Miracle at St. Anna: Black Soldiers in WWII Italy

A Presentation by Bogliasco Fellow James McBride

In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Italy, James McBride will discuss his seminal first novel, Miracle at St. Anna, which was inspired by the true story of Buffalo Soldiers stationed in the Italian village of St. Anna of Stazzema towards the end of World War II.

Both the experience of writing the book and the historical context will be discussed by the National Book Award winning author and two time Bogliasco Fellow (1996 & 2000). McBride will discuss Italy’s response to black soldiers, the Italian Fascist/partisan question, and recent updates regarding the little-known tragedy.