An Italian Historical Fiction Novel - A Song for Bellafortuna

Although this book has potential, I found the writing to be stilted, the characters needed more development, and the plot developed slowly. I would have continued reading to see whether it grew on me, but decided to stop after three instances of objectionable language in only three chapters.

From the opening pages of the story, I was drawn into young Giuseppe Sanguinetti’s story. Even as a young boy he shows compassion for the less fortunate. Giuseppe is quick to recognize the injustice of the Vasaio family’s control over the villagers. The residents of Bellafortuna are decent, hard-working people, yet many live in squalor. An idealist at heart, Giuseppe is determined to find a way to bring about change.
As a music lover, I could relate to Giuseppe’s anguish when faced with the possibility of how his actions might affect his fellow villagers. To quote John Paul Richter, “Music is moonlight in the gloomy night of life.” For the villagers, music is more than entertainment, it gives them hope and the strength to go on.
The author has great way of telling a story, and paints a vivid picture of a picturesque hilltop village surrounded by olive groves and vineyards. The charm of a time when horse carts were the mode of transportation shined through.The historical events of the time period and the fictional aspects of the story are woven together well, though some suspension of disbelief is required on the part of the reader. The book is very well written, although I do think that some of the descriptive passages could be more concise.

A Song for Bellafortuna was a very enjoyable read that ends on a positive note. Music can inspire change. As I turned those final pages, I was sorry to see Giuseppe’s story come to an end.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of a blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

The village of Bellafortuna is blessed with beautiful, productive vineyards, a breathtaking location and a people who are not only hardworking but who have a great love for music.

Giuseppe Sanguinetti is a young man growing up in Bellafortuna. His love for his village and music endear him to the townspeople. But at a young age, Giuseppe is exposed to the reality that not everything is as it should be. Hypocrisy in the village church and the unreasonable demands from the ruling family in the town make life difficult for the poor landowners of Bellafortuna.

Giuseppe's father, Antonio is an avid opera lover and he passes on his knowledge and love for music to his son. Their frequent trips to other parts of Italy expose Giuseppe to the world of opera and unexpectedly, they meet a young Caruso at the beginning of his career. This chance meeting shapes Giuseppe's life and leads to his future education as a violinist.

The storyline of Bellafortuna flows easily with an engaging cast of characters. The book contains several historical annotions which add another interesting dimension to the book.

I enjoyed the widespread use of Italian expressions throughout the book and like to think that I learned a bit of Italian! I did find, however, that the sentence structure was a little choppy due the fact that a good deal of the sentences were very short. Also, it was a little disconcerting to see modern-day expressions interspersed throughout the story that just didn't seem to fit in with the historical feel of the book.

All in all, a sweet read and a nice story.

This is a most unique story. The village of Bellafortuna and its people seem at the same time very real and almost magical, existing outside of time. I was very involved in the lives and stories of the villagers, and I couldn't wait to find out if they would find their salvation. The author's love of Sicily, opera, and his characters shines through every word. The story stayed with me for a long time after I turned the last page.

A wonderful book with rich descriptions that will draw you in from the first page!

The book is based in Italy in a small Sicilian village where the residents work hard to manage their vineyards and olive groves. A wealthy family moves to the village and provides loans with high interest to families whose crops do not thrive. The villagers are not happy and are bogged down in despair and seek freedom......

This desire for freedom brings the villagers together, creates a sense of community, gives the villagers hope. At the same time, music, friendships, romance, family and wine are all themes/elements and it is all done in such a way as to make you feel like a part of the story.

You will want to sit down with a glass of wine and listen to opera while wishing you were in Italy!

The subtitle of this book is An Inspirational Italian Historical Fiction Novel, and it is that, as well as being a clean fiction coming-of-age novel suitable for tweens, teens and adults. It is also a celebration of Italian opera.

The story pauses at times to provide the reader with small histories of operas that appear in the book. Even some of the librettos are reproduced for the reader. And a choral work plays an important part in the story, just as it did in Italy's history.

The story begins in Sicily in 1897 and follows a young man along his life's path that is filled with love for his village, his father, and for opera.

Like all good coming-of-age novels, the protagonist, Giuseppe, discovers love and life and makes a momentous decision that changes his life forever, but in this novel Giuseppe does it all to a subtle accompaniment of operatic music.

