The Sicilian S Marriage Arrangement

Hope Bishop is stunned when darkly sexy Sicilian tycoon Luciano di Valerio proposes marriage. Brought up by her wealthy but distant grandfather, she is used to fading into the background and being ignored. But Luciano's sensual lovemaking makes her feel vibrantly alive.

Raised by her rich grandfather, Hope is a very introverted girl. She'’s never been able to talk to man, but that doesn'’t stop her from crushing on the sexy, billionaire playboy Luciano. At her grandfather'’s annual New Year'’s Eve party, she meets him again?and would you believe it, he picks her to kiss for the new yearwhen the clock strikes twelve! Hope'’s confused, but she has no idea Luciano and her grandfather have secretly signed a business deal involving her. She'’s just too happy!

The Sicilian's Marriage Arrangement by Lucy Munroe Hope Bishop is stunned when darkly sexy Sicilian tycoon Luciano di Valerio proposes marriage. Brought up by her wealthy but distant grandfather, she is used to fading into the background. But Luciano's sensual lovemaking makes her feel vibrantly alive. Hope falls in love with her husband and is blissfully happy—until she discovers that Luciano married her to fulfill his own ruthless agenda…! The Greek's Virgin Bride by Julia James As the illegitimate granddaughter of a famous Greek billionaire, Andrea Fraser was disowned at birth and grew up in poverty. Now, at the age of twenty-five, she is unexpectedly called to Greece, where shocking news awaits her—Andrea's grandfather has found her a husband! She's promised to tycoon Nikos Vassilis as part of a business deal. But Andrea has no intention of meekly accepting a marriage of convenience. Nikos may be the most sophisticated man she's ever met, but she'll be leaving him the first chance she gets…won't she?

SOCIAL SCIENCE Hidden in the hollows of the Madonie Mountain in North Central Sicily are villages where roads and electricity arrive years after appearing in cities and towns. This is a place where the inhabitants are descended from a long line of serfs who were in bondage to a feudal lord and for whom aspects of feudal culture continue to be transmitted by elders to their children. From one such village, Lucia and Dominico D’Anna emigrated to Manhattan’s Lower East Side where author Jo Danna was born. Years later, anthropologist Margaret Mead sent Danna to that village to do her doctoral research. This was a time when winds of change from the modern world were beginning to upset the harmony of a community still rooted in the Middle Ages, where sons and daughters were pitted against elders trying vainly to preserve their ancient traditions, where arranged marriages persist. An example is her Sicilian aunt’s attempts to protect her virtue and the family honor by insisting that she be chaperoned everywhere. The Sicilian Project provides an enchanting, personal look at how rapid culture change splits apart generations and social classes. Efforts of today’s Sicilians to remove an unwanted outcome of medieval times, the Mafia, are also described.

This book documents hundreds of customs and traditions practiced in countries outside of the United States, showcasing the diversity of birth, coming-of-age, and death celebrations worldwide. From the beginning of our lives to the end, all of humanity celebrates life's milestones through traditions and unique customs. In the United States, we have specific events like baby showers, rites of passage such as Bat and Bar Mitzvahs and "sweet 16" birthday parties, and sober end-of-life traditions like obituaries and funeral services that honor those who have died. But what kinds of customs and traditions are practiced in other countries? How do people in other cultures welcome babies, prepare to enter into adulthood, and commemorate the end of the lives of loved ones? This three-volume encyclopedia covers more than 300 birth, life, and death customs, with the books' content organized chronologically by life stage. Volume 1 focuses on birth and childhood customs, Volume 2 documents adolescent and early-adulthood customs, and Volume 3 looks at aging and death customs. The entries in the first volume examine pre-birth traditions, such as baby showers and other gift-giving events, and post-birth customs, such as naming ceremonies, child-rearing practices, and traditions performed to ward off evil or promote good health. The second volume contains information about rites of passage as children become adults, including indigenous initiations, marriage customs, and religious ceremonies. The final volume concludes with coverage on customs associated with aging and death, such as retirement celebrations, elaborate funeral processions, and the creation of fantasy coffins. The set features beautiful color inserts that illustrate examples of celebrations and ceremonies and includes an appendix of excerpts from primary documents that include legislation on government-accepted names, wedding vows, and maternity/paternity leave regulations.

The history of medieval Germany is still rarely studied in the English-speaking world. This collection of essays by distinguished German historians examines one of most important themes of German medieval history, the development of the local principalities. These became the dominant governmental institutions of the late medieval Reich, whose nominal monarchs needed to work with the princes if they were to possess any effective authority. Previous scholarship in English has tended to look at medieval Germany primarily in terms of the struggles and eventual decline of monarchical authority during the Salian and Staufen eras – in other words, at the "failure" of a centralised monarchy. Today, the federalised nature of late medieval and early modern Germany seems a more natural and understandable phenomenon than it did during previous eras when state-building appeared to be the natural and inevitable process of historical development, and any deviation from the path towards a centralised state seemed to be an aberration. In addition, by looking at the origins and consolidation of the principalities, the book also brings an English audience into contact with the modern German tradition of regional history (Landesgeschichte). These path-breaking essays open a vista into the richness and complexity of German medieval history.

First published in 1999. The many available scholarly works on Italian-Americans are perhaps of little practical help to the undergraduate or high school student who needs background information when reading contemporary fiction with Italian characters, watching films that require a familiarity with Italian Americans, or looking at works of art that can be fully appreciated only if one understands Italian culture. This basic reference work for non-specialists and students offers quick insights and essential, easy-to-grasp information on Italian-American contributions to American art, music, literature, motion pictures and cultural life. This rich legacy is examined in a collection of original essays that include portrayals of Italian characters in the films of Francis Coppola, Italian American poetry, the art of Frank Stella, the music of Frank Zappa, a survey of Italian folk customs and an analysis of the evolution of Italian-American biography. Comprising 22 lengthy essays written specifically for this volume, the book identifies what is uniquely Italian in American life and examines how Italian customs, traditions, social mores and cultural antecedents have wrought their influence on the American character. Filled with insights, observations and ethnic facts and fictions, this volume should prove to be a valuable source of information for scholars, researchers and students interested in pinpointing and examining the cultural, intellectual and social influence of Italian immigrants and their successors.