Fils d'Adam

his 1926 novel opens circa 1890 and introduces the hero Gian-Luca, a solemn faced little boy with blond hair. His mother had died in childbirth having him, and because of this his grandmother has rejected him as the cause of her daughters death. He grows up in Soho, London, lonely and socially isolated, burdened with the stigma of illegitimacy, and not knowing which community he belongs to, as he is half Italian. Despite this inauspicious start, he works his way up to become a waiter at the prestigious restaurant The Doric, He marries a motherly girl named Maddalena, and serves in the armed forces in the 1914-1918 war. On his return, his behaviour starts to show signs of mental ill-health and he is ordered by his employer to take a family holiday in Italy to recover. However, dramatic disclosures only make matters worse. What follows is a story of pain, suffering and ultimately redemption.