Arrivederci Leopolis. The Lion's War.

It is early September, 2001. New York’s World Trade Center is no more. In Orlando, Florida, Victor Perantoni, now 89 years of age, sees that event as but a continuation of what began in 1914 – the First World War. But why?
In his teens during the 1930’s, of Italian descent and living in Lwow, Poland, he and his brother work with their father, Carlo, at operating the family’s successful winery-pasta tavern, and managing their import-export business of distributing wine from Italy.
But Hitler’s 1939 invasion of Poland changes all of that. When the Italian Consulate orders Italian nationals to leave Poland, the Perantonis are suddenly forced to leave their considerable wealth behind. Victor’s girlfriends will also be left behind as he flees to Switzerland to avoid the Italian fascist draft. Left too are his friends Andrẻ, Franki, and “Padre.” All of these persons will be scattered as they face the fears, hardships, and physical abuses of the war.
The war drags on as Europe burns, Andrẻ and Franki are commandeered into the Russian Army; as a prisoner who must be rescued, his girlfriend Dani faces deportation to a Nazi death camp; and more than once, Victor too is nearly captured and imprisoned. All are wondering: will life ever be the same again?
Arriverderci Leopolis—The Lion’s War will show you the early 20th Century through the eyes of the Perantoni family. You will see it as you have never seen it before, its terrors and tragedies. You will see the town of Volargne, Italy, literally disappear in one instant! You will know why Victor saw World War I as the preamble to the destruction of New York’s World Trade Center. It’s food for the inquiring mind. Buon Appetito!