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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... McMinnville Public Library | Smith, D. | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Silver Falls Library | FIC SMITH | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
A magical story of love...and miracles After twenty years, Leo Pizzola has come back to the Tuscan village of Santo Fico, still single and still looking for a way to get rich. The town is as poor as it was when Leo left, yet some things have changed. Of Leo's childhood companions, only little Guido, whom everyone calls "Topo," embraces him. His best friend is long dead. The woman he once adored refuses to talk to him. And, worst of all, the kindly old town priest seems to have lost his faith. Perhaps what Santo Fico needs is a miracle-even if Leo and Topo have to manufacture one themselves. Now, as one botched scheme after another unravels, something completely unexpected happens, and wonders indeed begin to transform this Italian town, including the greatest miracle of all... Published around the world, this debut novel sparkles with the Italian spirit and emotions that will dance off the page and into your heart.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Smith chronicles a series of romantic and religious shenanigans in his debut novel, a pleasant but meandering affair set in the tiny Italian village of Santo Fico, where residents capitalize on the local tourist trade by diverting buses to a religious fresco depicting the miracles of St. Thomas. On the temporal plane, the novel revolves around the adventures of middle-aged Leo Pizzola, who returns to Santo Fico from Chicago. He tries to rekindle his unrequited romance with Marta Fortino, the town beauty, who makes her living by cooking for the incoming tourists. He also renews his friendship with several old comrades, but his troubled relationship with the local priest, Father Elio, surfaces when Leo steals a piece of the St. Thomas fresco during an earthquake that nearly destroys the work of art. To help Elio get over his subsequent crisis of faith (and to win Marta's heart), he tries to make his own miracle by repairing an old fountain in the middle of town. Smith's writing is long on Old World charm and the details of village life early on, but the dearth of a strong central plot undercuts the strong beginning. He has a nice feel for his Italian setting and an obvious love for his quirky characters, but the combination of nuance and atmosphere isn't enough to carry an entire novel. Agent, Liv Blumer. (Jan. 8, 2003) Forecast: Foreign rights have been sold in Germany, Holland, Japan, Spain and the U.K.; Smith will embark on an author tour of three Northwest cities; and ads in Time and People will further boost sales. Browsers will be drawn in by the cover art, which practically screams "Tuscany!" (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
An amiable debut by playwright Smith about an Italian village that's seen better days-and may again. To describe Santo Fico as "off the beaten track" is only the truth: The road to it is so narrow that anyone driving onto it has to keep going, since it's not wide enough to turn around-a fact that has brought many tourists over the years and has kept the local institutions (the one hotel, one church, etc.) alive. But it's a flyblown place all the same. Leo Pizzola grew up there and was glad to leave for Chicago, where he lived for 18 years until his father died, when he had to return to claim his estate. Now Leo wants to leave again, but he can't find anyone to buy the family farm. So he hangs out with his old friend Topo Pasolini, goofing off in the cafes and telling tall tales to the British or Americans who wander into town. He invariably steers the tourists to the hotel run by his old love Marta Fortito, though she refuses to speak to Leo and only lets him set foot in her bar when he brings customers. What old grudge is she nursing? There are tales still making the rounds of Leo having his nose broken by Marta the night before her wedding to Franco Fortito (who died years later in a motorcycle accident). But the details are hazy now. Even old Father Elio, who knows everyone's darkest secrets, isn't clear about just what went on. Now that Leo is back and Marta is a free woman, can there be reconciliation? Unlikely. Leo makes his meager living by telling strangers the story of the miraculous fig tree that bore fruit in Santo Fico all year long. He knows full well that people love stories that are charming rather than true. But maybe, sometimes, they can be both. A delightful fable, told with wit and grace.
Booklist Review
Charismatic and enchanting characters, Italian scenery, and long-held village secrets make this first novel entertaining and delightful. The dusty town of Santo Fico does not have much to offer tourists, except a beautiful and mysterious fresco in the cathedral. Leo Pizzola, always the schemer, picks up a trick he started with his childhood friends and entertains a group of English tourists who arrive in Santo Fico by accident. He persuades the visitors to pay to hear his elaborated account of Saint Francis' arrival in Santo Fico and his powerful prayers that made the barren fig tree bloom with fresh fruit overnight. But Leo needs to create miracles of his own. Father Elio becomes despondent, overcome by the sins of his youth, and the stubborn and beautiful Marta Fortino demands that Leo revive the old priest with man-made miracles. What are Father Elio's sins, and what is the untold romantic story between Leo and Marta? Uncovering these secrets generates a fast-paced and amusing novel. Michelle Kaske
Library Journal Review
Leo Pizzola returns to Santo Fico, the remote Italian village from which he ran away 20 years earlier, only to find ghosts from the past emerging from every corner. There is Father Elio, who believes that God has abandoned the town because of his secret sin; Marta, who has given up on life and love; and Topo, Leo's childhood friend, who once again helps Leo with his schemes to fool paying tourists into believing that miraculous events took place there hundreds of years ago. In his debut novel, Smith creates a fine balance of magical whimsy and earthy realism that ultimately imbues the residents of Santo Fico with renewed spirits and the ability to forgive one another and themselves. Not every secret is revealed, but the ones that are contribute to the overall cohesiveness of the story. Seasoned with vivid, appealing characters, this delectable slice of Italian life is far more satisfying than Joanne Harris's Coastliners, which also revolved around orchestrated miracles bringing redemption to beleaguered souls. Highly recommended for public libraries. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/02.]-Tamara Butler, Olean P.L., NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.