Publisher: Outskirts Press
Format: Print only Release Date: March 26, 2008 Word Count: 130K ISBN #: Hard Cover ($24.96) 978-1-4327-1011-8 Trade Paperback ($13.95) 978-1-4327-1590-9 Buy Links: Amazon Buy Link |
FAMILY SECRETS: A Vengeance Of Tears
A novel of Sicily BLURB Deception, passion, and love battle in a world where nothing is as it seems. Disdained by her father and facing an arranged marriage, young Angela Rosarno yearns to be loved for herself. She flees her home and travels to Sicily into the arms of Santino Camastro, a man she has come to love only through his letters, though never met. Wooed and rushed into marriage, she learns--all too late--that her husband is not the man who penned the letters. Determined to uncover the truth, Angela's actions set off a series of betrayals and murders. By the time she discovers that her husband's brother Antonio is the man she truly loves, she is hopelessly trapped in Santino's ruthless world of ambition and greed. When deception, passion, and a mother's love collide, Angela will have to risk everything she values, even the man she loves, to win freedom for herself and her children. |
EXCERPT
SICILY - April 5, 1946, Dawn
It was an inconvenient time and place for her to die.
With the toe of his polished shoe, Santino Camastro poked at his wife's limp body among the boulders littering the shoulder of the road. Her legs folded awkwardly, her head twisted to one side, like a rag doll tossed on the ground by a careless child.
He rolled her away from the rocks and onto her back in the dew-damp grass. Blood-soaked hair straggled across her face, almost obscuring the whites of rolled-back
eyes.
Rosa, his wife's aunt, was hobbling toward him screaming, "No! My little girl, my gioia!" When she reached him, she pounded on his chest with blue-veined fists. "Monster! Murderer!"
Infuriated, he grabbed her by the thin neck and held her away, closing off the air so she could not breathe. Her fists continued to flail. "Never say that again. Now, tell me quickly, how long can the baby live?"
Rosa squirmed in his grip, little gurgles of terror bubbling up from inside her. "Not long enough to get her to a hospital."
Without hesitation, Santino stripped off the jacket of his immaculate grey silk suit, folded it inside out, and laid it carefully across a boulder. Then he knelt by his wife's body, pulled out the large pocket knife he always carried, and slit the cotton nightgown, exposing the white mound of flesh.
Mamma, he prayed, guide my hand.
Drawing a long breath, he gripped the knife firmly and thrust its point into her belly below the navel. He would not allow her to rob him of his heir. Blood gushed over his hands. Red rivers of warm blood. He moved the knife upward, slowly, steadily through the flesh of the belly, not too deep, ignoring the stickiness and Rosa's frantic cries.
Blood soaked his slacks and shirt sleeves and still he cut, until she was open like a melon. Then he carefully severed the membrane of the womb. Teeth clenched so hard his jaw hurt, he plunged both hands inside the gaping wound and felt until he touched something. A foot. He wanted to close his eyes, but he did not. He lifted the tiny body out and balanced it on his lap, brushing at the blood and gooiness until he could see between its legs.
"Female!" He set the baby on the lifeless form and motioned to Rosa. "Cut the cord. Finish the job, old woman."
Rosa scrambled to her feet. "She is your daughter. Your own flesh and blood!"
"I have no use for a daughter. I need a son. I need a wife to bear me sons!" he growled and stalked away, disappointment thick in his mouth.
Behind him, the baby began to cry.
SICILY - April 5, 1946, Dawn
It was an inconvenient time and place for her to die.
With the toe of his polished shoe, Santino Camastro poked at his wife's limp body among the boulders littering the shoulder of the road. Her legs folded awkwardly, her head twisted to one side, like a rag doll tossed on the ground by a careless child.
He rolled her away from the rocks and onto her back in the dew-damp grass. Blood-soaked hair straggled across her face, almost obscuring the whites of rolled-back
eyes.
Rosa, his wife's aunt, was hobbling toward him screaming, "No! My little girl, my gioia!" When she reached him, she pounded on his chest with blue-veined fists. "Monster! Murderer!"
Infuriated, he grabbed her by the thin neck and held her away, closing off the air so she could not breathe. Her fists continued to flail. "Never say that again. Now, tell me quickly, how long can the baby live?"
Rosa squirmed in his grip, little gurgles of terror bubbling up from inside her. "Not long enough to get her to a hospital."
Without hesitation, Santino stripped off the jacket of his immaculate grey silk suit, folded it inside out, and laid it carefully across a boulder. Then he knelt by his wife's body, pulled out the large pocket knife he always carried, and slit the cotton nightgown, exposing the white mound of flesh.
