“This is a very visual novel and the attention to detail is so rich that I could smell the dirty water dogs from the NYC street vendors. Bravo!” ~Romeo Tirone, Director of True Blood, Dexter, and Red Widow “Daniel O’Connor’s Sons of the Pope reveals an interesting new talent with a snappy style. This is someone’s career to watch.” ~Andrew Neiderman, Author of The Devil’s Advocate and several … several V.C. Andrews novels
“A rich, epic chronicle of murder, the mob, and miracles…” ~ Kevin O’Brien, NY Times Bestselling Author
***
In Brooklyn, before the murders, before the miracle, before the 1940s were gone forever, there was a tree. If only they let that tree alone.
If that sycamore tree had been allowed to stand, then maybe Biaggio Falcone never would have been the head of the Campigotto crime family. Perhaps little Joey Salerno would not have been born like that.
Joey’s father, Sal – just home from World War II – probably would never have gotten involved with the New York underworld, and his wife Mary wouldn’t have spent her entire life caring for an eternal child.
There may have been no reason, four decades later, for that desperate pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. And no need for anyone to call upon the one known only as The Diabolist.
Experience the richness of a story that spans half a century. Love and
hatred. Devotion and betrayal. Murder and miracles.
If only they let that tree alone.
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I really liked this book because of the well developed characters, the variety of characters and the depth of some of the characters. Thought it was a good read!
I got this book thinking it was a religious fiction about a Pope having two sons – imagine. However it is about Italian Americans and their life and it was wonderful. I am British and had no idea about the history of Italians in Brooklyn and their way of dealing with stuff. It was just a great read that has left me with new knowledge. Well worth reading. Incidentally, I sat on the beach today and one particular episode in the book kept popping up into my mind thus I did not go in the sea today.
When I got this book, I thought it was going to be a book about the crime family organization. What I found, however, was it was more about The personal influence it had on the people in the community and the nuances That those relationships created In and out of the crime world.
This book was written the same years I have lived, the music reference made my day. I so enjoyed this book incredible characters. Loved the book! A must read!!!!
Delightful book! Wonderful, believable characters. Love of family.sneaks through over and above the violence.
I saw that this book was basically blowing up this week at Goodreads so I took a chance on it. WOW. I am sitting here as if I’ve gone through an emotional blender. Violent – yes, but beautiful and romantic. Something for everyone. HIGHLY recommended.
GREAT READ!
10 Stars for Brooklyn!
5 Stars for the rest of the world!
Imteresting
I loved this book, good characters. Great Great story
being an Italian that knows of the world depicted in this book i really enjoyed it…well worth my time and money…it kept me interested from start to finish great story line…
Grew up Italian in Brooklyn. Lots of memories. I think I knew some of those characters.
Not what I expected, but very entertaining and interesting. Liked it a lot
When I began the book I had my doubts but by page 20 I was hooked. The characters keep dragging you into their world. A bit brutal at times as the mob scene surely is but that was not the core and the writing was much to my taste.
An odd book from my perspective, but perhaps because I usually read either political non-fiction or mystery/crime books. This is a forty-year family saga set in a New York neighborhood that, after WWII, was heavily Italian and the presence of organized crime a given.
The writing was excellent, the characters fairly well developed, and events moved along – people got married, had happiness and tragedy – and quite a few people got killed, some in pretty gruesome ways. But those events seemed off-stage and didn’t appear to have much effect at the center of the story. The tone was passive and I just kept waiting for something to happen.
I guess it just wasn’t my kind of book.
This book was nothing like I expected. I was hoping for something similar to The Godfather, but what was delivered was more like The Golden Girls.
passe’
What a waste of time. Boring and scattered
Did not really have a riveting story line.
Very average read
I found this book somewhat predictable and didn’t enjoy where it was going. I read about ⅔ and quit. Quite unusual for me.
No real story. Violence and intimidation. I didn’t finish it and don’t say that about many books.