Notes from the library
In Love and War by Alex PrestonI've finally got around to reading this book after first falling for it when it was the BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime. Set in Florence in the late 1930s, it tells the story of Esmond Lowndes, a confused young idealist, the expat community he encounters and the emergence of the Florentine resistance.
Click here for the full review. Birds of Passage by Joe GiordanoBirds of Passage is an Italian immigrant coming of age story by Joe Giordano. It tells the story of Leonardo Robustelli, the short-tempered but good hearted son of a tenant farmer from Naples; Carlo Mazzi, the privileged son of powerful local don; and Azzura Medina, a beautiful young Italian-American who waits tables at the family restaurant in the heart of New York’s Neapolitan community.
Click here for the full review. Fascist Voices by Christopher DugganUsing contemporary letters and diaries, Fascist Voices, An Intimate History of Mussolini's Italy by Christopher Duggan is a detailed and troubling account of a dark period of Italian history.
Click here for the full review. |
Orkney's Italian Chapel by Philip ParisThe remarkable true story behind the construction of an iconic chapel on a remote Scottish island by Italian Prisoner's of War. The Chapel they created became a stunning symbol of hope and peace in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Click here for the full review. The Good Italian by Stephen BurkeCurrently reading The Good Italian by Stephen Burke.
"A story of love, and war, and of finding hope in the midst of chaos." Full review coming soon. |