Va' Pensiero

About the Book

Va¢ Pensiero, the book, tells of the escape from poverty, repression and servitude of millions of Jewish and Italian immigrants, and of the crucibles they overcame in their mystic and arduous adventures to the New World. The book is not intended to equate the suffering of the Italian people with that of the Hebrews, for the latter is in itself a tragedy too copious to be addressed in this short work. Nor does the author, a first generation Italian-American, intend to pit one ethnic group against the other in a race of accomplishments. Such a contest could not be fairly conducted without including men and women of greatness from all racial identities.

The title Va¢ Pensiero, is taken from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Nabucco. It is said to be the most exquisite of the composer’s choral works. In the story of enslaved Hebrews yearning for their homeland, the Italians identified with them. They too were enslaved at that time, during the 19^th century period of Risorgimento when foreigners continued to dominate their land.

About the Author

Armand Santilli was born in Portland, Oregon of Italian immigrant parentage from the Roman-Abruzzo region of central Italy.  He received his formal education at the University of Portland and Northwestern College of Law. Mr. Santilli began writing fiction based on fact after his retirement from the real estate investment business in 2000. Va` Pensiero is his premiere work of non-fiction, undertaken first under a different title, to be a simple story about successful sons of minority immigrants. In researching he was struck by the unwonted suffering of poor immigrants in their voyage to America, and reminded once again of man’s inhumanity to man . . . hence Va` Pensiero. Armand Santilli has authored two full-length novels: The Trillionaires, and The Boys at Bohemian Grove.