Includes bibliographical references (pages [409] -413).

"An emotional, action-packed epic of love and justice, set during the rise of the Mafia in Sicily"--

"Loyalty can save a soul--or destroy one. Franco Fiorvanti is a handsome laborer toiling on the estate of a baron. He dreams of owning a lemon grove, but the rigid class system of Sicily thwarts his ambition. When the baron asks him to kidnap a little boy, Franco makes a decision that will change his life--and the history of Sicily... Gaetano Catalano is an idealistic young lawyer whose devotion to justice is tantamount to a calling. He's a member of the Beati Paoli, a real-life secret society of aristocrats who investigate crime in Palermo, a city riddled with graft. Gaetano sets out to find the kidnapped boy, but his mission leads him to a darker place than he had ever imagined. Meanwhile, Mafalda Pancari is a new mother rejoicing at the birth of her daughter, Lucia, when disaster strikes. And Alfredo D'Antonio is a reclusive goatherd under constant threat of being discovered as a Jew. How the lives of these unforgettable characters collide makes Loyalty an epic tale of good versus evil. Readers will be transported to the dramatic and ruggedly beautiful island of Sicily, where lush lemon groves and mouth-watering cuisine contrast with a turbulent history of colonization and corruption - and they will not be able to put down this riveting masterpiece"--