‘Written with so much depth’ Review by Claire J
4/5 stars
This was such an emotional read that by the end I was feeling teary eyed. The author wrote this story so beautifully and tackled the subject matter so poignantly. You can see how much research must have gone into this book to help readers understand the impact the war had on the people of Italy in these small villages. I felt like I was a part of the village community after a few chapter, living through their experiences, I was that invested in the story and its characters. I was holding my breath at times hoping that the worst wouldn’t happen to so many beloved people in this story. The parts with the German occupation was just so heart breaking to read and how the author described the terror and nerves the villagers were feeling and to have to abandon the people they love was just so sad and tragic.
The descriptions of the village and its sights, sounds and smells was just perfection. I imagined myself sitting in the cobbled streets, in the sunshine overlooking the olive trees drinking a coffee and eating a cornetti. The style of writing was exquisite.
I loved the spiritual elements based on the Etruscan people of the past that appeared throughout. It brought so much of an ethereal atmosphere to parts of the story. The sightings of Tanaquilla that Bella experienced was so intriguing to me. I would have loved to have learned more about her in the book.
All of the main characters in this book were written with so much depth. I found Bella and her father at times infuriating with some of the decisions they made. I was actually sitting holding the book shaking my head at them but they still were such lovable characters and I understood why they behaved in certain ways. The love between the families and the local community however shone through so vividly throughout the pages of the book. This is a tale of love, friendship, war and betrayal. I think fans of The Nightingale would enjoy this book as it is written in a style quite similar.
Read the original review on Goodreads.