
A Song for Bellafortuna is an inspirational Italian Historical Fiction novel concerning a young man's desire to free his Sicilian village from the domination of one family's long reign.
For years, the beautiful, yet secluded, hilltop village of Bellafortuna, Sicily, was a great producer of wine and olive oil. The entire village prospered. However, after the arrival of the Vasaio family, production dwindles and the villagers soon find themselves in crushing debt to the Vasaios. Only one family in the village remains outside the control of the Vasaios, but the reason haunts Antonio Sanguinetti every day of his life. Antonio is determined to erase this legacy by offering financial and emotional support to his fellow villagers. He introduces them to the choral song from Verdi's opera, Nabucco, which becomes the rallying cry for the villagers and offers them hope for a better life.
When Antonio's only son, Giuseppe, discovers his family's past, he becomes determined to take on the Vasaios and remove them from power. Led by the young Giuseppe, a plan is hatched that could result in either complete freedom for the villagers, or if it fails, forever solidifying the Vasaios' control. Find out what happens in A Song for Bellafortuna, a sweeping epic historical fiction tale of love, drama, sacrifice, and redemption, set among the beautiful landscape of Sicily.
Where to buy the Book: Amazon
Review:
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.

Award winning and bestselling author, Vincent B. "Chip" LoCoco, lives in New Orleans. His first novel, Tempesta's Dream - A Story of Love, Friendship and Opera, became an Amazon bestselling novel and was awarded the 2014 Pinnacle Achievement Award in Historical Fiction. Amazon also has named his book as a Top Rated Novel in Italian Historical Fiction.
His most recent novel, A Song for Bellafortuna, was shortlisted in the William Faulkner - William Wisdom Competition. He is an estate planning attorney in New Orleans, where he lives with his wife and two children.
Connect with the author: Website Twitter Facebook