The Ocean in the Well narrates the sense of love in all its facets: love for God, love for a woman, for a mother and love for one’s own land. The novel conveys the nostalgia of those who have suffered the drama of emigration and the desperate need to maintain their roots in order to preserve their identity.

[A] novel that relates the mad love of a seminarian for a woman, but at the same time explores themes that mark the life of the ghetto, American politics and the great Italian emigration exodus after the Second World War.

The Ocean in the Well deals with the struggle between good and evil which requires considerable mental energy to resist … Only at the end does Stefano understand the revolutionary force of charity, which allows him to become a new man.

Sorrow, grief, and regret populate the novel but it is hardly a dour read. For resilience holds equal weight and offers hope for the future, including a very unexpected ending for Stefano. So too does the power of genuine friendship, which permeates throughout the story.