"The IDEALIST" begins with a boy's imaginary quest to rescue his father from the czar's prison. Out of his imagination emerges Georg-Karl Russano, a Socialist journalist and champion of human rights. His father, disillusioned by the Russian Revolution, becomes his bitter enemy. Alessandra, his rst love, is from a prominent family whose wealth nances Mussolini's rise to power. Georg-Karl shares his fugitive existence with Roberto and Giulia until the secret police capture him.

After a daring escape, Georg-Karl rejoins Giulia and their son in exile. His book "Prisons" earns him international success, although fame leads him to a betrayal. He seeks redemption in the Spanish civil war. With the execution of his father and mistress, Georg-Karl loses faith in his cause, but the crucible of World War II restores his beliefs. With the Allied victory, Italy becomes a democracy, his ideals enshrined in its constitution. Russano re ects on his comrades./p>

."..their faded faces besieged his memory-the architects of destruction, the blind visionaries, the bright shadows of the underground, the prisoners of principles, the unhappy exiles, the soldiers of the republic, and the heroes of the Resistance. They were his life, his beacons, like the ery stars in the night."

"THE MERCHANT OF VENICE" AND HIS POUND OF FLESH It was a scandal and a cartoon in the tabloids expressed it best: "A man in a tuxedo stuffed with bills is placing a bag of gold on a scale while a woman in a scant negligee places a baby on its opposite scale. To add insult to injury, the woman is still breast-feeding the infant adding precious weight to its value." So mocks the world of the immoral contract between an entrepreneur and a dancer. Intent on creating an heir for his empire, Anthony Merchant hires Penny Browning to have his child. Set against the backdrop of greed and hypocrisy, these two unhappy people struggle with their choices and conscience. Their artificial relationship is strained. Mistrust and prejudices undermine their judgments. Throughout the action, emotions clash: sex and love; ambition and responsibility; pride and faith. Only in the end, when nearly all is lost and secrets are revealed, do they recognize the true value of all they possess--in the miracle of life. Satiric and shocking, Anthony Merchant is a search for values and permanence amid the relative ethics of the times.

THE SICILIANS: A Novel in the Fate and Other Tyrants Trilogy The Sicilians is the saga of a people, a novel of murder and revenge, passion and power. Populated by princes and peasants, tyrants and rebels, priests and sinners, heroes and cowards, this epic narrative encompasses the Fascist era, its rise and fall. On All Souls' Day, 1919, a man is murdered. Near his corpse, the word 'Judas is written in blood. Haunted by the mystery of their father's death, Turi and Luciano seek the truth. Turi rebels against all authority, while Luciano believes in civilization and its traditions. Turi scorns the world ruled by the ruthless and powerful. Luciano admires the Society of Saint Francis, a religious organization advocating Christian democratic ideals. Even under a dictatorship, the villagers celebrate nature and its season, expressing their joys and sorrows. Italy enters the war. In the African desert, Luciano discovers that the Fascist quest for an empire is made of sand and illusion. In Russia, Turi confronts his father's murderer and his conscience. The war ends with its staggering heartbreak. In post-war Sicily, the forces of democracy, communism, and separatism clash.

"The IDEALIST" begins with a boy's imaginary quest to rescue his father from the czar's prison. Out of his imagination emerges Georg-Karl Russano, a Socialist journalist and champion of human rights. His father, disillusioned by the Russian Revolution, becomes his bitter enemy. Alessandra, his rst love, is from a prominent family whose wealth nances Mussolini's rise to power. Georg-Karl shares his fugitive existence with Roberto and Giulia until the secret police capture him.

After a daring escape, Georg-Karl rejoins Giulia and their son in exile. His book "Prisons" earns him international success, although fame leads him to a betrayal. He seeks redemption in the Spanish civil war. With the execution of his father and mistress, Georg-Karl loses faith in his cause, but the crucible of World War II restores his beliefs. With the Allied victory, Italy becomes a democracy, his ideals enshrined in its constitution. Russano re ects on his comrades./p>

."..their faded faces besieged his memory-the architects of destruction, the blind visionaries, the bright shadows of the underground, the prisoners of principles, the unhappy exiles, the soldiers of the republic, and the heroes of the Resistance. They were his life, his beacons, like the ery stars in the night."

