Her book takes us on a journey from rural Italy to rural New Jersey via New Your City and spanning not only her life but the many societal changes that took place during the twentieth century. This includes the suburbanization of America after WW II and the educational changes of the 60s and 70s among others.

It is very well written – at times I could just ‘touch’ the Italian garden or the grade school in the Bronx. And others could too! I lent this to my third generation Italian sister-in-law who read it around the time she visited her ancestral Italian village, not far from where Rose was born. It added much to her understanding of her grandparents’ day-to-day life as well as village life and relationships in these isolated mountains.

She documents the challenges and triumphs of assimilating into urban American life. It is impressive that she went to an elite public high school just a few years after arriving in the U.S.with no English language skills. Rose’s description of her immigrant experience echoes much I have heard from my mother-in-law who immigrated from Ireland in the 1920s and also a co-worker’s tales of emigrating from the Philippines in the last ten years. It adds understanding to their superficially different experiences.

This book keeps you interested and it is a delight to share Rose’s sorrows and triumphs.

Did you ever wonder where your family originated? Who were these people, how did they make a living, what town did they come from or did they live in the city or the countryside and also, what were their homes like?
My grandparents died before I was one year old and these questions were a wonder to me since I was eleven years old.
"From the Door to the Gate", through Rose Tangredi's adept recall she opens all those areas for us.
She opened that "door" for me. Her poignant story made my imagination visualize the everyday life of the people in Basilicata. This was the same area where my grandfather was born.
When Rose sent me the manuscript of the story I stayed up until three o'clock in the morning, enjoying every page until I finished.
So start on a wonderful journey about a very touching success story, written by a very sensitive and heartfelt author.
We went to Italy and saw for ourselves. Bella Italia.

Along with the classic "Christ Stopped At Eboli" by Carlo Levi, Rose Tangredi's book "From The Dor To The Gate" is a must read for all searching thier peasant Italian roots
The author's account of her up bring in Neopoli, a typical hill top village in Basilicata, gave me insight into my own ancestors early life, which was very important to me since they are all gone now. Her description of the land and culture were a big asset in my travels through the region.
Reminiscence of her life after emigrating brought back memories of my grandparents adapting to the Aerican way and my mother's interaction with her parents.