The author brings to life a time when opera was part of every Italian's daily life. As the author says: "Musica, and especially opera, can touch a person's soul in a way that nothing else can. ... It can bind the listening audience together."

The author paints a picture of the era before motorcars, when agriculture provided the most employment. One gets the feeling of the slower pace of life. Journeys take longer. Distances feel greater.

Giuseppe's father, Antonio, treats his son to many trips, having the boy join him on business trips all over Italy, to places like Milan, Florence, Rome, Palermo.

Through his journeys Giuseppe gets an education that is greater than the other villagers. He sees a bigger world where things change or are better than where he lives. This inspires him to try to help his fellow villagers.

The author has a stylized voice, giving the book a fairytale feeling. He uses very formal dialog, perhaps trying to better convey the era to the reader. There are Italian words in the text to remind the reader that everything they are reading is actually happening in Italy and in Italian.

There is a strong moral message in the book. "Never be afraid to stand up to the powerful. The alternative is fear and degradation."

The only thing I missed was an Afterword to explain what in the novel was history and what was invention. Some of this was explained in the book itself, but a little more at the end would have been lovely.

This is a gentle coming-of-age story with a happy ending. A young boy grows up to be an inspiration to his friends and family, and even his enemies. He discovers love and a purpose for his life. This is a clean novel suitable for tweens, teens and adults. If you enjoy Italian opera, or are curious about it, this book will have a special appeal for you.

Please visit my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews. I received a review-copy.

Vincent B. “Chip” LoCoco wrote this delightful novel full of vivid imagery of the Sicilian hilltops and valleys. Even though the countryside is beautiful and the citizens of Bellafortuna live in harmony with each other, life isn’t idyllic. At one time, Bellafortuna had been a thriving community that produced it’s own wine and olive oil. But as hard times came around, the farmer’s were forced to seek assistance from the wealthy Vasaio family – who would loan them money but would, in return, charge exhorbitant interest rates. So high, that it was impossible for these people to repay the loans, thus resulting in the loss of the properties that had been in their families for generations. The people became poorer, while the Vasaios became richer and more powerful. The farmers became disillusioned with their state of affairs, but they never lost the desire to work hard – in the hopes that one day they may be able to regain control of their land. The one respite, which rallied their spirit, was their love of music. Every week, they would hold a concert where they could escape reality for a short while. For a particular family,the Sanguinetti’s, successful wine merchants who were not under the control of the Vasaios, the problems facing their neighbors weighed heavily on their conscience. Their success was, in part, due to their past association with the Vasaio’s. Even though they had stepped away once they had realized the Vasaio’s sinister ways, they always tried to vindicate themselves by helping out their neighbors any way they could. The villagers had long since forgotten and forgiven them, but the Sanguinetti’s still felt that they owed their neighbors. The young Giuseppe Sanguinetti decided to take upon himself the duty of ridding the village of the Vasaio’s control. He concocted a plan that would either bring about freedom for the villagers or result in squelching the town’s spirit once and for all.

The book stuns in its vivid description of beautiful Sicily, but I found the story to be too predictable. I always seemed to know what the outcome would be for every situation. The author’s writing style was simplistic and a bit redundant. On the whole, though, it was an enjoyable read, but mostly for its imagery and romantic sense of life in an Italian village, surrounded by caring neighbors.

Heartfelt and uplifting, Bellafortuna underscores the value of living life passionately in every sense of the word. For this character and indeed these villagers, it is a passion for opera which empowers them to wrest back their village and their very lives. How can anyone doubt the value of the arts in everyday life?! This book speaks powerfully and beautifully and leaves one wanting to break out in song!

This is such an unusual, quirky book that you can't help but like it. I loved the way the author transports the reader back to a different time and place through the daily life of the villagers of Italy. It is a lovely story, well-told and the characters spring to life, staying with you long after you put the book down.
I was holding my breath throughout, hoping for a happy ending to the villagers' predicament. I won't spoil it by saying what happens but the ending didn't unfold exactly as I had imagined. If you love Italy, opera or simply a good story, then you won't be disappointed.

