Stars in an Italian Sky

January 2, 2023
For this moving, intergenerational tale, Santopolo (Everything After) skillfully weaves two love stories in which passionate and idealistic young couples contend with class differences, tension between their personal desires and familial obligations, and the ongoing ramifications of decisions made by earlier generations. In 1946 Genoa, Italy, Giovanna, a tailor’s daughter, and Vincenzo, a count’s son, fall in love despite disapproving family and friends, on the eve of a political referendum that will decide the fate of Italy’s ruling class. In contemporary New York City, two Italian Americans, Cassandra, a marketing director from a modest Long Island family, and her fiancé, Luca, an up-and-coming artist and grandson of Italian winemakers, invite her grandmother and his grandfather to pose together for a painting, leading to a startling discovery and a late-in-life second chance at love. Soon, two sets of wedding plans become fodder for interpersonal and intergenerational conflict. All wrestle with regret, doubt, and hope, seeking guidance from Catholicism, family traditions, and the wisdom of their own hearts. The story toes the line between romance and women’s fiction, with equal focus on romantic and familial love. Santopolo’s flawed yet endearing characters are sure to tug at readers’ heartstrings. Agent: Miriam Altshuler, DeFiore & Co.

January 15, 2023
When two Italian Americans plan to get married, they uncover a decades-old secret about their families. Cassandra, a marketing director for a fashion company, is deeply in love with Luca, an artist. Although their families are both originally from Italy, Cass feels that they live in two different worlds--her family is working class, while Luca's is wealthier and has their own vineyard. When he proposes, Cass knows that their love for each other is enough to bridge whatever gaps exist between their families. What she isn't counting on, however, is the secret that's revealed when Luca asks his grandfather and Cass' grandmother to sit for a portrait together--it turns out that their families are connected in a way she never imagined. Cass' modern-day New York City story isn't the only love affair here--Santopolo also weaves in the story of Giovanna and Vincenzo in Genoa, Italy, in 1946. Their love affair was intense but brief, as the tumultuous political climate and their opposing families tore them apart. Santopolo, known for moving, passionate love stories like The Light We Lost (2017) and Everything After (2021), creates another emotional read about love lost, love found, second chances, and forgiveness. Giovanna's life in post-World War II Italy is richly described, full of detail about her job at her family's tailor shop and the luxurious Italian desserts and coffee she's able to try after years of wartime scarcity. Cass' and Giovanna's points of view work together seamlessly even though they're separated by about 60 years. A romantic, sweeping story that's satisfying and heartbreaking at the same time.

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