The Maid of Salerno

In a dark and broken world, one young woman is a ray of hope. In 2019 the United States was hit with The Darkening, an apocalyptic terrorist attack that killed millions, including the President and most leaders. The country was thrown into turmoil, poverty, and literal darkness, where electricity is a thing of the past. Cassiopeia Serrell was born into this harsh reality of a world without power, government or even the security of knowing where each meal will come from. With only her wise old Nana Rose to guide her through life in their New Jersey squatter's settlement of Salerno, they struggle to survive, desperate to keep hope alive, despite the threat of the tyrannical Magistrate who lords over them. Beyond the walls of Salerno, a pocket of ultra-rich patriots are on a mission to return the United States to its former place in the world before the Darkening. A time that few even remember, since the terrorist strikes decimated the country, leaving it to be ruled by gangs and criminals. As the patriots begin their search for the one who will reunite America, they realize that while they have resources, money and power, they lack the key ingredient - a leader that all will follow.