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For One Piece of Bread
by Mary B. Relotto

Available September 16, 2026.

Nothing Is Ever What It Seems

What I was told. What I discovered. And how adapting became my superpower.

Born in northern Italy and placed in a Catholic institution within days of her birth, Mary B. Relotto was sent to America at two and a half years old. Decades later, she returned to Italy searching for the truth—and discovered a story far more complicated than the one she had been told.
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60 Minutes Preview

Watch a short preview of Mary B. Relotto’s powerful story featured on 60 Minutes: “The Vatican’s Orphans.” The report explores the post-war adoption program that brought thousands of Italian children to the United States—including Mary—and follows her decades-long journey to uncover the truth, reunite with her birth family, and reclaim her roots.
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Reviews
 
“You must find the time to read ‘For One Piece of Bread’ Mary B. Relotto’s telling of her fascinating journey through a maze of childhood that began in Italy and somehow brought her to Ohio. It is a well told story of secrets, family, endurance, and love.”
— Beth Vogel
"When Mary sent me the first 75 pages of her manuscript and asked me to read them, I was making coffee at my kitchen counter. I have known Mary for years and consider her a dear friend, so I knew much of her story. I did not expect that it would hold me captive that morning. How wrong I was! I opened the file to give it a quick scan, but it quickly pulled me in. I did not get the coffee made; I did not move to sit at the table. I was riveted in place until I had read all 75 pages. And all I wanted was more." 
— Tamera Bryant
"When adoption at three years old could have given her a different life, Relotto made a life of working hard, loving people and  giving back.  However, she never waivered in her determination to find her roots in Italy, her birth country. For One Piece of Bread explores her research and her incredible journey to answer the questions that had lingered in her mind for years.  The book is a sentimental journey into her life and love of family, and a rare and interesting revelation about overseas adoptions in the 1960s and 70s."
— Barbara Radebaugh
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About The Author

Mary B. Relotto is an author, entrepreneur, educator, and community advocate whose life has been defined by resilience, identity, and the search for truth. Born in northern Italy and adopted by an Italian American family in Ohio, she spent more than three decades uncovering the story of her origins—ultimately reuniting with her biological family and reclaiming her Italian citizenship.

In her memoir, For One Piece of Bread, Mary shares a powerful journey of adoption, family, loss, belonging, and the extraordinary strength found in adaptation.
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Upcoming Events

10/17/2026
Saturday @ 11:00 am

 

Book Signing
Thurber House
Columbus, OH


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