Abramo's latest novel, American History, is both a historical novel and an epic crime novel and a multi-generational saga of loyalty and deceit, law breakers and enforcers, and families torn apart or bound together in a one-hundred-year battle for survival. The book follows the Agnello and Leone families and their stories that parallel the turbulent events of the twentieth century in a nation struggling to find its identity in the wake of two world wars.
Abramo stops by In Reference to Murder today to take some Author R&R about researching and writing American History:
WHEN YOU TITLE A NOVEL AMERICAN HISTORY—EXPECT A LOT OF HOMEWORK
During my last visit here, I spoke of the importance of location in my work—and the essential need to be accurate in depicting settings which are critical elements in the narrative. I also spoke of the importance of being precise in describing time period, particularly with regard to Chasing Charlie Chan where most of the action took place nearly twenty years before I began writing the book, and a good deal of the action concerned historical events going back to the nineteen-forties.
Rather than cover the same ground, I refer you to the earlier discussion as a prelude to my talking here of the greater challenge—and of the wealth of knowledge gained and enjoyment experienced—in doing the research for American History.
American History is set in a number of locations in both Europe and the United States, and the story spans a time period of nearly 100 years.
The saga of the Agnello and Leone families—perennial enemies—begins in Naro, Sicily. I chose this small town in Agrigento province because my grandfather and father were born there and also because it gave me good reason to explore my heritage. I had learned, from the memories of family members who emigrated to America, about what life was like for them in the old country—it was a rocky, infertile land with little promise of a better future for their children. I came to understand the conditions which inspired these and millions of other immigrants to journey across the ocean—by way of western European ports such as Liverpool and Belfast—to an unknown land with alien customs and language. And I came to appreciate the courage it required. I complimented this anecdotal knowledge with academic research—reading books such as Sicily by Guy De Maupassant, The Peoples of Sicily by Louis Mendola and Jaqueline Alio, and The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. Giuseppe Agnello came to America in 1915. Nearly thirty years later, his son, Louis, served on a U.S. Navy ship during the allied invasion of Sicily. Fifty years later still, Louis’ grandson visits Naro to learn more about his ancestors. Same places, different eras. There was more homework to do.
Most of the action in American History is set in New York, San Francisco, and Denver. I set my Jake Diamond series, from Catching Water in a Net through Circling the Runway, primarily in San Francisco, and I have set Gravesend and Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. I have lived in those places, and in Denver, and rely on my personal experiences. But I always need to double-check any specific landmarks, business establishments, and street intersections to avoid glaring geographical errors. In American History, I had the added responsibility of accurately depicting nine decades of change in these settings.
I also touch upon actual events in the narrative, and did extensive reading about historical figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt; Fiorello LaGuardia; William Sebold, a German working as a double-agent for the FBI during World War II; organized crime figures like Paul Castellano and John Gotti; and many others. I also had need to research historical events—the ocean crossings in the 1910s, World War I, the Spanish Flu of 1917, prohibition years, the illegal importation of goods in the 1920s and beyond, early transcontinental railroad travel, World War II in the Mediterranean, and also learned about a number of prisons from coast to coast.
I tried to be as accurate as possible with regard to the changing political and social climate of America over the decades. I read books, both non-fiction and fiction, illuminating life in America during the twenties, thirties, forties, and fifties. Last Call by Daniel Okrent, The New Yorker Book of the 40s, and The Fifties by Davis Halberstam were particularly helpful. I also borrowed from my own reminiscences of the sixties and seventies.
Like much of my work, American History is heavily centered on family. Family loyalty, family honor, hierarchy and dynamics. Personal experience, and books including The Italian Americans by Luciano J. Iorizzo and Salvatore Mondello, The Italian Americans: A History by Maria Laurino, and The Urban Villagers by Herbert Gans were equally valuable.
Finally, there was the language. These immigrants, particularly in their first years in American, would naturally have spoken to each other exclusively in their native tongue—but that would have been impractical. I did feel, however, that including a sprinkling of foreign words and phrases—primarily in the early portions of the novel—might help the reader imagine that the characters were actually conversing in their native language. For that purpose, I studied the language and I received invaluable help from my sister Linda, who is a much more proficient translator.
The road I traveled and the research I employed to write American History was—for me—enlightening, surprising, exciting, and a good time. Hopefully, the reader will enjoy following the epic journey of these two warring families—spanning a continent and a century in America.
American History is available from Down & Out Books and all major booksellers. You can find more about J.L. Abramo via his website or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
