It’s a little bit scary just how talented Milwaukee Catholic Home resident Paul Salsini is, as he proves with his latest novel, “The Ghosts of the Garfagnana: Seven Strange Stories from Haunted Tuscany.”

Salsini’s book focuses on the strange and other-worldly things that have been known to happen in Garfagnana, a rugged region in the heart of Italy. Still undiscovered by floods of tourists, this northwest corner of Tuscany is known for its vast landscapes, soaring mountains, rippling streams, and tiny villages, villages that seem to be frozen in time. It is also here that unknown, mysterious things have been known to take place. These eerie sightings have been known to include a friendly ghost who resides in a monastery, a soldier who died in a brutal battle, and a troupe of passed souls who make their presence known in a local theater.  

That’s where Paul Salsini comes into the picture. In “The Ghosts of Garfagnana: Seven Strange Stories from Haunted Tuscany,” he beautifully illustrates how these stories not only span centuries but are all interconnected to each other, all of course with a spooky twist. Salsini’s unique voice and perspective has long been praised by many; the Italian Tribune has been most recent to compliment him; “The author’s easy and engaging style instantly grabs the reader and his story lines consistently make for enjoyable page turners, equally suited for cold, stormy nights and hot summer days.”  

This is not the first time Paul’s writing has been published. He is also the writer of “The Cielo: A Novel of Wartime Tuscany,” “Sparrow’s Revenge, A Novel of Postwar Tuscany,” “The Temptation of Father Lorenzo: Ten Stories of 1970s Tuscany,” and “The Fearless Flag Thrower of Lucca: Nine Stories of 1990s Tuscany.” 

Paul Salsini has lived at Milwaukee Catholic Home with his wife Barbara since 2011.  He is a veteran Milwaukee journalist, having vast experience as a reporter, state editor, and staff development director at the Milwaukee Journal. Paul currently teaches in the Diedrich College of Communications at Marquette University.  

Purchase your copy of “The Ghosts of Garfagnana: Seven Strange Stories from Haunted Tuscany” here!