Islands Of Fire

The Sicily Chronicles #1

by Dick Rosano

Quando Luca foi à Sicília em busca das raízes de seus pais, ele não contava com seu encontro com um idoso sábio que parecia personificar a história da ilha em seus ossos. Ele também não contava com Vito o levando para séculos atrás – milênios – até os tempos antigos, quando a Sicília foi povoada por povos do mar e disputada por tribos em guerra e invasores. Luca não conhecia Anu e Baia, que vieram à costa da ilha 11.000 anos atrás, ou Telia e Sapira, que começaram a revolução da agricultura na Sicília milhares de anos depois disso. Ele nunca havia ouvido sobre as tribos sicanas, elímias e sículas que povoaram a ilha 3.000 anos atrás, ou das lutas dos árabes, gregos, cartagineses e romanos para controlar essa peça vital da terra no Mar Médio. Ilhas de Fogo leva o leitor para uma jornada através do tempo, das origens vulcânicas dessa ilha até a era do Império Romano. É uma jornada contada pelas dúzias de invasões da ilha ao longo de milhares de anos. Um ponto de parada no Mar Médio, a Sicília está no coração da história ocidental.

572 pages, Paperback

Published May 13, 2020

About the author

Also writes under D.P. Rosano

Reviews

[Frank Schiraldi]

The subject matter will not appeal to everyone, but anyone who enjoys historical fiction should find this book exceptional. It covers the history of Sicily from the earliest formation of Earth's land and sea structures, until the period of Roman domination of the island. The book is constructed using a modern scholar of Sicilian history to educate a very curious American of Sicilian ancestory who is curious about the Island during World War II, but becomes engrossed in the history presented by his happenstance mentor. The lessons take place every morning over a few cups of expresso and are supplemented by illustriative vignettes that demonstrate the very complex history of Sicily, expecially the dozens of invaders, peaceful and warlike who came to the island for various reasons, from escaping deadly volcanoes; to expanding trade; to defending against mortal enemies (e.g., Greece, Carthage, Rome); to serving as slave labor. Many years ago, I taught high school history in a fashion that I recall fondly from Vito's Socratic approach. The way, as the professori explains to his pupil, is not about memorizing dates, but about linking important ideas to each other and posing interesting questions to be examined and reflected upon. The only real negative, and it is a minor one, is Luca's (the American pupil) role as a foil in this endeavor, as he attempts to write down every word before he realizes that perhaps this causes him to listen less effectively.

[Wendy Hart]

A wonderful read written in the unusual style of a trip of discovery that becomes a detailed examination of complex Sicilian history.
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[Donna Costello]

This novel delivers incredible insight into the lives of cultures past.

Each chapter delivers a stimulating sense of place that immerses the reader entirely.

It is easy to differentiate between each ‘tribe’ and I found myself interested in learning more about each of the peoples mentioned within each section.

Well written and captivating, I would recommend this novel to anyone with an interest in historical fiction.

[Amanda Waters]

Islands of Fire reminds me of a well-done historical re-enactment, rather than a traditional historical fiction novel. Each prehistoric episode is told in omniscient third person, through the eyes of an individual, their family, and their village. These narratives explore daily life as well as events that represent major milestones in the development of the peoples who settled in what is now known as Sicily. The framing story of a young American in Sicily allows the author to provide a larger context for the more individual-level historical details told in the episodes. The book is unique in that it gives life to a period of human history that is often overlooked. Overall, the book is well written and appears to be well researched, but it's more history book than novel. It would appeal to readers who love history and don't require much of a plot.

[Elaine]

This book is historical fiction depicting the history of the island of Sicily using historical records, using the author’s own characters and incidents. It takes place during the era, B.C.E. (which was originally known as B.C., before the birth of Christ). The main character, Luca, goes to Sicily to learn about his roots and meets Vito who takes him through the history of this island. The book is written through different parts of time and gives you a window of knowledge of these periods which influenced the island of Sicily over thousands of years. The book is broken into time periods and almost seems like a history book, yet the author creates a dimension that shows this through an individual’s eyes. This book would appeal to the history buff who likes a bit of character tossed into the reading. His novel is very enjoyable and extremely informative.

[Loretta Gabriel]

A fascinating story.

The author has written a very intriguing story with a great deal of information of fact and fiction. Enjoyable reading for those who like a mixture of facts and fiction.