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writingcaia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
What a wonderful historical romance which comes as no surprise since thus far I’ve loved everything by the author.
Angelo is brought to Italy to be raised by his grandparents once his mom dies. Because part of his leg is missing his father believes is only option is to become a priest. In Italy he goes to live in the house of the family their grandparents work, that family is Jewish and also orphan a mother lives a little girl only two years younger than Angelo, her name is Eva, and this is their story.
Angelo will struggle with his faith to become a priest until he learns of the story of St. George, it is then he truly commits to the vocation, but just when is being ordained and just after he fully rejects the young Eva after a moment of passion, WWII breaks out and Italy is invaded by the Germans.
Angelo will do it all to protect the Jews along with a network of priests and nuns in Rome, and one day Eva too.
It is hard to keep the faith when you love a woman like Eva even harder when you watch the depravity of war and the crimes committed against other humans just because of their faith.
This is mostly a story of the fight for faith among the rules of religion and persecution, and of the fight to love and the will to live when all seems to be taken from you.
I could not get enough of it, I listened to the audio in two days, couldn’t put it down.
I cried and I suffered along the characters and I didn’t rate higher because comparing to others of the genre (WWII romances) and others from the author I didn’t feel it was the best. But, to be honest as I write this review I’m still unsure if it shouldn’t be higher. I really loved it.
Angelo is brought to Italy to be raised by his grandparents once his mom dies. Because part of his leg is missing his father believes is only option is to become a priest. In Italy he goes to live in the house of the family their grandparents work, that family is Jewish and also orphan a mother lives a little girl only two years younger than Angelo, her name is Eva, and this is their story.
Angelo will struggle with his faith to become a priest until he learns of the story of St. George, it is then he truly commits to the vocation, but just when is being ordained and just after he fully rejects the young Eva after a moment of passion, WWII breaks out and Italy is invaded by the Germans.
Angelo will do it all to protect the Jews along with a network of priests and nuns in Rome, and one day Eva too.
It is hard to keep the faith when you love a woman like Eva even harder when you watch the depravity of war and the crimes committed against other humans just because of their faith.
This is mostly a story of the fight for faith among the rules of religion and persecution, and of the fight to love and the will to live when all seems to be taken from you.
I could not get enough of it, I listened to the audio in two days, couldn’t put it down.
I cried and I suffered along the characters and I didn’t rate higher because comparing to others of the genre (WWII romances) and others from the author I didn’t feel it was the best. But, to be honest as I write this review I’m still unsure if it shouldn’t be higher. I really loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, War, and Violence
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