Try free for 30 days
-
A Song for Bellafortuna
- Narrated by: Bob Neufeld
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $26.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Buy it with
-
Tempesta's Dream
- A Story of Love, Friendship and Opera
- By: Vincent B. "Chip" LoCoco
- Narrated by: Bob Neufeld
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Giovanni Tempesta always dreamed of becoming an opera tenor and one day singing from the stage of the La Scala Opera House in his hometown of Milan, Italy. But with no real training, his dream has little chance for fulfillment. One day, he meets and immediately falls in love with Isabella Monterone, a dark-haired beauty, whose father, a very rich and powerful Milanese Judge, refuses to allow his daughter to date a penniless musician.
-
The Tuscan Secret
- By: Angela Petch
- Narrated by: Ellie Heydon
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anna is distraught when her beloved mother, Ines, passes away. She inherits a box of papers, handwritten in Italian and yellowed with age, and a tantalizing promise that the truth about what happened during the war lies within. The diaries lead Anna to the small village of Rofelle, where she slowly starts to heal as she explores sun-kissed olive groves, and pieces together her mother’s past: happy days spent herding sheep across Tuscan meadows cruelly interrupted when World War Two erupted and the Nazis arrived....
-
An Italian Secret
- Daughters of Italy, Book 1
- By: Ella Carey
- Narrated by: Olivia Kustermans
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tuscany, 1944. As Cara runs into the grand entrance hall of the Villa Rosa, she flies to a stop. There is a gun pointing straight at her head, a Nazi staring down at her from the steps above. But even as her heart thumps so loudly she is sure it will jump out of her chest, she keeps smiling, desperately hoping that he won’t spot the precious diary she has hidden under her shirt. Because if he does, it’s not just her life at stake....
-
The Lost Diary
- By: Rose Alexander
- Narrated by: Naomi Frederick
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Germany, 1945. As the ground shakes and the air raid sirens wail, Katja holds her tiny baby to her chest. She pictures Karl’s handsome face and kind blue eyes, her breath catching at the thought of him heading back to the front. She must never tell anyone about the letters she delivered for him or the other secret she is hiding....
-
A filha italiana [The Italian Daughter]
- Sete filhas. Sete segredos. Sete amores. (As Filhas Perdidas, Livro 1) [Seven Daughters. Seven Secrets. Seven Loves. (The Lost Daughters, Book 1)]
- By: Soraya Lane
- Narrated by: Erika Riba
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Quando é chamada ao escritório de um advogado em Londres, Lily não tem ideia de que sua vida está prestes a mudar para sempre. Lá, ela fica sabendo que sua avó nasceu na Hope’s House, um lar para mães solteiras, e recebe uma caixa com pistas sobre sua verdadeira origem: uma receita e um programa de teatro, ambos escritos em italiano.
-
The Girl Who Escaped
- By: Angela Petch
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As fascists march across the cobbled piazzas and past the towered buildings of her beloved home city, 20-year-old Devora’s worst fears come true. Along with her Jewish parents and twin little brothers they are torn away from everything they love and sent to an internment camp huddled in the mountains. Her father promises this war will not last long....
-
Tempesta's Dream
- A Story of Love, Friendship and Opera
- By: Vincent B. "Chip" LoCoco
- Narrated by: Bob Neufeld
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Giovanni Tempesta always dreamed of becoming an opera tenor and one day singing from the stage of the La Scala Opera House in his hometown of Milan, Italy. But with no real training, his dream has little chance for fulfillment. One day, he meets and immediately falls in love with Isabella Monterone, a dark-haired beauty, whose father, a very rich and powerful Milanese Judge, refuses to allow his daughter to date a penniless musician.
-
The Tuscan Secret
- By: Angela Petch
- Narrated by: Ellie Heydon
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anna is distraught when her beloved mother, Ines, passes away. She inherits a box of papers, handwritten in Italian and yellowed with age, and a tantalizing promise that the truth about what happened during the war lies within. The diaries lead Anna to the small village of Rofelle, where she slowly starts to heal as she explores sun-kissed olive groves, and pieces together her mother’s past: happy days spent herding sheep across Tuscan meadows cruelly interrupted when World War Two erupted and the Nazis arrived....
