Once Night Falls by Roland Merullo. Discover the synopsis, ratings and reviews, and learn more about the author.
Once Night Falls by Roland Merullo. Before we take a closer look at the book, let’s get to know the author a little bit.
Much in demand as a speaker, Merullo has given informal talks, commencement, and convocation speeches at colleges and universities in New England, California, Florida, North Carolina, Minnesota, and Nebraska, as well as at open-minded churches of various denominations and hundreds of libraries, schools, and community organizations.
The author’s life
Merullo was born in Boston and raised in the working-class city of Revere, Massachusetts. He had a scholarship to Exeter Academy and graduated in 1971 ; attended Boston University for two years, transferred to Brown and graduated from Brown in 1975 ; then earned a Master’s there–in Russian Studies– in 1976. He’s been a carpenter, a cab driver, a Peace Corps volunteer in Micronesia, a college professor. He has worked for many months on cultural exchange exhibits in the former USSR, and has traveled to 49 US states and across the northern hemisphere.
Roland currently lives in Massachusetts with his wife Amanda and their two daughters. He can be reached at Roland@RolandMerullo.com
About his book and more
His novel Once Night Falls (December 2019) was selected as a November pick by Amazon First Read’s editors who called the novel “Both epic and intimate in its portrayal of World War II Italy.” They continued by saying, “Merullo expertly illuminates the war’s devastation of the country and its culture. …So immediate, it plunges the reader into this harrowing time, making the story–and the chapter of history–feel intensely personal. …The book is unflinching in its portrayal of wartime turmoil. Yet heroism and hopefulness drive these characters. Once Night Falls is a page-turning, propulsive read, and the stakes are always incredibly high. But it is the characters–and the powerful lessons they bestow–that make this is a truly unforgettable story.”
Moments of Grace and Beauty: Forty Stories of Kindness, Courage, and Generosity in a Troubled World, a work of nonfiction, was also released in 2019.
5 comments
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This book is expertly written. The storyline is suspensful and the characters well drawn. You feel the action all along the book and you cannot put it down!
A fabulous book, a must-read if you are interested in Italian history. Beautiful writing, no unnecessary words. Even if it’s set during war-ravaged Italy, there is not too much violence. Merullo uses only a few descriptions which help the reader to figure the scene out. The book is the result of a well-researched work!
I’m usually not a fan of historical fiction, but this book grabbed my interest and I was completely immersed in action. It is set in Nazi-occupied Italy. I highly recommend reading about this period of history through books like that!
This is an intriguing historical novel! I liked the way it is told, with believable characters. It’s interesting to delve into this historical context of Italy under Mussolini, resisting to the Geman during WW2. A great book if you are interested in this part of history.
Something pushed me to choose this book, I didn’t know why… now I know…
It’s visible that the author has done a lot of research. As an Italian-American writer, Merullo knows what he is talking about. He is familiar to Italian culture, to the language. He is also knowledgeable about the historical context. That makes the story and the characters more than believable. Authentic.