In Search of an Identity

In Search of an Identity: The Autobiography of an Immigrant recounts the story of an Italian immigrant's experience of coming to Canada. Stella Bordignon was born in a small town in Calabria, Italy and following the devastation of World War II, she immigrated as a young teen in the late 1950s with most of her family to Toronto, Canada. The story highlights the difficulties and challenges of learning a new language, finding work and integrating into a new culture. As a young woman, Stella marries, has children and eventually returns to school to become a social worker. She recounts her struggles in balancing family, taking care of her aging mother, and asserting herself through her education and career. All throughout, she recounts stories of not only loss and hardship, but of love and success. This is her story of a tumultuous yet blessed life in which she seeks to understand her identity.