-
An Italian Secret
- Daughters of Italy, Book 1
- By: Ella Carey
- Narrated by: Olivia Kustermans
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tuscany, 1944. As Cara runs into the grand entrance hall of the Villa Rosa, she flies to a stop. There is a gun pointing straight at her head, a Nazi staring down at her from the steps above. But even as her heart thumps so loudly she is sure it will jump out of her chest, she keeps smiling, desperately hoping that he won’t spot the precious diary she has hidden under her shirt. Because if he does, it’s not just her life at stake....
-
The Lost Diary
- By: Rose Alexander
- Narrated by: Naomi Frederick
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Germany, 1945. As the ground shakes and the air raid sirens wail, Katja holds her tiny baby to her chest. She pictures Karl’s handsome face and kind blue eyes, her breath catching at the thought of him heading back to the front. She must never tell anyone about the letters she delivered for him or the other secret she is hiding....
-
A filha italiana [The Italian Daughter]
- Sete filhas. Sete segredos. Sete amores. (As Filhas Perdidas, Livro 1) [Seven Daughters. Seven Secrets. Seven Loves. (The Lost Daughters, Book 1)]
- By: Soraya Lane
- Narrated by: Erika Riba
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Quando é chamada ao escritório de um advogado em Londres, Lily não tem ideia de que sua vida está prestes a mudar para sempre. Lá, ela fica sabendo que sua avó nasceu na Hope’s House, um lar para mães solteiras, e recebe uma caixa com pistas sobre sua verdadeira origem: uma receita e um programa de teatro, ambos escritos em italiano.
-
The Girl Who Escaped
- By: Angela Petch
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As fascists march across the cobbled piazzas and past the towered buildings of her beloved home city, 20-year-old Devora’s worst fears come true. Along with her Jewish parents and twin little brothers they are torn away from everything they love and sent to an internment camp huddled in the mountains. Her father promises this war will not last long....
-
The Rome Apartment
- The Italian Escape, Book 1
- By: Kerry Fisher
- Narrated by: Emma Spurgin Hussey
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Elizabeth drops her beloved only daughter off at college, she holds back the tears…fighting her worries about an empty nest with the thought of all the adventures that she and her husband Joel can now enjoy together. But as soon as they sit down to eat dinner that evening, Joel drops a bombshell. He wants a break. Searching for an escape, Elizabeth discovers an apartment in Rome that is only available for three months rental to ‘an English woman of a certain age’.
-
-
Deliciously descriptive
- By Anonymous User on 19-08-2023
-
Paradiso
- The Paradiso Novels, Book 1
- By: Francesca Scanacapra
- Narrated by: Penny Andrews
- Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Italy, 1937. In a tiny village in rural Lombardy, Graziella Ponti is born into a loving family. Though they are not rich and life is full of challenges, Graziella and her family are content and safe, surrounded by the tightly knit community of Pieve Santa Clara. But when the shadow of World War Two falls across the village with the arrival of Nazi soldiers, nothing in young Graziella’s life will ever be the same again.
-
The Postcard from Italy
- By: Angela Petch
- Narrated by: Stephanie Lane
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Italy, 1945. "Where am I"? The young man wakes, bewildered. He sees olive trees against a bright blue sky. A soft voice soothes him. "We saw you fall from your plane. The parachute saved you". He remembers nothing of his life, or the war that has torn the world apart...but where does he belong? England, present day. Antique-shop-owner Susannah wipes away a tear as she tidies her grandmother’s belongings. Elsie’s memories are fading, and every day Susannah feels further away from her only remaining family.
-
-
Most enjoyable
- By Jacqueline Benz on 05-10-2022
-
The Bookseller's Daughter
- By: Daniela Sacerdoti
- Narrated by: Carlotta Brentan
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As golden sunlight shimmers across the crystal-clear waters, Francesca travels to the tranquil Italian island of Santa Caterina in search of precious rare books and a new beginning. Heartbroken after the sudden end of her long-term relationship, she jumped at the chance to help recover a collection of missing books. But when she arrives, she soon discovers she was invited by the island’s mysterious owner, alongside handsome local book collector Thiago, to unlock a secret that spans generations. Together, she and Thiago learn the books were hidden during the Second World War.
