Franco and Pirata

Chance Encounter Which Became a Book

Set against the historic and scenic backdrops of Rome, this picture-book tells the tale of Franco and his dog Pirata. When Pirata is lost during a flood in the Tiber, Franco experiences a crisis of faith, refuses to anticipate in the approach of Christmas. The boy's search for his beloved pet -- a veritable Carol -- illustrates the true spirit of Christmas.

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Notes from the author:
I have visited Rome countless times in the past half century, know her and her citizens well, love the city, all its wondrous small neighborhoods as well as the famous historic sites. I set the story of Franco and Pirata against backgrounds known and not known to countless visitors to the Eternal City, confident that readers will find the locales themselves major characters in this story primarily centered on a boy and his lost dog. Written while in Rome, while I was immersed in the city and her fascinating people, the story grew from a chance encounter with an elderly lady on the steps of the Bernini colonnade in St Peter's Square, where both of us had stopped to rest. She spoke of Christmas, of children and of how one can lose faith in the Season of Expectations. A boy and his dog played in the piazza while we talked. And Franco and Pirata was born.

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