Vincent B. "Chip" LoCoco

There are 2 intersecting storylines. One is a lovely tale of a Sicilian community helping Jews evade the Nazis during WWII. (I would have liked to hear more about these interesting characters.) The other is set at the Vatican and aims to vindicate the apparent lack of action from the Pope. I found this storyline repetitive and slow-going, so I was skimming through it wanting to get back to Sicily.
Though the book is the second in the series, it worked well as a standalone.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the complimentary copy of this book; my review is an honest one.… (meer)

Bellafortuna, in the early twentieth century, did not live up to its name (good fortune). While it had once been a thriving village on the Sicilian coast, famous for its wines and olives, the Vasaios family, very wealthy businessmen, provided the villagers with high interest loans and when they could not repay them after national disasters, the Vasaioses took over the farms and bought the crops at low rates.
Most of the people were Catholic and their philosophy was to live as good a life as they could and their reward would be in paradise after their death. They wondered, though, why their religious leaders remained silent.
Music was a very important part of their lives and many of the villagers went to the opera in Italy at least once a year, even though other attendees attacked them because of their poverty. One year, Giuseppe, a young boy and his father got to hear Enrico Caruso in the premier of Verdi’s opera, Nebucco. At a restaurant afterwards, he was able to speak to him. One of the songs was to play a major role in the village from then on. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=2VejTwFjwVI)

Quotes:

“It is an ironic paradox in that courage requires fear.”
“Never be afraid to stand up to the powerful. The alternative is fear and degradation.”
“The music allows one to inhabit another world. To feel the pulse of the orchestra as it plays a beautiful line of music combined with the passionate sound of the human voice stirs the heart.”
“God allowed [death] to happen so that we, the ones who are still living, can learn from death to appreciate our life a little more and to have an awareness of our ultimate destiny.”
“Giuseppe, you never know what happens when an act of kindness is done. And that is what I am asking for, an act of kindness. Kindness has no boundaries. You never know what shore it will wash up on.”

Much of the story came across as contrived. It was missing something that could made it a better read. However, it does present some important information that creates a background for the second book in the series, SAVING THE MUSIC, which takes place during World War II and presents some very interesting information about Pope Pius II, the clergy, the people of Bellafortuna, and the Jews who hide there. I found that to be a much more interesting book.… (meer)

As the war rages on in 1942, a group of Jewish musicians are being rounded up onto trains by Nazis. Through the relentless work of resistance members and friends, they are hidden away and freed from the trains. At the same time Pope Pious XII is debating what to say publicly about the massive loss of life at the hands of the Nazis. Making the difficult decision to retain neutrality, Pope Pious XII quietly assists in the relocation of thousands of Jews, including a special group of musicians. With the assistance of Father Biaggio Sanguinetti, the group of fifteen Jews finds a new home and new identities in the small Italian town of Bellafortuna where they find how to create music together. When the German's occupy Bellafortuna, the residents use their ingenuity to keep everyone safe and when the Nazi's threaten the Roman Ghetto, the Pope's network and the Italian people come together to save as many people as they can.
Saving the Music is a beautiful story of hope and fear during World War II. Set in the fictional village of Bellafortuna, Sicily, the stories of several characters from A Song for Bellafortuna are continued, but it is not necessary to read beforehand. The theme of music is strong within the story and is what brings everyone together regardless of religion or language and keeps spirits high during the darkest of times. The characters are all wonderfully created and quickly became people that I cared about. The writing skillfully showcased the beauty of Bellafortuna and the resident's immense capacity to care for others. While Bellafortuna is fictional, the actions of the Italian people and Pope Pious XII were very real. Reading about the Pope's difficult decisions that were made to save lives, all while receiving criticism for not speaking out against Hitler's atrocities was profound showing that true heroes do not act in order to receive praise, but will gladly risk themselves in order to do what is right.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.… (meer)

Tempesta's Dream is a book that is really about opera at its core. The author's passion for opera really shines through and that's what I liked about this book. As a music lover and singer myself, anything associated with music and its history is something I enjoy. The author really incorporates the history and music of the opera here.

However, the story itself was somewhat labored. While I enjoyed Giovanni as a character, his passion and ambition to achieve his greatest dream is highly admirable, the interactions between the characters could have flowed more smoothly. Giovanni and Isabella were supposed to have this great love, but I just really didn't feel it. In the end, the saving grace is Giovanni and the message that one should never give up on their dreams.

If you're passionate about opera, you should definitely read this book because there is a wealth of historical accounts included. This, and the unflinching spirit of Giovanni, make this a book which is worth taking a look at if one can overlook the slightly stilted story and dialog. Not bad for a debut novel. There's promise here so I will look forward to checking out the author's future works.
… (meer)