Join Author Laura Di Martino for an author talk on her book Cremona House.

Laura will be selling copies of the book on the day and will have a credit/debit card reader or can take cash or direct transfer.

Cremona House is a deep, heart-warming exploration of the early years of Italian migration to Adelaide and the familiar stories of hope, despair, and above all, perseverance.

Carlo Bodoni, an enterprising immigrant builds a successful ice cream business, making him and the Imperial Ice Cream Factory a household name in 1920s Adelaide, South Australia.

Economic forces drove him from his native Cremona, in northern Italy in 1911, at the tender age of fourteen, accompanied only by his violin. After several false starts, in Melbourne and Geelong, he finally finds his feet in Adelaide where he meets the love of his life, accomplished pianist Luisa.

But by the mid 1930s, a world economic downturn, coupled with a devastating personal tragedy and the threat of another world war, sees Carlo on the brink of losing everything he’s worked for, including his beloved Cremona House.

Always proud of his Italian roots, now he’s been labelled an Enemy Alien and Adelaide’s Number One Fascist. Carlo will need all his intelligence and resilience to overcome this new challenge.

About the Author

Laura Di Martino was born in Belgium of Italian parents. She migrated to Adelaide as a child. She is a retired Languages and History Teacher, with a passionate interest in all things culture, travel, food and creative arts. Having also worked as an Italian and French language Tour Guide, she delights in opportunities to weave tales proudly based in her beloved adopted home of Adelaide.