Crafting authentic characters for Emerging From Etna’s Shadow meant piecing together the past to uncover my maternal grandparents’ personalities, despite knowing little about them initially. How could I incorporate their personalities into the story when I knew barely anything about them?

As I did my research, looked at old photos, and remembered stories we were told, I realized I knew more about them than I initially thought. Every faded image of my grandmother showed her smiling, even in a photo that she clearly didn’t want taken. They weren’t those forced “say cheese” smiles, but a true, genuine look of happiness; a smile that reached her eyes.

I knew she was deeply loved by her husband and children, but it struck me as odd that most of the older cousins had no idea who Santina was. The descendants of my grandmother’s oldest sister didn’t know her, yet they all knew of her younger sister, Stella, who died a few years before her.

At first, with my wild imagination, I thought something sinister was afoot. Was my grandmother shunned for some reason? Then I began to think about my own mother and my aunt. While they shared some traits, their personalities were very different. My aunt was outgoing, funny, and larger than life. My mom was quiet, her humor more subtle. I realized that Santina and Stella could have been similar in that way. Logically, it would make sense that Stella was the one everyone remembered, but her quieter sister, Santina, faded into the background.

Slowly, an image of Santina formed in my mind: a woman who was joyful, who loved her family, was quiet, introspective, and who had a strong faith.

With Santina’s personality taking shape, I turned to the equally daunting task of understanding my grandfather. Mario was just as challenging at first. Then I started to remember some of the stories passed down to us. They were stories we all believed were true, but we later learned were not. I compared that to my uncle and my brother: both of them gifted storytellers. They could make up a story out of thin air and have everyone convinced it was true. I realized they both must be similar to my grandfather.

I started imagining the person my grandmother fell in love with in spite of the eleven-year difference in their ages. I could almost hear him telling her outrageous stories that made her laugh. My mom said her father attended daily Mass so Santina was likely attracted to their shared faith.

As their personalities took shape in my mind, writing about my grandparents became easier. The exact details may differ from reality, but I feel as though they left me enough clues to piece together authentic characters. This journey taught me the importance of keeping alive the memories of those we’ve lost.