Historical Fiction · WarmAn American officer rebuilds a Sicilian town in 1943
A Bell for Adano
by John Hersey
An American major in occupied Sicily tries to find the town a new bell
In 1943 Major Victor Joppolo, an Italian-American officer, is placed in charge of the town of Adano on the Sicilian coast during the Allied occupation. He works to meet the residents' needs, including the loss of a historic bell that the Fascists melted down. His efforts win the townspeople's admiration, even as he contends with the demands of American military authority.
More about this book
Who
Major Victor Joppolo, the town administrator; the military police Sergeant Borth and Captain Purvis; General Marvin; and townspeople such as Tomasino, the fishermen's leader, and the town crier Mercurio Salvatore.
World
The fictional Sicilian port of Adano, modeled on Licata, during the 1943 Allied occupation.
What makes it different
Joppolo was based on Frank E. Toscani, the American military governor of Licata, whom Hersey met during the war. It won the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was adapted as a 1944 Broadway play and a 1945 film.
Feel
Humane and gentle, a war story with little fighting in it.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Behind the book
Joppolo was based on Frank E. Toscani, the American military governor of Licata, whom author John Hersey met during the war.
Source: Wikipedia
Further reading
- A Bell for AdanoWikipedia