A Harvest of Secrets: A Novel by Roland Merullo

 

"This life is a dream, my son. For each of us. But, within that dream, we still must act in a way that pleases the Lord, so that, when we awaken beyond the river of death, we shall be rewarded with the peace of His presence. Let the light of goodness guide you in everything you do."

                -Father Ascoltini to Carlo, from the novel

This is a compelling story of the Italian resistance in WWII. I have read several novels involving the French resistance but perhaps only one other set in Italy. 

The author narrates the experiences, thoughts and emotions of three protagonists, all connected to the celebrated Vineyard SanAntonio. They are Vittoria SanAntonio, daughter of Umberto and Celeste, owners of the estate, the latter recently deceased; Carlo Conte, a vineyard worker and Vittoria's lover who has been called to fight in the war; and Old Paolo, the vineyard foreman who has been recruited to work in the resistance, called Partigiani, and in turn, has involved Vittoria.

Carlo has been injured in battle and tries to make his way back to Vittoria, encountering many dangerous obstacles. Vittoria tries to heed her mother's wisdom: "You can surrender to the evil or you can find a way to push back against it, that's the choice, Vita." Paolo fights his demons of guilt as he tries to protect Vittoria and her mentally challenged brother, Enrico.

One has to feel great sympathy for the Italian people of this time who not only had to deal with Mussolini's threat but also with the Nazi occupation. So difficult to know who to trust! And how brave these Partigiani were! 

A Harvest of Secrets was definitely a page-turner. It gets a rating of 4 from me.