From Sand and Ash

Angelo is one of the novel’s two protagonists and embodies The Tension Between Faith and Desire. From a young age, Angelo feels drawn to the priesthood. When his father sends him to Italy from America because of his disability, Angelo feels isolated in a new country and finds solace in the Church, where the discipline, ritual, and certainty of faith provide him with belonging and purpose. He says to Eva, “All my life I have been physically imbalanced because of my leg, but in here, everything makes sense. Everything is simple. My mind and body are in harmony. There is balance” (84). Angelo becomes a priest just as World War II begins, and he uses his position to become a crucial figure in Rome’s Catholic underground resistance during the Nazi occupation. Fluent in several languages and deeply trusted within the Church, he shelters Jewish people, secures documents, and coordinates escapes. His work highlights both the courage of individuals within the Church who resisted persecution and the moral cost of such efforts.

The resistance forces Angelo into direct conflict with his vow of obedience, demanding that he choose human compassion over rigid adherence to the church hierarchy, thereby deepening his spiritual journey.