LETTERS OF REDEMPTION

By Vince Santoro

LETTERS OF REDEMPTION is a poignant story about what it means to tell the truth when it’s hardest to, and to love when love is complicated. It explores themes of love, the weight of guilt, man’s appetite for world power, and the human need to be forgiven — all set against the backdrop of World War II Italy and North Africa.

On the North African front, Antonio befriends Roberto, a Sicilian who does not know how to write. Roberto asks Antonio to write letters to his new acquaintance, Maria, on his behalf. Roberto never told Maria that he didn’t know how to write. The secret is well hidden, and even after Roberto’s tragic death in battle, as the war rages on, so do the letters.

For Maria who has moved to Rome and works for the politically entangled Ciano family, amid war and political intrigue, the letters offer hope and solace. Wounded and sent to Rome to recover, Antonio confronts his guilt and the secrets about the letters. Amid the chaos of Nazi-occupied Rome, Antonio and Maria meet. Their love story, entwined with the risks of survival, unfolds as they navigate deception, survival, and redemption. As the truth is uncovered, they face the choices that will shape their lives.