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A review by deecreatenola
From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon
4.0
Maybe 3.5 stars, but worth the bump up. It's another WWII era novel, this time in Italy. It was interesting to see how things differed in Italy. So much fear, but also acceptance, like the frog in the boiling pot. Also a lot of magical thinking - like when Camillo goes to Austria to get his uncle. He thinks he'll just walk in, use his false papers, and take custody.
There are a lot of side characters in this novel and and it gets very confusing. It was hard to keep the relationships straight.
It also reminded me of The Thorn Birds with the relationship between the priest and the main protagonist (without the big age difference). Overall, I liked the portrait of the Catholic Church helping Jews and others in need, even as it pointed out that not all priests were so helpful and that the Vatican was afraid to do too much.
It's hard to understand the vehement hostility to the Jews...and yet looking around the world today, it's also the easiest thing in the world to understand. Humans can be so miserable to one another.
There are a lot of side characters in this novel and and it gets very confusing. It was hard to keep the relationships straight.
It also reminded me of The Thorn Birds with the relationship between the priest and the main protagonist (without the big age difference). Overall, I liked the portrait of the Catholic Church helping Jews and others in need, even as it pointed out that not all priests were so helpful and that the Vatican was afraid to do too much.
It's hard to understand the vehement hostility to the Jews...and yet looking around the world today, it's also the easiest thing in the world to understand. Humans can be so miserable to one another.