The book was archived before our group could download it. We are sure that we would have enjoyed the book judging from the reviews it has received.

was great too travel to rome in this book, however in certain parts it was a hard read and quite hard to imagine what was going on.

I honestly found this book bitterly disappointing. The blurb is contrary to the book and the book was rather dull. The writing was well executed but I just couldn’t feel anything for it or the characters. Unfortunately, there are better WWII novels out there and this one won’t become a go to for the genre.

The blurb of this book really appealed to me - the crux of the story starts in wartime Rome, and the element of a child rescued from A journey to a Nazi death camp is clear from the synopsis so I am not saying anything here which could be construed as a spoiler. Apart from the subject matter, I also lived in Rome for a period so enjoy novels set there. The narrative also includes the story of a young Welsh girl, Maria.

I think that the primary Italian setting is vey well conveyed: the references to streets and piazzas, some of which are well known to me provided a tremendous sense of place, as did the details about cafes and places. Having said that, it occurred to me that some might view the detail as too much because it had no context for them. Some of the characters, too, came across as fully-fleshed out. Unfortunately for me, though, the blurb promised more than the novel delivered. I was riveted by the early part of the book, as Chiara, the chief protagonist, takes on a young Jewish boy after his mother's silent pleading during the clearing of Rome's Jewish quarter. Their flight to the hills kept me on the edge of my seat. For me, things started to go downhill when the sub-plot involving Maria came to the fore. Firstly, I simply didn't believe that Chiara would have reacted as she did, and I didn't find Maria's character wholly convincing either. Towards the end the author introduces an element of humour/farce but the story also became farcical at that point - the ending was both predictable and unlikely in equal measure, with a strong does of almost Mills & Boon. It's a shame as a more ambivalent ending would have been much more interesting and more in keeping with the rest of the book. I was also irritated that certain elements of the story, such as the fate of Chiara's brain-damaged sister, Cecilia, weren't really tied up properly, as if the author had needed the character but then lost interest in her.

Overall then, something of a disappointment.

This is another book set during WW2. What makes this different from other WW2 books is that it's set in Italy, which I found fascinating. I think reading Ferrante has ignited my interest in Italy. This follows 7-yr old Daniele, who's been handed over to a strange woman, and the bond their form as they try to survive Nazi-occupied Rome. It's a harrowing read at times so prepare for some tough scenes and keep your hanky ready.