Translated from the 1967 French edition published by Plon. Permission granted for this English translation. 

Translation and Introduction by Inez Fitzgerald Storck. 

Afterword by Thierry Gillybœuf (the literary heir for Gheorghiu's works). 

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La Condottiera is a murder mystery, featuring a priest accused of a heinous crime, not resolved until the very end of the novel, after many twists and turns of the plot. It takes place amid the horrific suffering of the Romanian people under the Communist occupation. The novel highlights the deep piety of the Romanian people, always looking to the Mother of God, La Condottiera, for succor and protection. Gheorghiu recounts all this with language that reaches the heights of poetry, making the novel a notable work of literature as well as a fascinating read.

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Fr. Virgil Gheorghiu (1916–1992) was and still is a writer who waits to be discovered. With the translation of La Condottiera, one of his books that has both a deep spiritual and historical content, Inez Fitzgerald Storck brings a huge contribution to world literature. The writer is not only a Romanian author, but also one with a universal message. With prophetic accents and an emphasis on complex realities without cosmeticizing them, he manages to draw attention to the problems of the contemporary world and to warn readers about the dangers of a mechanized society. At the same time, he presents spirituality as the only alternative. Let us hope that English speaking readers will not only understand his struggles, but will also learn from them in order to improve their lives. —Iuliu-Marius Morarius, Ph.D. (Protosyncell Maxim), Saint George the Martyr Romanian Orthodox Cathedral, Author, Virgil Gheorghiu on Communism, Capitalism and National Socialism, 2022.

Virgil Gheorghiu is a very important Romanian author with a unique life path. Inspired by his personal experience and recollections, his work is related to the historical destiny of the Romanian people under various oppressions. Although La Condottiera is consistent with the style and messaging of his literary work, it is a hopeful and deeply religious book. The Mother of God continues to watch over everyone's destiny. She'll keep everyone safe. This forms the backdrop of our entire personal and community history despite the complicated thread of action described in the book. We are pleased that this book has been published in English. The public will have the opportunity to become familiar with a great author. —† Ioan Casian, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada

Virgil Gheorghiu is "a remarkably clear sighted witness to the digressions of the twentieth century....: La Condottiera provides an extraordinary repertory of Soviet vices: torture, assassination, blackmail, terror at the hands of local potentates of the Party. We are present at a return to barbarian customs." In Gheorghiu's work "we discover several circles of a contemporary hell, along with an astonishing sizing up of twentieth century psychology." From Amaury d'Esneval's biography Gheorghiu, 2004.

Size: 5.5 x 8.5

202 pages

ISBN: 978-1-990685-21-7 | $16.95 USD | paperback
ISBN: 978-1-990685-22-4 | $23.95 USD | hardcover

Interview with the translator, Thierry Gillybœuf (the literary heir for Gheorghiu's works), and Fr. Iuliu-Marius Morarius.