-
The Italian Girl's Secret
- By: Natalie Meg Evans
- Narrated by: Amalia Vitale
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Italy, 1943. For Carmela del Bosco, a farm girl in a remote Italian village, sheltering an English spy is the most dangerous thing she could do. If she’s caught by the fascists, it would be the end, especially for her beloved grandmother sleeping soundly upstairs. But taking in the pleading brown eyes of the man calling himself Sebastiano slumped at her door, and his terrible injuries inflicted by the Nazi occupiers, Carmela remembers how Nonna always taught her right from wrong. Risking everything, she hides him in a ruined tower on the edge of the farm.
-
The Girl Who Never Came Back
- By: Suzanne Goldring
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I sent 19-year-old Phyllis, my youngest recruit, into a city crawling with enemy soldiers. And this beautiful house on a tree-lined street, the headquarters of cold-hearted German soldiers, was the last place she was seen. I trail my fingers along the gilded furniture and see the light dance off the glittering chandeliers. On the top floor, I find the dates inscribed by beaten prisoners, and I know my girl was shown no mercy.
-
The Dance Teacher of Paris
- By: Suzanne Fortin
- Narrated by: Stephanie Racine
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paris, 1942. As the Germans occupy the city she calls home, Adele Basset is determined to keep her pupils' spirits up. Their dance class offers a moment of solace in the dark days of occupation. But when the Germans demand the names of her Jewish students, Adele is spurred into action. She can't stand silent while they're taken from her. Hiding her Jewish pupils in the school attic, Adele puts her life on the line in search of an escape.
-
The Italian Island: An absolutely heartbreaking and totally WW2 romance
- By: Daniela Sacerdoti
- Narrated by: Penelope Rawlins
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty-year-old Annie arrives on the Sicilian island of Galatea carrying nothing but grief for the father she just lost in her heart and the weight of the mystery she just inherited on her shoulders. All she knows about her grandmother is that she died in a concentration camp during World War Two. But when handsome local fisherman Salvo’s sea-blue eyes sparkle at the sight of the delicate gold band around her wrist, Annie knows she’s come to the right place.
-
The Cypress Maze
- By: Fiona Valpy
- Narrated by: Henrietta Meire, Ruth Redman
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tuscany, 1943. Stranded in war-ravaged Italy, Beatrice’s dream of an escapist year teaching English is shattered. Granted shelter at the Villa delle Colombe, she seeks refuge in Francesca and Edoardo’s beautiful walled garden, hidden from the outside world, with an elaborate cypress maze at its heart. But Beatrice is not the only one seeking an escape here. Francesca has brought children to the safety of the house, as well as other adults, all of them seeking sanctuary on the estate with its mysterious maze.
-
Orphans of War
- Orphans of War, Book 1
- By: Michael Reit
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amsterdam, 1941. German forces have invaded Amsterdam. As the tension in the city increases, the Dutch Resistance is born. Tormented by what is happening in his city, Christiaan joins the Resistance. He risks everything to shield the oppressed and fight for the freedom of his beloved nation. His brother—Floris—is ruthless and driven to succeed. Promoted to the Bureau of Jewish Affairs, he becomes instrumental in hunting Jews to transport them to the Nazi death camps.
-
The Postcard
- By: Carly Schabowski
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Holding the faded postcard in her trembling hands, Mia begins to read the one story her grandmother could never tell her, revealing a secret that will change her own life forever....
-
The Paris Assignment
- A Novel
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Londoner Madeleine Grant is studying at the Sorbonne in Paris when she marries charismatic French journalist Giles Martin. As they raise their son, Olivier, they hold on to a tenuous promise for the future. Until the thunder of war sets off alarms in France. Staying behind to join the resistance, Giles sends Madeleine and Olivier to the relative safety of England, where Madeleine secures a job teaching French at a secondary school. Yet nowhere is safe. After a devastating twist of fate resulting in the loss of her son, Madeleine accepts a request from the ministry to aid in the war effort.