The beautiful Sicilian town of Bellafortuna, Italy sits high on the countryside next to the Tyrrhenian Sea, perfect for the production of wine and olive oil. The town was idyllic, until the Vasios moved in. The Vasios loaned money to most of the villagers including the wine and oil producers that had crushing terms, high interest and the ability to come collecting at any time. With this system, many of the families are in debt to the Vasios and feel their oppression. One family of wine producers, the Sanguinettis, have remained untouched by the Vasios. Antonia Sanguinetti and his son Giuseppe feel compelled to help pull the town out from under the Vasios control. With a little help from opera, the Sanguinettis may have a plan that will band the villagers of Bellafortuna together to take back control of their lives.

First of all, I absolutely loved the setting and beautiful descriptions of this quaint Italian village with wonderful views, wineries and even the ruins of a previous village. The characters and their relationships also shone, Giuseppe captured me with his extreme heart and capacity to care. I loved his friendship with Biaggio as well. I also loved that opera was a theme throughout and proved to be the force to band the town together, what a unique unifying factor! Overall this was a heartwarming, motivational story of rising up and fighting for what is right with well developed characters and a picturesque setting.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Vincent LoCoco's second novel, A Song for Bellafortuna was just as successful as his first (Tempesta's Dream). Both included opera as a central fixture (even more so in the his first novel), however knowledge of opera is not essential to understanding and enjoying each novel. The author creates wonderfully warm and sympathetic characters, but equally as important is the beauty he creates in the village of Bellafortuna and in the simple but real folks who have lived their for centuries. The characters of the village despite their poverty and powerlessness have the grace to help and love each other and together win a great victory. A very enjoyable and satisfying novel.

The village of Bellafortuna is blessed with beautiful, productive vineyards, a breathtaking location and a people who are not only hardworking but who have a great love for music.

Giuseppe Sanguinetti is a young man growing up in Bellafortuna. His love for his village and music endear him to the townspeople. But at a young age, Giuseppe is exposed to the reality that not everything is as it should be. Hypocrisy in the village church and the unreasonable demands from the ruling family in the town make life difficult for the poor landowners of Bellafortuna.

Giuseppe's father, Antonio is an avid opera lover and he passes on his knowledge and love for music to his son. Their frequent trips to other parts of Italy expose Giuseppe to the world of opera and unexpectedly, they meet a young Caruso at the beginning of his career. This chance meeting shapes Giuseppe's life and leads to his future education as a violinist.

The storyline of Bellafortuna flows easily with an engaging cast of characters. The book contains several historical annotions which add another interesting dimension to the book.

I enjoyed the widespread use of Italian expressions throughout the book and like to think that I learned a bit of Italian! I did find, however, that the sentence structure was a little choppy due the fact that a good deal of the sentences were very short. Also, it was a little disconcerting to see modern-day expressions interspersed throughout the story that just didn't seem to fit in with the historical feel of the book.

All in all, a sweet read and a nice story.

A beautiful story about a beautiful town. Anyone with love of Italy or love of opera should make this a must read. The author does a wonderful job of painting the picture of how simple life can lead to immense happiness. I would also recommend the author's first novel Tempesta's Dream.

Delightful read. Loved it.
Throughout the story, the tension rises about the financial hardship caused by the interest the villagers owed to the Vittelio Vasaio. It is only near the end of the book that I read that it was 15 to 18%. My sympathy for the villagers was shaken when I think of the current generation facing credit card interest charges of 22 to 30%. My sympathy for the villagers came back, however, when I considered that, as far as I know, henchmen for Barclay's or AMEX don't show up on your doorstep after dark and demand you vacate the premises in one hour so that one of them (Scagnozzi) can take over the land until it is sold. So, if it took a personal appearance in a tiny village by Caruso to get the oppression caused by 15% interest reduced to a fair and reasonable 6%, I wonder what it would take to get the current generation's credit card debt interest rates reduced?

Chip's love of opera and his Sicilian heritage shine through in this delightful book. Loved the interspersing of Italian words throughout, along with translations. He had my mouth watering for wonderful Sicilian dishes. I will be pulling out my cookbooks tonight to
plan a feast. I found myself reacting to the villagers' overwhelming desire for freedom, the same way that I reacted to the revolutionaries in Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. Chip I would "join in your crusade"!