Au Revoir 'a La France

by James J. Raciti


Formats

Softcover
$11.95
Softcover
$11.95

Book Details

Language : English
Publication Date : 2/18/2000

Format : Softcover
Dimensions : 5x8
Page Count : 360
ISBN : 9781585006649

About the Book

This is a fictional work entitled Au Revoir à la France.

The story takes place during the years 1954-56 in northeastern France, in the fog and shadows of the Maginot District of old Verdun.

A young Italian/American, Thomas Amati, of unusual musical and theatrical talent is drafted into the army. He is pressured into putting his talents to use in providing entertainment for the senior military leadership during basic training and later aboard the troop ship USS Rose going to Europe. During the Atlantic crossing, he falls in love with an air force colonel's wife who is only a few years older than he is. Months later, after an ill-advised trip the lovers take to Italy, the colonel wants to remove the young soldier from his installation in France to face a court martial in Germany, under charges of illicit sexual relations with a married woman. Secretly, the colonel has fabricated a much more serious charge against Tommy - murder!

Flashbacks of Amati's youth show key moments during the ten years he spent in a private school for fatherless boys in Philadelphia and how these events have shaped his current life. Thomas does not know that a Mafia boss, Gino Messina, gunned down his father, Tony Amati. Feeling guilt for betraying his best friend Tony and close to death himself, Gino decides to seek out Thomas and make amends by taking him under his protection.

Au Revoir à la France tells about an international manhunt for this young man as he escapes the CID authorities in France and attempts to return to the States.


About the Author

A native of Philadelphia, Dr. James Raciti has spent more than twenty-five years in Europe as an educator. His graduate degrees are in comparative literature from the University of Grenoble in France and the University of Zaragoza in Spain.
He has written two books of poetry: Charles and Dabs of Myself. He has written and produced two plays: The Song of Roland and Invitation at Dawn.

Dr. Raciti presently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and teaches French at the College of Santa Fe.