A review by sams_fireside
The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon: An emotional and gripping World War 2 historical novel by Suzanne Goldring

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

5.0

The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon is a story set within a dual timeline, full of passion, anger, cruelty and patriotism. We begin in 1943 when we are coming towards the end of the Second World War. Gabriella and her brother Riccardo are living with their parents in Florence, Italy, where they are becoming anxious about the German invasion. 

In 2019, Riccardo has recently passed away and his wife Isobel and daughter Sofia are organising an exhibition of his artwork. Neither is sure of the meanings behind his paintings, but with a little help from Riccardo, they set out to discover why he painted what he did.

I enjoyed how Gabrielle played her own role in the war, offering her services to the Resistance and doing her best to help save the city that she’s living in. Suzanne Goldring writes about such great community spirit and camaraderie amongst the inhabitants of Florence and how they lived through the war with the help and support of each other. 

Riccardo was a troubled young lad, living with the after-effects of polio and unable to attend school. He entertained himself and often got into trouble along the way. He expressed his unhappiness in his paintings and as we discover the significance behind them, my heart went out to the boy who suffered so much. 

I love historical fiction, and so much research has gone into The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon, discovering how Italians dealt with the German invasion and the removal of Jews from their society. The book is heartbreaking but thought-provoking and we are reminded that life was often difficult during these times. So many people suffered so much loss and hardship, we all need to be aware of how different countries managed during wartime. 

Suzanne draws the reader into the story with her writing and as she describes the beautiful smells of the herbs and the rose garden and the awful stench of places where people are locked away, we can almost imagine ourselves there too.

If you enjoy historical fiction with an element of fact included, then check out The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon. It’s educational and captivating and you won’t want to put it down.

I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon by Suzanne Goldring.