Giulia (pronounced Julia) was the daughter of Caesar Augustus. Arrested for adultery and treason, Giulia is banished to the island of Pandateria for 5 years where she spends her days in the company of 3 servants, musing about former lovers, lost friends and the children she was forced to abandon. The story of exile is woven together with historical fact and imagination. It takes place during a time of transition from acquiring land to build the Roman Empire to the implementation of the Pax Romana. "Giulia" offers readers of historical fiction a compelling, introspective story of controversy and rebellion in the age of the Roman Empire. The Characters: Giulia - A woman of the gens, descendent of the clan Julius. Damaris - Damaris became lame after her foot was trampled by a Roman soldier. Damaris becomes the stabilizing force for the exiles. Dilf - Dilf's father indentured her for 5 years' service in lieu of taxes owing to the Roman Empire. Dilf will become a libertine in 3 more years. Mishma - Mishma was sent into exile because of his foul odor from a botched operation after being made into a eunuch. He struggles with his loss of manhood.

Giulia (pronounced Julia) was the daughter of Caesar Augustus. Arrested for adultery and treason, Giulia is banished to the island of Pandateria for 5 years where she spends her days in the company of 3 servants, musing about former lovers, lost friends and the children she was forced to abandon. The story of exile is woven together with historical fact and imagination. It takes place during a time of transition from acquiring land to build the Roman Empire to the implementation of the Pax Romana. "Giulia" offers readers of historical fiction a compelling, introspective story of controversy and rebellion in the age of the Roman Empire. The Characters: Giulia - A woman of the gens, descendent of the clan Julius. Damaris - Damaris became lame after her foot was trampled by a Roman soldier. Damaris becomes the stabilizing force for the exiles. Dilf - Dilf's father indentured her for 5 years' service in lieu of taxes owing to the Roman Empire. Dilf will become a libertine in 3 more years. Mishma - Mishma was sent into exile because of his foul odor from a botched operation after being made into a eunuch. He struggles with his loss of manhood....

This is the story of a sad and very smart girl. Who managed to graduate in pharmacology with honors, she played the piano divinely, but something inside of her made her unhappy, despite having a comfortable life. Daughter of two lawyers, who lived in a splendid villa, her every wish had always been an order. No one understood the reason of her sadness that had always distinguished this beautiful blue-eyed girl.

Ciao Giulia is a raw, gutsy verbal performance that captures the reality of rape in ways you can’t imagine. Through the writing of a sparkling storyteller, we learn that healing comes from confrontation and psycho-physical penance. The sisterhood that nurtures Giulia back to humanness is a testament to women’s power to affect change in unique ways. There’s no writer like Chickie Farella. Fred L. Gardaphe Distinguished Professor of English and Italian American Studies Queens College/CUNY and the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute Chickie Farella is a creative visionary and truth-teller. Her work is fierce, courageous, honest, and enlightening. As a performance artist, creative nonfiction writer, and fiction writer, she seeks to shed light on the need for justice with compassion for humans and for the planet. In Ciao Giulia, she speaks with a writer’s voice that is bold, clear, and unflinching. Her work is a powerful addition to the literary canon of not only female writers—but all writers, male and female. Buy this book! Mary Saracino, author of Heretics: A Love Story (Pearlsong Press 2014) and The Singing of Swans (Pearlsong Press 2006) Chickie Farella has the remarkable ability to communicate core values in an accessible way with humor and authenticity. Chickie’s ability to embody truth-telling about injustice is reflected in her dramatic performances, her non-fictional published essays, and now in her fictional writing. Brava to this important voice in American Italian women scholars! Mary Beth Moser, PhD in Women’s Spirituality Author of “Honoring Darkness: Exploring the Power of Black Madonnas in Italy”