Mamma, he prayed, guide my hand.
Drawing a long breath, he gripped the knife firmly and thrust its point into her belly below the navel. He would not allow her to rob him of his heir. Blood gushed over his hands. Red rivers of warm blood. He moved the knife upward, slowly, steadily through the flesh of the belly, not too deep, ignoring the stickiness and Rosa's frantic cries.
Blood soaked his slacks and shirt sleeves and still he cut, until she was open like a melon. Then he carefully severed the membrane of the womb. Teeth clenched so hard his jaw hurt, he plunged both hands inside the gaping wound and felt until he touched something. A foot. He wanted to close his eyes, but he did not. He lifted the tiny body out and balanced it on his lap, brushing at the blood and gooiness until he could see between its legs.
"Female!" He set the baby on the lifeless form and motioned to Rosa. "Cut the cord. Finish the job, old woman."
Rosa scrambled to her feet. "She is your daughter. Your own flesh and blood!"
"I have no use for a daughter. I need a son. I need a wife to bear me sons!" he growled and stalked away, disappointment thick in his mouth.
Behind him, the baby began to cry.
REVIEWS
Reviews on AMAZON.COM
06/30/2009 by S.L. Stebel
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Mafia story from the viewpoint of a woman....
Family Secrets is written by a woman named Siracusa. Some years ago, I went to a town in Sicily that was named Siracusa. Could there be a connection? Judging by the stunning veracity of the story - a mafiosa saga that can stand comparison to The Godfather by Mario Puzo (who never got the acclaim for his novel that he deserved.) With the current larder bare when it comes to finding thrilling new mafia stories, I'm amazed that this one hasn't been picked up for either a film or a mini-series. I have no doubt that it would - yet again - confound the critics, and re-invigorate the genre. S.L. Stebel
07/17/2008 by Richard R. Pillsbury
5.0 out of 5 stars
Equal to the Best
We vacation in Italy every year and consume Italian mysteries (by Leon, Camilleri, and the rest) as fast as they come out. Family Secrets's grasp of Sicilian life and the story are gripping. A must read for anyone into mystery novels. I liked it so much I bought another to give to a friend.
07/07/2008 by Ralph Day
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fast paced, highly entertaining, fun read. Also educational, as Siracusa definitely understands what life was like in a certain stratum of society in Sicily in the early 1950's.
04/20/2008 by Millie A Wynne
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read!
Siracusa is a talented writer who shows a lot of depth in this novel. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance and intrigue.
Comments by WRITER'S DIGEST 16th INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS Judge
"In terms of readability and fluency of writing, this is one of the best books I read for this competition. The Prologue functions as well as any hook I've read recently. The story is lurid, chilling, fascinating, and written with marvelous authority about the place and time. Melodramatic, sure, but it's good melodrama-heck, Shakespeare is melodramatic. The author can feel secure in the knowledge that she has produced a fine work, carefully wrought and rich in detail."
Review on BOOK PLEASURES.COM
07/2008 by Sandra E. Graham for BookPleasures.com
Family Secrets is not a novel that requires its reader to wade through a mundane beginning that causes a loss of interest early on. From the very first page you already know that this is one book that will be hard to put down. An exciting page turner from the start, the storyline holds your interest to the very end.
Ann Siracusa’s characters range from the loving and caring young American heroine to the hardhearted murderers and users of the numerous mafia families of Sicily and other areas of Italy fighting to control various enterprises throughout the world. Ann weaves a wonderful tale of love, deception, danger, and suspense in the romantic land that is Italy.
Suffering from the advanced stages of cancer and realizing her days are numbered, Gramma Angela Venturiani knows that the time has come to unburden her soul of the dark secrets—family secrets—of her past. She calls her daughter and granddaughter to summon a priest so that the three of them can bear witness to the confessions of a sad and weary soul; knowing that what she will tell them may cost her the love of a daughter that she has fought long and hard to save from a life that is worse than death.
Angela’s declarations begin when as a beautiful young girl born and living in America, but whose family follows the time-honored Sicilian tradition; she is betrothed to a man she doesn’t love. Fate, however, has different plans for Angela as she begins communication through letters to the handsome and recently widowed Santino, eldest son of the rich and powerful Camastro Family in Sicily.
Santino is ruthless is his quest to draw Angela Rosarno into his web so that through her he can gain the favors of the Rosarno family in Italy. Santino knew that Angela’s Uncle, Cardinal Vincenzo Rosarno, was a rich and powerful man in his own right; and having him in the immediate family would further Santino’s goals immeasurably. In his mind’s eye, Santino pictured himself taking over as chief of all the Mafioso on his side of the ocean and then on to America. His ego was as boundless as his evil schemes!
