The Cielo: A Novel of Wartime Tuscany

by Paul Salsini

DURING WORLD WAR II, the beautiful hills of Tuscany are transformed into horrific battlefields as Italian partisans sabotage the Germans. When Hitler's SS begins to commit ghastly atrocities, terrified villagers flee to farmhouses in the hills for refuge.The villagers initially cower as the war rages around them, but they overcome petty differences, confront betrayal by one villager, fearlessly house an escaped prisoner and survive a raid by the Nazis. As the brutal war continues, a young girl finds love, two boys become heroes, and secrets are revealed. Then an unthinkable event changes their lives forever.Inspired by the experiences of author Paul Salsini's relatives, The A Novel of Wartime Tuscany is a riveting story of courage, endurance, and the power of the human spirit in the cruelest of times."Paul Salsini has the gift of thoroughly knowing and deeply understanding the people and the region in which his drama is set, and so the sky literally is the limit for this moving debut novel of a luscious country too often forgotten when we consider the ravages of the 'Good War.'"
-Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean and Cage of Stars ."Salsini's style is plain, his choice of detail unerring, his scenes vivid, his control of the narrative superb. The Cielo is a memorable novel."
-Donald Pfarrer, author of Neverlight and The Fearless Man ."Salsini's beautiful novel of Italy during World War II, peopled with a wide range of characters, deepens our knowledge of both Tuscan hill towns and the terrible effects of war on civilians."
-Martha Bergland, author of A Farm Under a Lake and Idle Curiosity. www.thecielobook.com

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Italy

323 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2006

Reviews

[Allen Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Cielo' by Paul Salsini is a moving fictional account of Italian villagers trying to survive the end of World War II. The proud citizens of Sant'Antonio are informed that the SS is taking (or confiscating) their town and their homes and they must evacuate or be taken away in train cars. With all the rumors of where train cars go, no one wants to do that. Father Luigi organizing an exodus, assigning the hundred or so villagers to five large abandoned farmhouses in the hills. He also assigns leaders for each group.
The book takes several detours, trying to get into the heads of two very young SS soliders, and some of the partisans, but its chief focus is on the characters living at the Cielo. The interaction between these various personalities is the strength of the book and sadly, also its weakness. When you have this number of people living in one building, staying indoors most of the time to avoid landmines, and firefights between partisans and Germans, there is a monotony and sometimes the reader experiences this all too well. While fleshing out some of the characters, the book has lulls. It's a difficult subject to tackle, strangers and lifelong adversaries forced to wait out a war in a small house.
The occupants of the Cielo fight to find purpose and maintain their reason, playing cards and storytelling, the elderly trying to deal with having small children and infants around them all the time, taking in a partisan knowing how dangerous it is to do so, learning there is a fascists among them who could turn them in if the Germans came. There is a lot to enjoy about the story.
Rosa Tomaselli was the most interesting character to me. Although she is not the leader of the Cielo, she is a lynch-pin emotionally for the various souls living there. She has a wisdom and caring that unites when emotions run high, including dealing with the fascist among them.
The anxiety and bitterness reach a head when news comes of the massacre at Sant'Anna di Stazzema on August 12, 1944. The author takes us to that massacre as well with a single chapter devoted to detailing in quick direct paragraphs some of the horrific acts.
The writing is very accessible for readers of all ages. A good read with enough emotion and excitement to make it worth your time. It even brought a tear to my eye at times near the end.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to live near enough to Italy to visit often, and usually to small villages in Northern Tuscany. For that reason, my mom recommended this book a few years ago. I ignored her, then finally gave it a go and happy I did. I recognized easily the landscape and towns. The plot of this book is satisfying enough and shows the reader an aspect of WW2 you don't encounter much in literature or film. The numerous characters you meet are drawn a bit thin, but are believable and I did become invested in their individual plights. The dialogue is pretty well written, but echos the thin-ness of the characters (No Ferrante here). The author used the adjective "'beaming" four times to apply to a face or mood and this is not a plus. There are some very good writing touches: The background sounds of a battle get further away when a couple of characters are getting along. Another time, the sounds are moving nearer when the characters are not getting along. I found myself reassuring one character through an abject moment of self doubt as, from the reader's perspective, this character was admirable. I liked that authorial trick.

The book builds to a chapter that will leave you stunned. More so when you realize what you just read about really happened.

Individual Nazis are given a very human treatment, which I appreciated. They don't quite become likeable, but you understand how the machine of war chews up everyone involved. I recommend.

[Uglybug · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't recall when I actually read this, but am quite sure I'll never forget either the reading of it or the feelings it evoked.
At times it felt as though I was actually there, witnessing every twist, turn, and hopes and fears, the failures of the bravest and the success of the quick thinking and bravest. Most other times I awaited will almost baited breath the next chapter, the next near miss of a certain death, and sadly sometimes the loss of the coming of certain death.
Probably the closest you can get to living in rural Italy as a partisan, or their accomplice/s against the enduring the terror and often horrific times of occupation by both the Nazis and Mussolini's fascists in WW11.
Inspiring reading.

[RichVT · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book on a trip to Tuscany and my family comes from this region. The author did a terrific job of capturing the culture of this region as it was in the 1940,s ( which would be the culture of my grandparents and recognizable in my parents generation. At the same time he was able to explore the notions of good and evil in human society through the eyes of relatively simple people who have a strong moral compass. The plot was interesting ; though things wrapped up perhaps too neatly in the end, there was a strong authenticity throughout.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't wait to read the next two books in this series...

By a local author...

[Wally · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! It is set in Tuscany at the ending of WWII and gives one a dramatic portrayal of all that went on when Germany knew it was going to be defeated. And, because it is historical fiction, it has romance, drama, sadness, etc. etc. etc

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent book! A real eye-opener as to what so many in Italy experienced during WWII. The characters are wonderfully developed and I'm glad there are two more books in the series.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. He weaves a good story that gave me some new insights about Italy in World War II.