South of My Dreams: Finding My American Home, a Memoir

Woman plans, God laughs... Woman Persists.

Introducing a new Jewish voice from the South that tells us with humor, panache, and raw frankness her irresistible story of what it means to become an American woman today.

South of My Dreams follows the adventures and misadventures of Fania, a quixotic heroine, who dreamed all her life of making it big in New York City. Growing up in 1970s Italy, Fania felt constrained by a stale environment, corrupt society, and national culture hostile to women’s independence. In pursuit of her childhood fantasy, and heavily influenced by Hollywood films, she leaves everything behind to begin her new life in New York, where she thinks her American Dream awaits. Instead, her American nightmare begins. From miraculous breakthroughs to tragic setbacks, Fania’s path is marked by an irreparable trauma while also being graced by intense love, faithful friendships, and inspiring mentors.

Through dramatic twists and turns--and to her great surprise--Fania learns the true meaning of the American expression to ＂go south.＂

Simultaneously merciless and humorous, F. K. Clementi’s memoir is ultimately an inspiring account of a woman’s disillusionment and personal rebirth. Entertaining, original, and poetic, South of My Dreams will resonate with all who fight hard for what they want and refuse to put aside their childhood dreams.

F. K. Clementi is a writer, public intellectual, and associate professor of English and Jewish Studies at the University of South Carolina. She is the author of Holocaust Mothers and Daughters: Family, History, and Trauma.