The Scarlet Thread

Lovers in Italy during World War II, Englishwoman Angela Drummond and Mafia scion Steven Falconi are separated by a bombing raid and fall in love again after a post-war reunion in New York

YA-- A suspenseful romantic tale. Amid the ravages of World War II, Angela Drummond, a British nurse; and Steven Falconi, an American soldier, fall in love and secretly marry. The marriage is kept secret as Steven is the scion of a powerful Mafia family. When the hospital Angela works in is bombed and she's not listed as a survivor, Steven returns to America grief-stricken, eventually marrying the daughter of another Mafia family. A pregnant Angela has not died, but when she learns of Steven's background, she returns to England to have and raise her child. They live separate lives until an accidental meeting years later renews a never-forgotten wartime love. Their decision to flee their lives and be together opens up violent forces and a vicious vendetta from Steven's wife's family. Anthony's well-structured adventure features likable characters and a twist at the end. Teenagers will find this a page-turner, and librarians will find it a well-written addition to their YA collections. --Barbara A. Lynn, Econo-Clad Bks, Topeka, KS
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Veteran novelist Anthony's ( The House of Vandekar ) new romance is a lively story whose seemingly conventional characters sometimes behave in a surprising fashion. British nurse Angela Drummond meets American serviceman Steven Falconi in Italy during WW II, and he insists on marrying her when she becomes pregnant. After U.S. Army officials alert her to his Mafia background, she returns to her native England, shortly before her hospital is bombed; Steven believes her dead. His postwar rise in the family business is clinched by his marriage to Carla Fabrizzi, spoiled daughter of another powerful mafioso. The marriage begins to deteriorate during their honeymoon, and Steven has a brief interlude with an elegant, sophisticated Frenchwoman, a liaison that will have tragic consequences. Many years later, Steven learns that Angela and his son are alive.He abandons his marriage to make a new life with Angela in Europe, running a casino near Monte Carlo. In spite of his family's assistance in fabricating his disappearance, Steven and Angela cannot completely escape the long reach of the Fabrizzis or the shifts of power within the Mafia families. The rich plot keeps percolating to the very end. Reader's Digest Book Club selection.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.