Fleeing from the dangers of the wild, Tune Sparrow sets out to find the fabled wildlife preserve of Airia, a prosperous avian civilization. He flies over the fallen empire of Animalism across the dangerous marsh to the Great Pond. On a ship, Old Salt, a learned parrot, teaches him about Air-ism, Aria's economic philosophy. In Airia, he learns about industry and honesty from Robin Thrush and the artisans of Best Nests. He learns about cunning and ingenuity from Merlin Falcon and the financial wizards of The Heights. Yet Tune loves and admires Aria Sparrow, a defiant critic of Air-ism. His experiences at Golden Sacks take him from crisis to crisis, all leading to a monumental clash. When Tune realizes the dangers of Merlin's ruthless scheme, he sets out to resist his insane project, but he fears that it may be too late. His journey is one of idealism, achievement, disillusionment, and wisdom.

"The Wildlife Preserve of Airia" is a fable about American capitalism. Inspired by George Orwell's Animal Farm, it is a scathing satire of Wall Street and corporate America, and their culture of greed and selfishness. Yet it is also a tribute to the genius of America's enduring ideals.

THE PASSIONIST: A Novel in the Fate and Other Tyrants Trilogy

"The PASSIONIST" is the story of a priest's lifelong search for God in the modern world. It is a tale of faith and doubt. Father Tommaso Recordi is a Passionist, a Catholic order devoted to the passion of Jesus on the cross. His faith must endure the challenges of the twentieth century. Yet the greatest challenge to his faith is his own desire for love. Piety and pride, passions and ideals clash within his soul. Ultimately, his restless heart finds love and faith in Rachel, a young Jewish mystic.

She had become his faith, the idyllic icon of all he had lost. Her words were prayers; her movements were mystery rites. She became the soul of his thoughts. Dreams of her consumed his nights in a rhapsody of passion and devotion. ... He loved her, as he had once loved God.

Despite its vast canvas, "The PASSIONIST" is a simple quest tale-a man's search for Jesus in the modern world, in the institution that bears his name, and in the human heart. PRAISE for "THE SICILIANS"

A spellbinding, well-written tale of power, passion, love and betrayal.

-Kirkus Reviews.

THE SICILIANS: A Novel in the Fate and Other Tyrants Trilogy The Sicilians is the saga of a people, a novel of murder and revenge, passion and power. Populated by princes and peasants, tyrants and rebels, priests and sinners, heroes and cowards, this epic narrative encompasses the Fascist era, its rise and fall. On All Souls' Day, 1919, a man is murdered. Near his corpse, the word 'Judas is written in blood. Haunted by the mystery of their father's death, Turi and Luciano seek the truth. Turi rebels against all authority, while Luciano believes in civilization and its traditions. Turi scorns the world ruled by the ruthless and powerful. Luciano admires the Society of Saint Francis, a religious organization advocating Christian democratic ideals. Even under a dictatorship, the villagers celebrate nature and its season, expressing their joys and sorrows. Italy enters the war. In the African desert, Luciano discovers that the Fascist quest for an empire is made of sand and illusion. In Russia, Turi confronts his father's murderer and his conscience. The war ends with its staggering heartbreak. In post-war Sicily, the forces of democracy, communism, and separatism clash.

"THE MERCHANT OF VENICE" AND HIS POUND OF FLESH It was a scandal and a cartoon in the tabloids expressed it best: "A man in a tuxedo stuffed with bills is placing a bag of gold on a scale while a woman in a scant negligee places a baby on its opposite scale. To add insult to injury, the woman is still breast-feeding the infant adding precious weight to its value." So mocks the world of the immoral contract between an entrepreneur and a dancer. Intent on creating an heir for his empire, Anthony Merchant hires Penny Browning to have his child. Set against the backdrop of greed and hypocrisy, these two unhappy people struggle with their choices and conscience. Their artificial relationship is strained. Mistrust and prejudices undermine their judgments. Throughout the action, emotions clash: sex and love; ambition and responsibility; pride and faith. Only in the end, when nearly all is lost and secrets are revealed, do they recognize the true value of all they possess--in the miracle of life. Satiric and shocking, Anthony Merchant is a search for values and permanence amid the relative ethics of the times.