Ted Chiappelli, a former reporter for The Tribune-Democrat, is a proud Italian and a very smart man.  That is evidenced in his first novel, Chiappelli An American Name, published by Luminare Press. The paperback is 239 pages and is based on the life of the author’s grandfather, Alfonso Chiappelli, who arrived in America from Italy in 1903. It includes a number of wonderful old photographs, along with maps, graphics, documents and newspaper clippings intended to add authenticity to the character.

It’s described as a work of historical fiction, which normally gives an author plenty of room to create fascinating characters and interesting events. Chiappelli doesn’t really do that. Instead he delves into the history with so much detail and obvious research that it is hard to tell what is fiction and what is not.