Josephine B. Pasquarello is a writer and public speaker with a passion for her Italian heritage, her hometown of Philadelphia, and family life. As a writer, she regularly contributes short stories to several periodicals. Her first book, Love & Loyalty (2017), is available for purchase now from the Dorrance bookstore online.
​
An entrepreneur, Pasquarello has successfully operated several small businesses in the Philadelphia area over the years through the same hard work, love, and dedication instilled in her by her family.
​
The tenth of twelve children, Pasquarello was raised in Philadelphia by an Italian immigrant mother, hailing from a simple background to find success in her life. Now a mother and grandmother, she enjoys traveling, especially to small villages in Italy, and Broadway musicals.
Based on the real-life experiences of the author's paternal grandmother, Life's Journey: A Young Italian Immigrant Peasant in 1899 Travels to South Philadelphia Searching for a Better Life and Love explores the emigration of a young woman, Geltrude Carmela DiLullo, from Italy to the United States at the turn of the twentieth century as part of an arranged marriage.
Along the way, with a lot of hard work and dedication, Geltrude-or Carmela, as she prefers to be called-overcomes enormous obstacles, from her solo journey across the seas to overcoming illness and betrayal; finds love in the life arranged for her; and begins a legacy for her family, which is flourishing still today.