Looking Through My Mother's Eyes: Life Stories of Nine Italian Immigrant Women in Canada

By examining the undervalued realm of women's talk, this book explores the ways Italian immigrant women from Montreal cleverly use classic folk genres to stretch the boundaries of their culture. Through songs, lullabies, bawdy riddles and trickster tales, these women subvert, redefine and alter what it means to be Italian and female in North America. More than just a study of Italian Canadians, this essay delves into the broader themes of gender, immigration and ethnicity that speak compellingly to both scholarly and nonscholarly audiences alike.