Nassau Resident Writes First Novel, Saga Of Italian-American Families

MALVERNE, NY — A longtime Malverne resident has penned her first novel. Rossana Weitekamp, whose day job is in the public relations space, spent five years researching and writing "Where You End, I Begin."

The book explores multigenerational families who came to the U.S. from Italy at different times.

"This is a scenario you'll find in many Italian families," Weitekamp told Patch. "The constant going back and forth, between the United States and Italy."

She said the inspiration came from true stories relayed from relatives and friends.

"It's a collection of different things I've heard and embellished on," she said. "It is not a true story."

She weaves the saga throughout the 20th century with much of the activity taking place on a small island off the coast of Naples. Although Weitekamp said there are some "Long Island angles," the local locales are mostly in Queens.

While Weitekamp grew up in Queens, she's called Malverne home for three decades.

She has a strong sense of community, serving as administrator of the Malverne Tennis program since 2003 and has been EMT for the volunteer ambulance corps.

Looking to change the legacy of her neighborhood, Weitekamp was on the committee to change Lindner Place, named for a KKK leader, to Acorn Way.

But Weitekamp refocused her efforts on the book after placing it on the shelf for two years due to family health issues. It was always a side project to her full-time publicist work.

Despite the time and effort, Weitekamp believes she has another book in her.

"I'm seriously considering a sequel," she said. "I left the book open to doing that."

"Where You End, I Begin" was published last month. It's available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other online retailers.