I'd like to announce the release of my newest
book FREEDOM SONG, a young adult historical fiction,
based on a
true story. Salvatore Arno was a sensitive fourteen year old student and
musician, trapped in a
Fascist military school in Sicily in 1899.
"Shoot to kill" and "hand to hand combat" were regular subjects
on the
curriculum and Sal wanted none of it and all the beatings and mental torture
were not changing his
mind. Music was his life and being forcibly separated
from his family and music was more than he could
deal with. He dreamed of
living in a free society, a democracy, where human life was valued and
people
could vote for the government they wanted. He made his decision to run
away, to find freedom in a far
away land he had read about called America.
He made his plans, packed his trunk and ran for his life,
over high
walls, past German Shepherd guard dogs, search lights and sirens blaring
through the night.
Nobody told him about the new life-threatening
challenges he faced, new, but life-threatening nevertheless.
“FREEDOM SONG
by Dodie Ulery sagely guides the reader on the passionate, and historical
journey of fourteen year old, Sal’s, immigration
from southern Italy,
Sicily, to America, in the early 1900’s. Dodie Ulery‘s execution of dialogue is
impeccable, holding the reader’s attention,
with its charm and wisdom. Her
written words paint an exquisite picture of Sal’s struggles, challenges,
integrity and strength of character. The reader
is transported from their
world and enters his. Her expertly crafted story, FREEDOM SONG, celebrates
diversity, compassion and tolerance.
Dodie Ulery shares a timeless glance,
an enlightened remembrance that is remarkably relevant in our modern world and
politics.”
Rachel Elizabeth Carroll, M.P.S., Licensed Mental Health
Counselor Daughter of Joseph Gaudio, who Immigrated from Northern Italy and
arrived at
Ellis Island in year of 1922.
Ulery's uplifting FREEDOM SONG takes hold from first sentence, and readers are
held captive for the duration of the action, the conflict, the characters
and the beauty of this story. At a time when
immigration issues are much in the news, Freedom Song is an
uplifting and inspiring true story that depicts the
spirit of the immigrants
that made American great."
Robert W. Walker, author of The Red Path and the
Instinct Series.
This is a refreshingly upbeat saga of a resourceful
14 year old boy's difficult but successful emigration journey from Sicily to
the United States during
the early Fascist years in Italy. The author -
who is able to create vivid and colorful visual images with her words -
paints her characters and scenes in
such a way that the reader is left with
strikingly colorful memories of the story's events long after reading
them.
Leo Christie, PhD
I found this to be a very
moving and informative tale of the experiences of a young man escaping to our
country. I wish everyone could read this to
get in touch with that
empathy that is in all of us. All of our ancestors, except Native Americans,
went through this same type of experience....being an
immigrant.
Ellen G. Wulf, Author
About the author
Dodie Ulery, a native of Daytona Beach, is an award winning artist,
specializing in fiber arts, including weaving and fine art basketry.
Her baskets and photographs are seen and sold in Florida art galleries and gift
shops.
She
shares her life with her husband, family and pets on five acres, certified as
wildlife habitat by both the National Wildlife Federation
and the
Institute for Urban Wildlife. It’s also a Monarch Butterfly Waystation,
certified by the University of Kansas and a Pollinator Habitat.
She
facilitates workshops in all types of gardening and wildlife interaction.
She’s an award winning photojournalist. A graduate of the New York Institute of
Photography, her photographic images and articles
appear regularly in
publications from all over the world, including National Geographic. She
received the Silver Addy Award for excellence
for the magazine cover
image for Sun Times Magazine, October, 2002. Much of her work can be purchased
through Fine Art America,
www.fineartamerica.com .
She
is a 1997 graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature. From 1980 to 1987
she published the first metaphysical newsletter in
Central Florida. She is a
member of Florida Freelance Writers, Cassell Network of Writers, Daytona
Writers Guild and Garden
Writers of America.
In
2008, her non fiction books, Defining Miracles and Palmistry To Go were
released by Lotus Circle Publishing. Her newest book,
Freedom Song, a young
adult historical novel, was released by Taylor and Seale in
2018.
She
has been the featured guest on twelve AM and FM radio talk shows aired across
the United States, Canada and South Africa and
a regular guest on blog
talk radio shows. ( http://www.blogtalkradio.com/search/dodie-ulery/
)
She
may be reached by writing or calling: Dodie Ulery, 158 Cone Road, Ormond
Beach, Florida, 32174 or calling 386-672-9950, fax 386-615-8151
or by email at dodieulery@hotmail.com or through her website - http://www.lightboxx.net/
Dodie's other books, available from Barnes and Nobel, Amazon and
Books-a-Million