The Incident at Montebello

by P. A. Moed

Overview

The Incident at Montebello is based on a true event— In 1930, Italian Premier Benito Mussolini was driving through the Italian countryside with Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr. when his car struck and killed a little girl, Sofia Buonomano.

The Buonomano family is torn apart by Sofia’s death and is caught in a political firestorm that spreads from their village to Rome and across America and Europe. One family member, 16-year-old Isolina, witnesses the accident and recognizes Mussolini as the driver. She lies to the police to protect herself and her boyfriend, but she’s caught. Falling deeper into trouble, she confides in Sofia’s mother, Lucia, and sets off an unexpected chain of events. Lucia, who now knows the truth, voices her disapproval of Mussolini and comes in conflict with the police and her husband Donato, an ardent Fascist. As Lucia and Donato become increasingly estranged while struggling with Sofia’s death, Lucia is attracted to Elio Sardolini, a Jewish anti-Fascist living in town. The family’s love and loyalty is further tested when the incident becomes an international scandal and Mussolini orders the police to silence all opposition. One family member is killed and the rest must choose between their allegiance to Mussolini and their allegiance to each other.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940044372351
Publisher:	P. A. Moed
Publication date:	03/11/2013
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	651 KB

About the Author

P.A. Moed is an award-winning creative artist who has worked as a university professor, writer, textbook editor, photographer, corporate trainer, educational consultant, and instructional designer. Her short stories, photography, poems, and essays have appeared in national newspapers, magazines, and online websites, such as the Christian Science Monitor, Catholic Online Travel, The Washington Post Travel Online, Travelblogs.com, and Cooking Light Maagazine. A recipient of writing fellowships at The Vermont Studio Center and Ragdale, she won the grand prize in 2006 Travel Writing Contest sponsored by Conde Nast and Gather.com. She currently lives in Michigan with her husband and hosts the blog http://www.pilotfishblog.com. Contact her at: [e-mail].

Editorial Reviews

In Moed's debut novel, based on historical events, Benito Mussolini accidentally kills a young girl with his car. Sofia Buonomano's death devastates her family and the town of Montebello, Italy. The small town brims with political intrigue and outrage. Lucia, Sofia's mother, must face mourning as a single parent while her husband, Donato, works in America. Sofia's cousin, Isolina, feels wracked with guilt; instead of watching the children while they played, she'd been in a field with Rodi, her boyfriend. She saw the accident occur from afar. Only a few witnesses, including two policemen, a fruit seller and Isolina, recognize Il Duce as the driver of the Fiat that killed Sofia. The policemen are quickly reassigned to a new town, and the fruit seller and Isolina are intimidated into a reluctant silence. As rumors and suspicion grow, the fascist police chief and the new mayor root out any dissenters. Moed paints a quaint, intimate portrait of the small Italian town where everyone knows each other; secrets are hard to keep, and gossip travels fast. Further developments--political prisoner Sardolini is transferred to Montebello for parole, and Donato, a loyal fascist, returns to be with his family--further test the loyalty of townsfolk. Tensions increase as people consider the livelihoods of themselves and their families. Moed thoughtfully develops her characters; all battle feelings of pride, love, cowardice, infidelity and loyalty. Though the moral high ground is implicitly given to the anti-fascisti movement, Moed allows for some nuance among characters of varied political stripes. Her language and imagery can be repetitious, and at times, the insertion of cultural nuances can feel forced. The narrative as a whole, however, engages and transports the reader. A story of love, loyalty and politics during a tumultuous age in history.

Kirkus Reviews