Book excerpt: Haunted by a lifetime of regret and on the eve of his 80th birthday, Francesco Corbelli reassembles his family at the ancestral home, 'Il Rifugio', on the shores of Lake Trasimeno. His intention is to put right all the mistakes of the past and thereby secure a future for his family. His children expect a celebration. They are not prepared for the litany of lies and deceits that their father is about to reveal. This is a family already in pieces - will the truth finally bring them back together or tear them apart forever? Set in Umbria, 'A Silent Shore' spans three generations of the Corbelli family and warns of what can happen when pride and expectation come before love.