‘For historical fiction lovers, this one will be a great addition to your shelves’ Review by Cassie
‘The Tears of Monterini by Amanda Weinberg
⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
This book really tugged at my heartstrings. I’ve read many historical fiction books set in the years around WWII, but they don’t all affect me as emotionally as this one did (All the Light We Cannot See and The Nightingale are others that really got to me). Weinberg did a wonderful job in her debut novel bringing the (fictional) village of Monterini, Italy and its inhabitants to life.
The book was a bit of a slow start for me but I’m glad I stuck with it. There are a lot of historical, geographical, and cultural facts at the start of the book and it almost felt like I was reading a history book instead of a novel. But as the story moved forward and I got to know the characters better, I was so engrossed that I whipped right through the second half.
This book begins with the story of Jacobo, a Jew, and Angelo, a Catholic. They begin the story of Bella (Jacobo’s daughter) and Rico (Angelo’s son). Their story is not an easy one and they face many obstacles as Mussolini puts racial laws in place and Italy marches towards WWII. Their religion isn’t the only thing that separates them; it’s also their class, family, and educational differences.
If you’re looking for a book with a happy ever after, this might not be the read for you. I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting (more triumph? hope?) but the book’s ending surprised me. It felt real to the times though - there were very few happy endings after WWII. Even though this is historical fiction, Weinbeg captured the struggles, heartache, and perseverance of those who really had to live through the war.
This book came out on August 6th so you can read it now!! For historical fiction lovers, this one will be a great addition to your shelves.
Visit my Goodreads page for my longer review!
Thank you @netgalley, @amandaweinbergauthor, and @reddoorbooks for my digital ARC!’
Read the original review here.