Review: How Fires End

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Little A (October 15, 2019)
A dark secret born out of World War II lies at the heart of a Sicilian American family in this emotional and sweeping saga of guilt, revenge, and, ultimately, redemption.

After soldiers vacate the Sicilian hillside town of Melilli in the summer of 1943, the locals celebrate, giving thanks to their patron saint, Sebastian. Amid the revelry, all it takes is one fateful moment for the destiny of nine-year-old Salvatore Vassallo to change forever. When his twin brothers are killed playing with an unexploded mortar shell, Salvatore’s faith is destroyed. As the family unravels, and fear ignites among their neighbors that the Vassallo name is cursed, one tragedy begets another.

Desperate to escape this haunting legacy, Salvatore accepts the help of an Italian soldier with fascist ties who ushers him and his sister, Nella, into a new beginning in America. In Middletown, Connecticut, in the immigrant neighborhood known as Little Melilli, these three struggle to build new lives for themselves. But a dangerous choice to keep their secrets hidden erupts in violence decades later. When Salvatore loses his inquisitive American-born son, David, they all learn too late the price sons pay for their fathers’ wars.

Written with elegiac prose, How Fires End delves into the secret wars of men; the sins they cannot bury; and a life lived in fear of who will reveal them, who will survive them, and who will forgive them.

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~My Thoughts~

As I read How Fires End, I couldn’t help but think of the quote I learned in high school by George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This book is a beautiful and tragic example of the truth of this statement.

Maybe if David had known and understood the history of his family, through all of the generations, his story might have turned out much differently. Nevertheless, the curse of the Vassallo family appeared unavoidable, at least so long as no one talked about it.

The most remarkable part about this book was its format. When I first began reading, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting. I thought it was going to be a WWII book set in Sicily, but the opening section was set in America many years after the war. Then the story is slowly revealed in jumps of time and perspective.

Like some other reviewers, at first I was confused about the setting of the book, and this perhaps shaped my reading. Sometimes, this happens and I wonder if the synopsis of the book should be edited. A reader’s expectations can alter the way they read a book, and mine certainly did here.

Instead of enjoying a truly unique bit of historical fiction, I found myself looking for the book I thought I wanted. By the time I reached the second section, I couldn’t help but feel I had missed the true intention of everything that had come before.

Poignant and gritty, How Fires End is a wonderfully written tale that should be appreciated for what it is, instead of what it isn’t. Therefore, I whole heartedly recommend this book to history and fiction lovers alike. You will not be disappointed with what you find in its pages.

~About the Author~

Marco Rafalà is a first-generation Sicilian American, novelist, musician, and writer for award-winning tabletop role-playing games. He earned his MFA in fiction from The New School and is a cocurator of the Guerrilla Lit Reading Series in New York City. Born in Middletown, Connecticut, he now lives in Brooklyn, New York. How Fires End is his debut novel. For more information, visit www.marcorafala.com.

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