Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, 2014
Pages: 384
Rating: Highly Recommend
Synopsis: Set against the rich backdrop of World War II Italy, The Garden of Letters captures the hope, suspense, and romance of an uncertain era, in an epic intertwining story of first love, great tragedy, and spectacular bravery.
Portofino, Italy, 1943: A young woman steps off a boat in a scenic coastal village. Although she knows how to disappear in a crowd, Elodie is too terrified to slip by the German officers while carrying her poorly forged identity papers. She is frozen until a man she's never met before claims to know her. In desperate need of shelter, Elodie follows him back to his home on the cliffs of Portofino.
Only months before, Elodie Bertolotti was a cello prodigy in Verona, unconcerned with world events. But when Mussolini's Fascist regime strikes her family, Elodie is drawn into the burgeoning resistance movement by Luca, a young and impassioned bookseller. As the occupation looms, she discovers that her unique musical talents, and her courage, have the power to save lives.
In Portofino, young doctor Angelo Rosselli gives the frightened and exhausted girl sanctuary. He is a man with painful secrets of his own, haunted by guilt and remorse. But Elodie's arrival has the power to awaken a sense of hope and joy that Angelo thought was lost to him forever.
Review: I'll be in Portofino through the weekend if anyone needs me. I don't want to leave these characters behind.
I knew little to nothing about the Italian Resistance during World War II. This novel was much like The Nightingale (which pertains to the French Resistance), but this story left me emotionally exhausted, which, if you're bookish, you know this can be a very good (or at least, rewarding) thing.
This wasn't quite five stars for a few reasons. I was left with loose ends regarding a couple of the minor characters. The two that I'm thinking of in particular, play significant roles in Elodie's life and there's no resolution. What happened to them?
Elodie's mother eventually joins the resistance, but it wasn't believable. Her character and personality traits did not lend themselves to her participation or actions toward the end of the novel. Unquestionably the extreme conditions of war, can change a person, but in this novel it didn't feel authentic.
Lastly, the timing was a little off in the secondary details, but fortunately didn't have a negative impact on the plot.
This is absolutely a must-read novel, despite these tiny flaws.
I knew little to nothing about the Italian Resistance during World War II. This novel was much like The Nightingale (which pertains to the French Resistance), but this story left me emotionally exhausted, which, if you're bookish, you know this can be a very good (or at least, rewarding) thing.
This wasn't quite five stars for a few reasons. I was left with loose ends regarding a couple of the minor characters. The two that I'm thinking of in particular, play significant roles in Elodie's life and there's no resolution. What happened to them?
Elodie's mother eventually joins the resistance, but it wasn't believable. Her character and personality traits did not lend themselves to her participation or actions toward the end of the novel. Unquestionably the extreme conditions of war, can change a person, but in this novel it didn't feel authentic.
Lastly, the timing was a little off in the secondary details, but fortunately didn't have a negative impact on the plot.
This is absolutely a must-read novel, despite these tiny flaws.
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