First published 2024
Young Vincenzo Nicosia watches his father get imprisoned for nearly killing a man in Sicily. He blames Alessandro de Leone, the Duke du Taormina and illegitimate son of King Victor Emmanuel II, for his family's destruction. When Benito Mussolini approaches Vincenzo with a plan to seize power in Italy, the boy sees his chance for revenge against the hated duke. Vincenzo carries out his role in Mussolini's scheme, but the future dictator betrays him. Forced to escape to America, Vincenzo settles in San Francisco as a builder, trying to bury his violent past. As World War II erupts, his nephew Alex joins the army. Vincenzo gives Alex a deadly mission: kill Mussolini and restore family honor. Alex nearly succeeds but gets caught up in postwar Italian politics as the nation rebuilds. He may control Italy's future, yet the secrets he uncovers threaten to destroy the new life Vincenzo built in America. This multigenerational story traces how one family's quest for justice becomes entangled with Italy's turbulent transformation from monarchy to fascism to democracy.
Genres: 20th-century, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, revenge
Setting: Sicily, Italy, San Francisco, America
Period: World War II, Postwar
384 pages · Hardcover · Arcade
Content warnings: violence