The Godfather Returns is a novel written by author Mark Winegardner, published in 2004. It is the sequel to Mario Puzo's The Godfather, which was originally published in 1969, and The Sicilian (1984). The publisher, Random House, selected Winegardner to write a sequel after Puzo's death. As the original novel covered the years 1945 to 1955, and included significant back story on Don Vito Corleone's life, Returns covers the years 1955 to 1962, and includes significant back story on Michael Corleone's life prior to the first novel