What If They Had Stayed?
Welcome to a new book about a journey through memory, migration, and the Italy and lives that could have been.
If They Had Stayed is a unique blend of memoir, historical research, and alternate history. It explores the true stories of my great-grandparents—Francesco Ruggiero and Nicolantonio Massa—who left their ancestral homes in Southern Italy (San Salvatore Telesino and Sant’Elia a Pianisi) for a new life in America.
But what if your ancestors had never left their homeland in Italy instead of emigrating to America in the 1890s?
What if the letters from America never came, or were never opened?
This book traces their real journey—through immigration records, family trees, and personal memories—and contrasts it with an imagined timeline of what life might have looked like had they remained in Italy.
You’ll encounter:
- Emotional letters and imagined choices
- The rural lives they would have led under fascism and war
- Cultural comparisons between Italian and Italian-American identities
It’s a personal story—but it’s also one many share.
What lives would they have led — and who might you be today?
✉️ Read Their Stories
Discover how handwritten letters from America sparked hope — and heartbreak — in rural southern Italy.
👉 Read the Book Overview
👉 Explore the Ruggiero & Massa Family Tree
👉 Read Chapter 1: The Letters
📚 About the Project
This is more than just a family memoir. It’s a meditation on identity, possibility, and the echo of every decision made by those who came before us.
Join me as I piece together real documents, historical research, and creative storytelling to reimagine what might have been.
📰 Latest Blog Posts
- Francesco’s Arrival at Ellis Island – A Census Mystery
- Italian Emigration: Why So Many Left in the 1890s
- Reconstructing San Salvatore Telesino in 1900
📬 Join the Journey
Want to follow the book’s progress and get behind-the-scenes updates?
© 2025 RJ Ruggiero | IfTheyHadStayed.com
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