-
-
Truth in the sadness
- By Anonymous User on 16-11-2023
Publisher's Summary
A Song for Bellafortuna is a spellbinding, historical fiction novel of a young man's desire to free his Sicilian village from the domination of one family's long reign. For years, the beautiful, yet secluded, hilltop village of Bellafortuna, Sicily, was a great producer of wine and olive oil. The entire village prospered. However, after the arrival of the Vasaio family, production dwindles and the villagers soon find themselves in crushing debt to the Vasaios. Only one family in the village remains outside the control of the Vasaios, but the reason haunts Antonio Sanguinetti every day of his life. Antonio is determined to erase this legacy by offering financial and emotional support to his fellow villagers. He introduces them to the choral song from Verdi's opera, Nabucco, which becomes the rallying cry for the villagers and offers them hope for a better life. When Antonio's only son, Giuseppe, discovers his family's past, he becomes determined to take on the Vasaios and remove them from power. Led by the young Giuseppe, a plan is hatched that could result in either complete freedom for the villagers, or if it fails, forever solidifying the Vasaios' control. Find out what happens in A Song for Bellafortuna, a sweeping epic tale of love, drama, sacrifice, and redemption, set among the beautiful landscape of Sicily. The novel has been called lyrical, intelligent, majestic, magical, powerful and compelling. Award winning and best-selling author, Vincent B. "Chip" LoCoco, lives in New Orleans. His first novel, Tempesta's Dream - A Story of Love, Friendship and Opera, became an Amazon best-selling novel and was awarded the 2014 Pinnacle Achievement Award in Historical Fiction. Amazon also has named his book as a Top Rated Novel in Italian Historical Fiction. His most recent novel, A Song for Bellafortuna, was shortlisted in the William Faulkner - William Wisdom Writing Competition
More from the same
What listeners say about A Song for Bellafortuna
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kendall Hales
- 14-07-2015
Amazing story
What a beautiful well written story for all audiences. I highly recommend and look forward to more books written by the author.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kathy McLaughlin
- 02-06-2020
Italian culture at its finest!
Thank you for a beautiful story of love, courage, redemption, family, and tradition in a historical fiction genre. As a granddaughter of four Sicilians, I cherished the examples of the importance of hard work, faith, food, family, and music of Italians. Every reader and Italian tourist will learn more about Italy’s culture and the age-old truth that we all are better when we help one another!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Sarah b
- 03-01-2018
Perfect narrator for this story.
A pleasant and soothing story with the overall feeling that all will be right with the world. Lots of texture and transporting details.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Calaf68
- 03-06-2015
Where Passion Lives - A Story of Sicily
What made the experience of listening to A Song for Bellafortuna the most enjoyable?
The Narrator and the story. It's such a unique story. And Bob Neufeld does such a marvelous job bringing you into the action.
What was one of the most memorable moments of A Song for Bellafortuna?
The meeting between young Giuseppe and Vittelio, the man who controls the village. It was very exciting and really propelled the action from that point forward.
Which character – as performed by Bob Neufeld – was your favorite?
Enrico Caruso - He made the famous tenor come to life. Just wish he could have sung like him.
If you could rename A Song for Bellafortuna, what would you call it?
Bellafortuna: The Story of a Heroic Passion for Decency
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Obaa
- 08-05-2020
A small Italian village fights for its rights
I enjoyed the story about these families who fight for their freedom in their small village. The principle character was heartwarming and memorable.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- JHMore
- 30-03-2023
Not much depth
Should be targeted towards a younger audience — middle school? — as other readers will likely be disappointed with the thin plot and one dimensional characters.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mark
- 01-06-2020
Vapid
- offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging -
No meaningful internal dialog. Overloaded emotional cliches. Overstated and underdeveloped conflict.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Suzy
- 27-06-2015
Lyrical prose, but as slow as a sleepy Italian village
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
That's a tricky one. I enjoyed listening to the book as the prose had a lyrical 'sing song' quality to it, and the narrator handled the Italian words and phrases well. However there is very little plot and it is incredibly slow paced. I found myself listening to the tone and voice of the narration but not the actual words.
What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?
I most enjoyed the descriptions of village life in the past and hearing about rivalries and how family connections were of supreme importance. It gave me a very accurate visual impression of the place where the story was set. I least enjoyed the story itself as there wasn't much happening. The whole story can be summarised as 'boy hears about family history and tries to put things right by making a seemingly impossible bargain'.
What about Bob Neufeld’s performance did you like?
The narrator had a very flat tone initially and paused in odd places, but he handled the foreign language sections well and the whole story was clearly enunciated. I think he was the right person for the story.
Any additional comments?
A sleepy-paced story of a boy trying to put right the wrongs done by his grandfather. There is very little else to the story, but some lovely prose descriptions of village life in Italy make this an enjoyable listen. Please note that not all foreign language words / phrases are translated into English. I would describe this book as a sweet natured story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!