Au Revoir a la France

This is a fictional work entitled Au Revoir la France The story takes place during the years 1954 56 in northeastern France in the fog and shadows of the Maginot District of old Verdun A young Italian American Thomas Amati of unusual musical and theatrical talent is drafted into the army He is pressured into putting his talents to use in providing entertainment for the senior military leadership during basic training and later aboard the troop ship USS Rose going to Europe During the Atlantic crossing he falls in love with an air force colonel s wife who is only a few years older than he is Months later after an ill advised trip the lovers take to Italy the colonel wants to remove the young soldier from his installation in France to face a court martial in Germany under charges of illicit sexual relations with a married woman Secretly the colonel has fabricated a much more serious charge against Tommy murder Flashbacks of Amati s youth show key moments during the ten years he spent in a private school for fatherless boys in Philadelphia and how these events have shaped his current life Thomas does not know that a Mafia boss Gino Messina gunned down his father Tony Amati Feeling guilt for betraying his best friend Tony and close to death himself Gino decides to seek out Thomas and make amends by taking him under his protection Au Revoir la France tells about an international manhunt for this young man as he escapes the CID authorities in France and attempts to return to the States