How Fires End

A Novel

By: Marco Rafalà

Narrated by: Angelo Di Loreto

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.

©2019 Marco Rafalà (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Marco Rafalà ignites all kinds of fires in this brightly burning novel fueled by old vendettas and unresolved resentments. A tremendous, well-crafted debut.” --Idra Novey, award-winning author of Those Who Knew and Ways to Disappear

“What happens when the fires we nurture with hate die? How Fires End is a breathtaking multigenerational story of fathers and sons who yearn for warmth amid the ashes of their own secrets and lies. Generous, bold, epic, Marco Rafalà’s novel is a triumph.” --Brando Skyhorse, award-winning author of The Madonnas of Echo Park and Take This Man: A Memoir

Heartwrenching and powerful

Beautifully written and absolutely perfect narration. The pride of men and the mistakes they pay for. The imagery used by the author painted a world in my mind that I won't soon forget. The talent of the narrator gave even more power to the author's words. Sad, but worth the emotional investment you will give this book.

Be prepared.

I unequivocally recommend "How Fires End".
This was an immersive read that brings you from WWII Sicily, to 1980's Connecticut, and beyond.
Using the lenses of three main characters (you can argue four), the story weaves through Salvatore's heartbreaking journey to make sense of the seething hatred and profound love that live deep in his marrow.
The souls of each narrator are splayed out with each page. You enter into, and live their deepest secrets, biggest regrets, and unassailable loves - always orbiting around Salvatore's struggle.
"How Fires End" demands a closer look at one's own family story, no matter where in the world that story originates. Be prepared.

A Triumph! It is a powerful ache that you read until you find relief.

Marco Rafalà’s “How Fires End” is a Triumph! It is a powerful ache that you read until you find relief.
Rafalà puts his emotion on the pages; poignant moments shared between the characters and across seas and continents. He literally leaves your heart to cry or pound! All wrapped up in the hope I trust he wants us to believe in.
“How Fires End” is more than a story, it is an absolute truth being shared after generations of secrets.
Do not miss this debut novel, for I am sure this is the first of many evocative, strong, and must read novels by Rafalà.

So good. Sad, but good.

While giving you a glimpse into life in Sicily during WW2, and the life of immigrants to the U.S., this book is more about how the inability to forgive can keep a smoldering fire of bitterness and resentment alive, and how finally the future can be made better by forgiveness and truth and understanding. I just finished listening, and all I want to do is sit still and let the story settle into me, process it, and think. Wonderfully written, great narration.

How fires end

Good but sad story narrator does great job makes you feel each tender moment as if you were there.