Angela accepts Santino’s offer of marriage, but too late learns that all is not what it seems to be in the land of romance and dreams. Now she is trapped in a world that pits father against son and brother against brother in a duel to the death. How will she escape to save herself and her children from a prison that was created by her own doing?
Let this great novel bring thrills to your senses as you delve ever deeper into a corrupt world of betrayal, undying love, and suspense. You won’t want to miss this one. It is written with a strength of character and fortitude that few authors have. R. A. Siracusa is an author of great talent and imagination.
Reviews on AMAZON.COM
06/30/2009 by S.L. Stebel
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Mafia story from the viewpoint of a woman....
Family Secrets is written by a woman named Siracusa. Some years ago, I went to a town in Sicily that was named Siracusa. Could there be a connection? Judging by the stunning veracity of the story - a mafiosa saga that can stand comparison to The Godfather by Mario Puzo (who never got the acclaim for his novel that he deserved.) With the current larder bare when it comes to finding thrilling new mafia stories, I'm amazed that this one hasn't been picked up for either a film or a mini-series. I have no doubt that it would - yet again - confound the critics, and re-invigorate the genre. S.L. Stebel
07/17/2008 by Richard R. Pillsbury
5.0 out of 5 stars
Equal to the Best
We vacation in Italy every year and consume Italian mysteries (by Leon, Camilleri, and the rest) as fast as they come out. Family Secrets's grasp of Sicilian life and the story are gripping. A must read for anyone into mystery novels. I liked it so much I bought another to give to a friend.
07/07/2008 by Ralph Day
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fast paced, highly entertaining, fun read. Also educational, as Siracusa definitely understands what life was like in a certain stratum of society in Sicily in the early 1950's.
04/20/2008 by Millie A Wynne
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read!
Siracusa is a talented writer who shows a lot of depth in this novel. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance and intrigue.
Comments by WRITER'S DIGEST 16th INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS Judge
"In terms of readability and fluency of writing, this is one of the best books I read for this competition. The Prologue functions as well as any hook I've read recently. The story is lurid, chilling, fascinating, and written with marvelous authority about the place and time. Melodramatic, sure, but it's good melodrama-heck, Shakespeare is melodramatic. The author can feel secure in the knowledge that she has produced a fine work, carefully wrought and rich in detail."
Review on BOOK PLEASURES.COM
07/2008 by Sandra E. Graham for BookPleasures.com
Family Secrets is not a novel that requires its reader to wade through a mundane beginning that causes a loss of interest early on. From the very first page you already know that this is one book that will be hard to put down. An exciting page turner from the start, the storyline holds your interest to the very end.
Ann Siracusa’s characters range from the loving and caring young American heroine to the hardhearted murderers and users of the numerous mafia families of Sicily and other areas of Italy fighting to control various enterprises throughout the world. Ann weaves a wonderful tale of love, deception, danger, and suspense in the romantic land that is Italy.
Suffering from the advanced stages of cancer and realizing her days are numbered, Gramma Angela Venturiani knows that the time has come to unburden her soul of the dark secrets—family secrets—of her past. She calls her daughter and granddaughter to summon a priest so that the three of them can bear witness to the confessions of a sad and weary soul; knowing that what she will tell them may cost her the love of a daughter that she has fought long and hard to save from a life that is worse than death.
Angela’s declarations begin when as a beautiful young girl born and living in America, but whose family follows the time-honored Sicilian tradition; she is betrothed to a man she doesn’t love. Fate, however, has different plans for Angela as she begins communication through letters to the handsome and recently widowed Santino, eldest son of the rich and powerful Camastro Family in Sicily.
Santino is ruthless is his quest to draw Angela Rosarno into his web so that through her he can gain the favors of the Rosarno family in Italy. Santino knew that Angela’s Uncle, Cardinal Vincenzo Rosarno, was a rich and powerful man in his own right; and having him in the immediate family would further Santino’s goals immeasurably. In his mind’s eye, Santino pictured himself taking over as chief of all the Mafioso on his side of the ocean and then on to America. His ego was as boundless as his evil schemes!
Angela accepts Santino’s offer of marriage, but too late learns that all is not what it seems to be in the land of romance and dreams. Now she is trapped in a world that pits father against son and brother against brother in a duel to the death. How will she escape to save herself and her children from a prison that was created by her own doing?
Let this great novel bring thrills to your senses as you delve ever deeper into a corrupt world of betrayal, undying love, and suspense. You won’t want to miss this one. It is written with a strength of character and fortitude that few authors have. R. A. Siracusa is an author of great talent and imagination.