Deliver us from Honor

by S.E. Valenti

Overview

GIUSEPPE VAZANNO is one of the wealthiest and most beloved landowners in 1911, post-feudal Sicily. His lemon orchards provide work for the Sicilian peasants, a rich life for his brothers and their families, and a peaceful oasis for his wife Maria and their two daughters, sixteen-year-old Adriana and five-year-old Francesca.

But just before dawn one spring morning, Giuseppe’s brothers Sevario and Santo awaken to the smell of smoke, and find Giuseppe’s farmhouse burned to the ground. Adriana and Francesca are found safe, having taken refuge in a secret tunnel under the house, but are unable to talk about what they saw. The brothers find no trace of Giuseppe or his wife Maria and discover thier middle brother, Gaspano, has been brutally tortured and murdered just a few miles from Giuseppe’s burned farmhouse.

Adrianna has a terrible secret—one she prays was not the cause of the horrors she has witnessed. She must confront her worst fear: was the destruction of her home just a random act of violence, or a deadly vendetta against her family?

A powerful story of love, betrayal, revenge, and the irrevocable bond of family, Deliver Us from Honor richly chronicles the story of the Vazanno family, caught in the social and political upheaval of 1911 Sicily that eventually will lead to the rise of the Mafia in America and change their family forever.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781633931060
Publisher:	S.E. Valenti, Author
Publication date:	09/30/2015
Pages:	306
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Sharon E. Valenti has a Master of Science degree from Oakland University and was married to her Sicilian husband for over thirty years. Although she has many published articles in professional medical journals and magazines, five years ago she decided to change the direction of her career to full-time novelist. Deliver Us from Honor is her first full-length novel.

Editorial Reviews

"A robust tale of violence and vendettas."
­-Kirkus Reviews

"Page turning, suspenseful, educational­­ . . . a vivid portrait of Sicilian family life and the birth of La Cosa Nostra. If you liked The Godfather, you will love Deliver Us from Honor!"

-Robin Welford

"Sicilianophile is probably the best way to describe Sharon Valenti, author of the engrossing and exciting novel, "Deliver Us from Honor."
Married to a Sicilian, Valenti immersed herself into the language, culture and history of Sicily. It was only a matter of time when she put her passion to work in an entertaining page-turner, in the tradition of Mario Puzo's "The Godfather." Hers is tale of romance, intrigue and mystery that delves into the rise of La Cosa Nostra and how it was first established in the United States.
Organized crime is often portrayed as an urban phenomenon in literature and cinema. Yet, as we see in "Deliver Us from Honor," the mafia was rooted in the Sicilian countryside. It was more akin to America's Wild West than the streets of New York. Sicilian outlaws rode horses and attacked shipping routes through mountain passes. They stole, fought and killed and then made their way to an isolated village to take refuge and hide from the law.
Much of "Deliver Us from Honor" is set in the farms and forests of Sicily. Valenti captures the richness of the region's agriculture where the best lemons and citrus fruits are grown. The people have a deep connection to the land; a knowledge of the workings of nature that transcends the novel.
In "Deliver Us from Honor," the story begins in 1911 when Giuseppe Vazano's farm is destroyed by fire. Brothers Sevario and Santo come to his rescue only to find Giuseppe and his wife Maria missing and their middle brother Gaspano murdered. The only survivors are Giuseppe's daughters Adriana and Francesca and Gaspano's wife Nella and their two children Alfredo and Cinzia.
Hiding in the backcountry temporarily, the family comes to the realization that the fire was set by arsonists. They seek to solve the mystery as to who set the blaze and why. Thus, starts a journey of characters and subplots that take us to a host of cities and villages throughout Sicily such as BALESTRATE, Corleone, Catania and Palermo. We see the inner play of priests, peasants and padrones and how they effect the tragedy and redemption of the Vazano family.
Valenti's well-written novel highlights the transition of Sicilian society from feudal to modern. Most striking is how Sicily opens itself to the outside world by way of immigration and trade.
"Deliver Us from Honor" is a compelling novel about the bonds of family and the nature of vendetta and omertà - two aspects of Sicily and Southern Italy. For Italian Americans with deep roots in Sicily, this book will be immediately understood as it brings to light the customs and traditions of the region. "Deliver Us from Honor" is an exemplary novel where characters come alive on every page to make it a resonating and engrossing work."

-- PRIMO Magazine

From the Publisher

2015-09-22
A family saga of betrayal, brutality, and Sicilian honor. Sicily in the spring of 1911 is a dangerous place and time for the Vazanno family, the prime players in this debut novel. "Get the horses. I'll get the shotguns!" Sevario Vazanno shouts when he and Santo Padua see smoke coming from the farm owned by Sevario's brother Giuseppe. Discovering that Giuseppe and his wife are missing and their animals are burned to death, Sevario is relieved to discover the couple's two daughters, Adriana, 16, and her little sister, Francesca, hiding in a tunnel below the family's property. But the joy of finding the sisters is soon shattered when Sevario discovers the body of his other brother, Gaspano, shot to death on his nearby farm. Who committed these heinous crimes is a puzzle, and Adriana silently holds the key. The story flashes back several months to her rape by Turiddu Vanucci, son of her father's dear friend Vito. She keeps the act a secret from nearly everyone—especially her father, Giuseppe. But when his wife, Maria, discovers who violated their daughter, she engages her son in a vendetta. "It has to be you, Antonio," she tells him. Antonio, who is studying for the priesthood, is horrified by his mother's unholy request, but his omertà "culture demanded it…and he knew he had to accept it." Valenti excels in providing her characters with seemingly insurmountable situations, plenty of action, and rich dialogue. There is, however, an overabundance of characters, and the inclusion of a family tree would have been helpful. For example, it is confusing as to who Santo Padua is: on the first page, he is identified as Sevario's brother, but later, Sevario's niece Adriana and Santa "were not natural siblings, as he had been adopted." Also, too often characters cry or feel tears coming to their eyes—not that the Vazannos don't have reason to wail with all the drama they encounter. A robust tale of violence and vendettas.

Kirkus Reviews