Sicilian Shadows

A gripping memoir of survival, lost innocence, and the stark realities of life in Sicily under Mafia rule.

At seven, Francesco Scannella is uprooted from England and thrust into a Mafia-dominated Sicily. Adapting quickly, he survives through his wit and fists, navigating this new world of violence and corruption. Sicilian Shadows is his memoir of lost innocence, tragic love, and the harsh realities of Sicilian life under Mafia rule.At the age of seven, Francesco Scannella's world is turned upside down when he is uprooted from his English suburban home and sent to the heartland of the Cosa Nostra. He quickly forgets that he ever spoke English, surviving by the sharpness of his wit and the strength of his fists while adopting the machismo ways of his elders. Every day is a fight for survival; gang violence is the norm, and the Mafia rules. In this compelling memoir, Francesco Scannella opens a window on the true nature of Sicilians, explaining how and why they turn to the Mafia and depicting the desperate circumstances of life at the time. We are introduced to a strong new narrative voice that recounts tragic young love with wry humour and brutal honesty—narrating how a school friend became an assassin, along with explorations of politics, philosophy, cookery, and cryptozoology. Frank Sinatra makes an appearance, as does the father of the modern Mafia, Don Calo Vizzini. Sicilian Shadows, Francesco Scannella's first book, is a compelling story of loss of innocence, a homage to a homeland, and a history lesson about one of the most misunderstood societies in the world—light years away from the cosmopolitan Palermo and the paparazzi glitz of 1960s Italy.