Whenever his father repeated those words, Anthony Pirozzi Jr. felt a sense of emptiness because he came from San Pedro, California-just one generation apart but a culture and era vastly different from his father Tony's early life in Italy. Realizing that one day he would not have access to the last generation linking him back to the old country, Anthony set out to better understand the meaning behind his father's message.

Over the decades, Anthony listened to his father's stories about growing up on the beautiful island of Ischia off the coast of Naples. Some stories were humorous-two young boys filling their shirts with apricots and figs-and others were harrowing-American planes flying over the island on bombing raids to Naples during World War II. All his father's stories created a deep sense of longing in Anthony to know where he came from.

Apricots & Figs is a family journey of love, passion, and discovery; it celebrates an unbreakable relationship between an immigrant father and his American-born son.