The Human Cost of Intolerance and the Cost to Rebuild a Life - an Editorial Review of "Cobblestones: a New Orleans Tragedy"

Book Blurb:

The turbulent history of Post-Reconstruction New Orleans collides with the plight of Sicilian immigrants seeking refuge in America.

Antonio, a young man fleeing Sicily after avenging his father's murder, embarks on a harrowing journey to New Orleans with the help of Jesuit priests expelled from his homeland. But the promise of a fresh start quickly sours as Antonio finds himself entangled in a volatile clash of cultures, corruption, and crime.

In the late 19th century, Italian immigrants in New Orleans faced hostility, exploitation, and a brutal system of indentured servitude. Antonio becomes a witness to history as a bitter feud over the docks spirals into violence, culminating in the assassination of Irish police chief David C. Hennessy. The ensuing trial of nine Italians and the shocking lynching of eleven innocent men ignited international outrage, threatening to sever ties between the United States and Italy.

Caught in the crossfire of prejudice and power struggles, Antonio fights to survive while grappling with his own past and future. His journey weaves a gripping tale of resilience, betrayal, and the enduring hope for justice. Cobblestones: A New Orleans Tragedy is a poignant reminder of the human cost of intolerance and the courage it takes to rebuild a life from ashes.

"A phenomenal epic account of a forgotten slice of New Orleans history for fans of Scorsese/Coppola-type cinematic dramas such as Midnight Vendetta and The Godfather!" -

HFC Reviews

Notation from Wikipedia:

For the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyage in 1892, following the lynchings of 11 Italian immigrants by a mob in New Orleans, President Benjamin Harrison declared Columbus Day as a one-time national celebration.[12][13] The proclamation was part of a wider effort after the lynching incident to placate Italian Americans and ease diplomatic tensions with Italy.[12] During the anniversary in 1892, teachers, preachers, poets, and politicians used rituals to teach ideals of patriotism. These rituals took themes such as citizenship boundaries, the importance of loyalty to the nation, and the celebration of social progress, included among them was the Pledge of Allegiance by Francis Bellamy.[14][15][16]

Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/M2sa

Author Bio: Visit the author's profile at www.historiumpress.com/sal-perricone

Editorial Review:

Cobblestones: A Novel of New Orleans Editorial Review

From his first breath, he became eligible for death, but nothing impaled his mortal existence more than the murder of his best friend. On this day, the young Sicilian contandini began his mournful morning with dreadful thoughts. The misty dawn coiled him in a flint-gray shroud, reminding him of life's fragility—his and others. As the shards of sunlight beamed through the narrow alleys and streets of his mountain village, he knew his innocence and his humble life’s tillage in the undulating soil on the green hills of his family’s olive groves and grape-laden vineyards were changing with every fleeting step. Even the air he breathed stung his senses with a tomb-like stench.

The clopping hooves of a solitary black horse on the ancient cobblestone streets echoed against the old tan and yellow stucco homes and shops that framed the Piazza Triona. The horse needed no guidance, as it often made this trip. It required no stinging whip to force him to tug the black-lacquered hearse up the hill towards the yawning doors of St. John the Baptist Church, where a French Jesuit, Jacques Fontebuis, waited with his hands clasped around his Missal for the Requiem Mass.

The novel begins with a compelling sense of urgency that foreshadows the intensity of the battle that lies ahead. The reader is immediately drawn into Antonio's inner turmoil - a young man motivated by both duty and retribution - from the opening line. The story's emotional center and historical significance are established in the opening pages. Perricone builds a powerful, emotionally charged hook that entices the reader to keep reading by skillfully balancing personal stakes with more significant political and social factors.

Cobblestones: A Novel of New Orleans by S.R. Perricone is a very intriguing historical fiction book that skillfully combines reality and fiction with remarkable depth and detail. This novel offers a terrifying yet inspirational trip through the immigrant experience, one that is just as relevant today as it was in the 19th century. It is set in the turbulent aftermath of the American Civil War and with the development of anti-immigrant prejudice in the South.

The story follows Antonio, a Sicilian immigrant who fled his native country after killing his father, as he seeks safety in New Orleans following Reconstruction. His psychological and physical journey is replete with perils, unfair treatment, and difficult choices. Perricone doesn't sugarcoat the brutal reality of life as an immigrant in racially and ethnically divided New Orleans, particularly for Italians.

A tragic period in American history - the death of Irish police commissioner David C. Hennessy and the lynching of eleven innocent Italians - intersects Antonio's life. These incidents serve as more than just background information; they are crucial factors that mold Antonio's course and moral compass. The plot advances quickly yet deliberately, letting historical aspects enhance the story without taking over. Deep empathy and moral thought are evoked by the horrific and heartbreaking build-up to the violent act and its psychological consequences.

