Maria Laurino is an American author, essayist, and journalist. Her latest book, Il Prezzo degli Innocenti is her first work to debut in Italy. She is the author of the nonfiction books Were You Always an Italian?, a national-bestselling memoir that explores how class prejudice and stereotypes affected Italian-American identity; the memoir Old World Daughter, New World Mother, a meditation on contemporary feminism; and The Italian Americans: A History, the companion book to a national public television documentary.

She grew up in northern New Jersey, not far from where her maternal and paternal grandparents had settled after emigrating from the regions of Avellino and Basilicata in the early twentieth century. Upon the publication of her first book, Were You Always an Italian?, David Chase, the creator of the acclaimed television series “The Sopranos,” wrote: “Finally, someone has had the intelligence and the honesty to go beyond the stereotypes, not only the usual negative ones (Godfather, angry guido) but the too-easily-accepted sickly sweet positive stereotypes – earthiness, the Renaissance, wonderfulness of family. Ms. Laurino’s book is so completely original and informative.” Later she was invited to collaborate on an episode of “The Sopranos,” sharing a writing credit with actor Michael Imperioli.

A former staff writer for the Village Voice, Laurino’s journalism has appeared in numerous publications including the New York Times, The New Republic, Washington Post, Nation, and Salon and her essays have been widely anthologized. In 2018, Laurino was honored for her work as a Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia. She teaches creative nonfiction in the undergraduate writing program at New York University and lives in New York City.