Publisher's Synopsis
This is a story in 3 parts. Each part is unique, revealing the nature and practices of international child trafficking. We begin with a woman plunging to her death. We're drawn into the patriarchal culture of 19th century Italy as it struggles to become one nation. It's Brother Eduardo's story, told in three parts. The rights of women lie in the hands of father, husband, culture, and court. The fate of stolen children used for sex and slavery reveals the heart of Eduardo's story. The role of the Church in child abuse is hinted. It's the century Italians struggled to become one nation after escaping France's Napoleon III. Other nations and the Vatican interfere with the desire of the people to become "one nation of the peninsula ."Their passion is to be called "Italian". Eduardo's passion is to save the children. The children's passion is to be free.
Rudy Leeman is an avid private pilot who incorporated his love of flying into his career. Besides being a writer of historical novels in his retirement years, he was a Lutheran parish pastor for thirteen years, having secured his college bachelor's degree with majors in math and industrial arts followed by his Master's degree after another four years of Seminary; he focused on history.
He left parish life to teach the handicapped learning in the public school system at the middle and high school levels for 23 years. He and his wife, Carol, traveled to America by air for 20 years, exploring the history and cultural climates. The details of Florence, Italy, and other locales accurately describe the areas prepared for Rudy by Carol, who majored in geography at the University of Washington before entering public education as a teacher, then administrator. Both are concert/solo violinists, retired from positions, each in a significant Symphony Orchestra.
