Peter's Choice

By Joseph Orbi

Firsttion This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0966161904
• ISBN13: 9780966161908
• Release Date: May 1998
• Publisher: McQuicker & Co Ltd
• Length: 457 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 1.5" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

My Choice for Best of 1998

In 1998 my vote for best book of the year goes to "Peter's Choice," by Joseph Orbi. In terms that anyone in this forum will understand, Joseph Orbi writes in English like Gabriel Garcia Marquez writes in Spanish. Although he will make many enemies with "Peter's Choice," the book is an incredible mix of fiction and history. It is simply a great book. T.Ball

Intrigue. Romance. International Thriller. A great novel!

"Peter's Choice" is a riveting novel that will anger many because, in part, depicts some extraordinary relationships that are not supposed to happen, like that of an orphan boy and his powerful mentor, a man who rules the Vatican with an iron hand. At its most basic, Peter's Choice is the story of two boys, Felix Ronnoco and Damir Pavelic, son of one of the greatest mass murderers ever, Ante Pavelic, the President of the Independent Nation of Croatia during WWII. Some of the historical characters in this amazing book include Ante Pavelic, Father Krunoslav Draganovic and opera star Beniamino Gigli. Joseph Orbi goes after hypocrites with a vengeance, pointing out contradicitons found in the characteristics of Argentinians, Croats, and opera aficionados. His purpose is not to offend, but to make people think, and even to laugh at themselves.Last, I found the book to be a beautiful love story, one that made me think and one that ends with an amazing and courageous prophecy.

A controversial novel about the Catholic Church

Peter's Choice by Joseph Orbi"Peter's Choice", is a disturbing new novel that will infuriate some readers and leave others with a renewed feeling of hope for humanity. This first novel by playwright Joseph Orbi spans 75 years, from World War II to the early 21st Century. It tells the story of two children of wartime Yugoslavia: Felix Ronnoco, an orphan adopted by a powerful member of the Vatican elite; and Damir Pavelic, son of Ante Pavelic, the Croat führer. Both men, whose lives intertwine in mysterious ways, must face the crimes of their elders and seek their own redemption. "Peter's Choice" mirrors the controversy ignited by recent U.S. Government charges - reported in the New York Times and U.S.News & World Report - that Croat fascist war criminals had Vatican assistance in escaping Europe with plundered gold after World War II. But, though grounded in these controversial historical events, "Peter's Choice" is a complex mix of historical fact, magical realism, and fiction. Orbi moves deftly between present, past and future in telling this story of horror, love, intrigue and hope. Actual historic figures, including Pavelic, Monsignor Krunoslav Draganovic and opera singer Beniamino Gigli are central figures. Orbi's purpose is not to take sides in the Balkan conflicts or to flay the Vatican. Rather, he explores the need to confront evil and seek redemption through knowledge and love. His characters are flawed but never two-dimensional. Damir finds a love that frees him from shame and which overcomes even terrible tragedy. Felix moves through a world of power and intrigue but ultimately confronts the same shame and evil. His reunion with Damir reveals the transcendent power of love and gives him a vision that leads to the book's prophetic and controversial climaxThe complex plot and magical realism of the novel take it out of the realm of conventional historical fiction. Orbi is concerned with love and redemption and with the interplay between goodn! ess, beauty and evil. Love - both romantic love and a mystical, transcendent love - is the path to redemption for his characters. That path winds through horror, intrigue, and murder, but ultimately leads to light. Beyond its controversial aspects is a book more important for its real literary merit and its insightful and ultimately hopeful exploration of the questions that all of us must face