Like a feral cat, Antonio crept from the shadows and under the amber flickering gas lamps lining the streets and alleys of his hometown. With every step, his old boots banged against the cobblestones, betraying his presence. So, he sat on the street, removed his boots, and stuffed them in his sack. His threadbare socks offered little protection from the hardened, uneven stones, but he preferred the pain to being noticed. In a small-town square, three uoma vecchio sat on benches discussing the dire news of the past three days in their small mountain town. Four dead. They didn’t notice Antonio passing through the shadows as he wound his way to the rectory’s back gate.

Antonio is a well-developed, multifaceted lead character. He seeks atonement while haunted by retaliation, displaying courage and vulnerability. Through him, the reader is able to witness the devastation caused by injustice, the brittle hopes of immigrants, and the transforming force of perseverance.

Antonio is surrounded by a complex cast of characters created by Perricone, including Jesuit priests who operate as moral mentors and guardians, members of the community caught up in ethnic strife, and institutional leaders who use public opinion to further their own agendas. Each character adds to the novel's emotional and historical impact by feeling real and grounded. These ancillary characters reflect the larger socioeconomic issues that run throughout the book rather than acting as story devices.

The book is presented in a polished and expert manner. The conversation feels both natural and appropriate for the time, the paragraph transitions are seamless, and the punctuation is accurate. Perricone never allows historical explanation to slow down the rhythm, exhibiting a good command of narrative flow. With distinct chapter breaks that serve as organic pauses for the reader while preserving the flow of the story, the formatting also promotes reading.

Cobblestones keeps a tight, coherent structure from the first chapter to the last sentence. Even in the midst of the intricate sociopolitical background, readers are never left feeling bewildered since events are presented with historical reality and narrative clarity. With increasing stakes that reflect Antonio's developing understanding of his position in a contradictory and conflict-ridden society, each chapter logically builds upon the one before it.

From flight to survival, from witness to involuntary involvement, and ultimately to a sense of knowledge and personal development, the story arc takes a fulfilling and emotionally impactful path. Antonio undergoes a slow and convincing metamorphosis, influenced by both outside forces and his inward struggles with sorrow, remorse, and figuring out who he is in a foreign country.

The unwavering depiction of a lesser-known but significant event in American history - the lynching of eleven Italian immigrants in New Orleans in 1891 - is what distinguishes Cobblestones from other historical novels. Perricone illuminates bigotry, structural injustice, and the cyclical nature of violence by making this marginalized chapter into a fictional work. Here, the Italian immigrant experience—which is sometimes overshadowed by other stories in historical fiction—is sensitively and perceptively brought to life.

Father Fontebuis, dressed in a long black cassock, Roman collar and a saturno hat, and Antonio, dressed in black trousers, white shirt, a black woolen jacket, and black coppola, snuck out the rectory’s back gate, and walked through the winding alleys of Bisacquino. It took fifteen minutes to get to Gino Scarpuzzo’s livery service, where the bishop kept his new black canopied carriage and horse. With the exception of the flickering gas lamps, the moonless night shrouded the town in an eerie darkness and solitude. When the travelers arrived, Scarpuzzo hitched the horse to the carriage. Scarpuzzo took Father Fontebuis’s leather suitcase and Antonio’s sack, and stored it in the rear of the carriage. When the priest and the boy climb aboard the carriage, the horse began to buck, which required Scarpuzzo the yank on the long leather reins.

“He’s young, Father, and eager to go,” Scarpuzzo said.

By adding religious overtones to the book, Perricone also makes a fresh narrative decision. A dimension of philosophical and theological depth is added by the participation of Jesuit priests as protectors and spiritual mentors, posing queries of justice, forgiveness, and divine purpose in the midst of human suffering.

Perricone writes in an exquisite yet understated style. He adds the grimness of historical realism to the sensory richness of New Orleans, which includes the noise of horse-drawn carriages on cobblestones, the heavy, humid air of the Mississippi River, and the scent of Sicilian cooks. The conversation flows naturally between accents and socioeconomic classes and is both captivating and credible. His ability to describe never slows down the pace; rather, it heightens the mood and helps the reader become more fully immersed in the setting and time.

Without giving away too much about the plot, Cobblestones' conclusion is both depressing and hopeful. It gives Antonio closure and a way forward, but it does not offer tidy endings or fairy tale justice. The human spirit's tenacity and the silent bravery needed to continue in the face of catastrophe are captured in the last chapters. The harshness and beauty of the immigrant experience, as well as a fresh understanding of the never-ending struggle for justice and belonging, leave readers feeling profoundly moved.

5 stars from The Historical Fiction Company and the "Highly Recommended" award of excellence

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