Some years after World War II comes to its bloody conclusion, American James Morris comes to Rome as a tourist. It's a short trip, presumably merely for pleasure, but another, deeper motivation drives James's interest in the Eternal City.
While in Rome, James strikes up a friendship with two young tour guides. Giovanni "Johnny" Salina is a hopeful young journalist. Gemma is an archeologist whose lively personality is beset by sudden changes in mood.
Upon returning to the United States, James begins a long correspondence with Gemma as he struggles to find the strength to reveal the secret that tears at his conscience.
Twenty years pass, and Johnny Salina receives a package from his long-lost American friend. In it, he discovers the painful secret James Morris kept for so many years-a secret binding him to Gemma, Rome, and the bustling neighborhood of San Lorenzo.
A deeply moving account of the scars left by war, The Pilot of San Lorenzo explores the battle between silent spiritual torment and the need to find serenity. James's actions haunt him, but the pain of confession may be too much to bear.
About the Author: Born in the popular Roman neighborhood of San Lorenzo in 1938, Sergio Palombini was a child when he witnessed the bombing of Rome on July 19, 1943, an experience that left an indelible impression on him.
Employed for many years in the hospitality industry as a tour operator, travel agent, and hotel manager, Palombini is now retired. His first book, Guerra e Dintorni, was a memoir published in Italian in 2012. The Pilot of San Lorenzo is his first English novel, and he wrote Back to the Past soon after. Both English novels are published by CreateSpace.
