Inspired by a true story, this book takes the reader through world war Italy. A young girl struggles between her love for a man and her duty to her family. This is my kind of story already.
Nina falls in love with Pietro, and her love is rewarded when he comes back from America to marry her. She remains in Fonzaso after her nuptials while her husband returns to the mines in America. The long-distance romance between husband and wife sustained through letters seem surreal in this age of near-instant communication worldwide. Against the backdrop of Mussolini’s rule and world war, we walk alongside Nina as she comes of age.
The author opens a window into the lives of women in Fonzaso and peals the layers to reveal the family ties that sustain them. The matriarch fills the pages even in her absence. Her sternness masks her gentle acts of kindness. This book is a slow seven-course meal that needs to be savored bite by bite. It immerses the reader into the Italian culture and religion, celebrating the resiliency of her people. The streets came to life for me in the words of the author. I laughed and cried as the author take us on the emotional roller coaster of the war. I could picture myself standing in the warm kitchens where women gathered to cook and gossip.
Recommend: Readers of family memoirs, love stories, and world war dramas would enjoy this tale.
Have you read Heir to Malla yet? It is a medieval fiction laced with love. I am looking forward to sharing my second book in the Land of Magadha series with you readers soon.
I post reviews of books I have read, and you can view all my reviews in GoodReads or here in my blog.
Anna Bushi 
Very nice review 👍
I love books like this.
Yes, simple family life can be enigmatic and heartwarming. With Italy and world war as the backdrop, it is even more poignant.