In this spirited memoir, TV journalist Paul Paolicelli travels to Italy to dig up his ancestral roots. He roams through the countryside, visits ancient castles and village churches, and enjoys an Alessandria siesta. He finds long-lost cousins by day and performs with an amateur jazz group by night. Along the way, he unravels deeply moving stories about his family's past and discovers the tragic legacy of WWII that is still affecting the Old Country. More than just a spiritual account of one man's ancestral search, Dances with Luigi is a stunning portrait of la Bella Italia in all her glamour, history, and contradiction.