About The Last Italian: A Saga in Three Parts
Two Italian families, joined by blood and entwined destinies, defy the perilous storms of history. From Italy’s grand villas to its bandit-ruled mountains, across wartorn colonial Africa into the migrant mines of America, on the frozen Russian front and the timeworn steps of the village piazza, three generations of Comos and Vaccis pit their daring and dreams against Fate’s brutal demands.
Originally published as a three-book series, this single volume now includes the entire trilogy, containing:
I. God’s Teeth (1882-1890)
Carlo Como sets out to fish like he does every morning near his Italian village of Castrubello. What he brings back that day changes everything. Young Ettore Vacci stakes his future on blasting the King’s Road through the mountains near Naples. A band of cutthroat brigands takes murderous exception.
II. Fate’s Restless Feet (1911-1913)
Brothers Gianni and Renzo Como join the Kingdom of Italy’s glorious conquest of Tripoli. Engulfed by savage slaughter instead, Angela’s courage offers one hope for salvation — on a dark Christmas Eve an ocean away.
III. Death to the Wolf (1942-1945)
Ruthless Pietro Como pursues Nazi promotion when Italy marches to war as Germany’s ally. During a deadly retreat after Italian lines shatter near Stalingrad, conscripted Donato learns exactly who the real enemy is. In Castrubello, fearless Regina Vacci stands with her patriarch father as Ettore’s family — divided like Italia itself — confronts its moment of truth.
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Author Bio:
The son of an Italian grocer, I was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up among Italian, Polish, and Irish blue-collar neighbors during the 1950s.
After retiring as a high school administrator, my interest in genealogy led me to reconnect with ‘long-lost’ cousins still living in Italy. Meeting them inspired me to write and self-publish my first historical novel, THE LAST ITALIAN – A SAGA IN THREE PARTS. Since its 2020 debut, the book has been well-received, at one point reaching a ‘#1 Best Seller’ ranking on Amazon, and it continues to attract readers.
In 2024, inspired by my wife’s rich Cuban ancestry, I published THE EVER FAITHFUL ISLE – A NOVEL OF OLD CUBA, which, like my first novel, explores the theme of a multi-generational family caught in the violent crosshairs of rapidly unfolding history.
My wife and I both hold dual U.S. and Italian citizenship and live in the American Northwest near our grown family.