, to Canada and the patriarch of the antagonistic family, the Trianis, emigrated from Abruzzi, Italy. The wife of one of the secondary characters emigrated from County Cork, Ireland.

Why do people leave the land of their birth and immigrate to another country? The answer to this question is multifaceted. Some do it to obtain a better education, some to flee political oppression, and some to escape family obligations. Still, most people emigrate expecting to live a better life than the one they had.

What is expected of the immigrant by the host country? That you abide by the laws of your new country and leave your grudges and bad habits behind, that you embrace your new country and do whatever it takes to achieve the goals and dreams you aspired to when you took the bold step to leave the land of your birth.

In The Ambition, the patriarchs of the Cippione and Triani families became model citizens of their new country. They worked hard, aimed high, and achieved their goals, leaving a legacy for their sons to carry on when they died. How did the sons of both families handle their legacy? You will need to read the novel to uncover the success or failure of the second-generation Canadians born with better opportunities and advantages than their parents.

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