If you’re a fan of historical fiction, mafia tales, true crime, or the second season of White Lotus, then run to read Philadelphia-based author Lisa Scottoline’s latest thriller. Loyalty is set in 1810 Sicily and tells the tale of the mafia’s genesis and rise to power on the island.
Franco and his twin brother, Roberto, are laborers in Sicily’s Conca d’Oro—translating to “golden crescent” and named for the sea of lemon and citrus groves that give the valley a vibrant golden color—but a life of physical labor is by no means Franco’s long–term goal. The brothers are determined to defy Sicilian social hierarchies to one day control the entirety of Palermo.
The events of the book start when Franco Fiorvanti, the overseer of a lemon grove at the Conca d’Oro hotel in Sicily, is paid by his boss, Baron Zito, to kidnap a young boy from Palermo. Franco’s decision sets off an action-packed chain of events, told from the perspectives of five seemingly unrelated Sicilian men and women. Dante is a young Sicilian boy from a noble family, kidnapped from his mother’s side at the Festival of Saint Rosalia and kept prisoner in a decrepit mental asylum by a sadistic guard, Renzo Gentili, and his wife. Gaetano Catalano is a young and ambitious Palermo lawyer whose social and political life is consumed by his involvement in a secret society, made up of Palermo’s male nobility. His role in this secret society causes him to obsess over finding the kidnapped boy, potentially at the cost of his idyllic family life. Mafalda is a young mother who has just given birth to her beloved daughter Lucia, but when tragedy falls upon their small fishing village, the mother and daughter must leave behind everything and forge a new future together. Last but not least, there’s Alfredo D’Antonio, a goat farmer who makes a living from selling goat cheese at the local market but otherwise secludes himself from society, fearing someone will uncover his family’s secret.
These five different perspectives converge as our main characters’ paths cross throughout the novel’s fifteen-year span. Initially, I was concerned about the relevance of the many perspectives, however, Scottoline did not disappoint. The alternating storylines that switch with each chapter make this book incredibly fast-paced and so un-put-downable even for an avid fan of the thriller genre. The chapters are also quite short, no more than eight pages each, so the storylines change fast. Before long, you’ll find yourself breezing through chapter after chapter to find out what happens next.
Not only do the characters’ paths connect physically, but they’re also connected by compelling themes of family (both actual and chosen), ambition, social hierarchies, and difficult choices made from desperation. None of the main characters possess clear-cut morals, making it hard to know who to root for. Even when certain characters prove to be the story’s villains, you still can’t help but admire their perseverance. This perfectly reflects the blurred lines between good and evil that permeate the book’s plot.
On top of the thrilling events that move the story along, Scottoline also touches on many real-life issues like organized crime structures, systematic failings of government, privilege, and mental-health reform. Because Loyalty is historical fiction, you might find yourself wondering, “How much of this is actually true?” As Scottoline explains in the Author’s Note, she spent extensive time traveling and exploring Sicily for the book’s research, evident in her picturesque descriptions of Sicily’s vibrant citrus groves and gem-blue sea. Scottoline’s research confirms that the origins of the Sicilian Mafia lie in the complex business relations within the Conca d’Oro’s lemon groves. There was also a documented secret society made up of Palermo’s nobility, but their purpose and reach are still heavily debated. The mental institution in which Dante was held prisoner, the Ospizio di Santa Teresa, was a real institution outside of Palermo reformed by Baron Pietro Pisani, a character in the book and the real founder of “moral therapy” in Sicily.
You can visit Lisa Scottoline’s website and purchase her novel here.
Loyalty
Lisa Scottoline
G.P. Putnam’s Sons
March 28, 2023
427 pp.
Kasia Bunofsky is a fifth-year student at Drexel working towards a BA in Art History and a BS in Entertainment and Arts Management with minors in English and Business Administration. In her free time, she loves reading (mostly horror, thrillers, and memoirs), enjoying the outdoors, or spending time with her two cats, Gizmo and Fae. She hopes to go on to earn her Ph.D. in Art History so she can spread her knowledge and passions to future students and art historians.