POWERS OF FATE
A Story of Love and Courage Born Amid the Ruins of War-Torn Italy
by
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"Do you speak English?" She shakes her head from side to side, and Mario can see she neither speaks nor understands much English at all. With his interest in her skyrocketing, he speaks to her in Italian. "Siete un cantante professionista?" Her angry expression suddenly turns to one of puzzled interest. Leaning forward, she places her hands on the windowsill. "You speak Italian. But you are American, yes?" "Yes, but I come from an Italian family. You didn’t answer my question. You have a beautiful voice, and I’ve been following it for several blocks. Are you a professional singer?" Feeling slightly embarrassed, she smiles. "No, I do not sing for a living. I just enjoy it very much. I had no idea someone can hear me from so far away." "What do you do, then?" "Before the war, I designed and sewed gowns and dresses. I used to sell them all around Napoli. But now I repair clothes. No one needs pretty gowns any more."
Mario’s fascination with her increases with each passing moment. Hoping to keep her from hiding from him again, he asks, "I have some uniforms that need repair. Can you fix them for me?" Before answering him, Antonella holds up her hand with her forefinger extended and disappears from the window. Looking up at the vacant window, Mario is afraid she won’t return. Then she suddenly reappears on the street, directly before him. She is even more beautiful up close, and he starts to feel nervous and anxious in her presence. "I can fix anything, Signor. What do you need me to sew?" "I have some shirts with missing buttons and rips in them and pants that are torn. I can bring them by tomorrow if that’s good for you?" "Tomorrow will be fine. I am always happy to get new business." Elated over having another opportunity to see her, he extends his hand out to her. "My name is Mario Carlucci. What’s yours?" Taking his hand into hers, she answers, "I’m Antonella Cappodanno. It’s nice to meet you, Signor Carlucci. What part of Italia are you from?" "I’m Sicilian. My father is from Sicily, but he moved to America before I was born," Antonella giggles over his admission to being Sicilian. She teases him, saying, "You know that Sicilians and Napolitans don’t get along very well, don’t you?" "I hope that isn’t a problem here. I do need my clothes fixed," says Mario. Antonella laughs out loud. "I don’t think it will, do you?" They both laugh again, and then Antonella says, "Tell me, Signor Carlucci, how did your pant legs get so wet?" He looks down at his pants and snickers, "I was walking along the beach earlier, and I got too close to the surf. There’s no ocean where I live, so I like to spend as much time there as I can." "That is too bad you have no ocean. I’ve loved the sea since I was a little girl." Remembering he must return to the Jeep parked along the seaside, he says, "I must go and find my Jeep. I promised my sergeant I’d be back before dark. I’ll come here tomorrow afternoon, if that’s a good time." "Yes, I will be here. I have more work I must finish. Maybe you can tell me what America is like?" "I’d like that. I’ll see you here tomorrow." Antonella shakes his hand once more and, with a gentle laugh, says, "Ciao, Mario Carlucci de Sicily." She turns and climbs the flight of stairs leading to the apartment, but before she is out of sight, Antonella looks back in his direction. Flipping her long hair out of her face, she smiles and waves one last time, vanishing as quickly as she appeared.
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About the Book
2020 marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the end of World War II. As the free world prepares to honor those heros who re-defined history, there is a lesser known, yet remarkable, consequence to the war that has created millions of new families.
It is estimated that almost 100,000 young women from across Europe, who came to be known as war brides, met and married American soilders during the course of the war. Powers of Fate is based upon a true story and explores the war bride phenomenon in a vivid and fascinating intimacy.
This novel is a love story between a roguish American GI and the beautiful Italian girl that changed his life. But it is much more than just a love story...it's a slice of history...a tale of destiny...two lives from two different worlds, brought together by the random powers of fate. It provides an intimate perspective of World War II from both a soldier's and a victim's point of view. Powers of Fate is a moving story of courage, survival, personal growth and devotion to family. It's about the strength of love and of all the young war brides who discarded everything their lives were made of, for the sake of it.
The storyline is a journey back in time to the mid 1930's, with all of the cultural elements of that generation on grand display. Speak easys, elaborate night clubs and seaside trattorias serve as a backdrop where the lives of the main protaginsts are carefully detailed in moments of joy, sorrow and a terror only war is capable of producing. Along the way, the reader meets a growing cast of colorful characters such as loving family, mobsters and endearing wartime friends and strangers.
About the Author
Born in Naples, Italy in 1945, Mono D’Angelo is the son of an American soldier and an Italian war bride. He was raised in and around the Detroit, Michigan region of the Midwest. After devoting thirty-some years to a career as an automotive design engineer and freelance artist, he is now focusing on his writing. He began writing seriously after joining several online writers groups. Bolstered by encouragement received from some members of the group, he began to promote his writing locally. He has since written articles for major-media newspapers, such as the Detroit News, as well as for the online travel magazine, Trips and Journeys. As an Italian-American who’s heritage is directly linked to the war bride experience, his creative non-fiction novel, Powers of Fate, is based upon the unique lives of his parents. Combining family folklore, personal memories and a great deal of historical research, he addresses the war bride phenomenon from the private and personal viewpoint of the participants. He presently resides with his wife in Grosse Ile, Michigan, a quaint island community located on the northwest corner of Lake Erie. When he is not writing or painting, he enjoys racing his sailboat on the Great Lakes.