The Bishop's Villa
by Sacha Naspini
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Pub Date 13 Feb 2025 | Archive Date 13 Feb 2025
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Description
Tuscany, November 1943. The village of Le Case is miles from any big city and remains rooted in an earlier century. Seen from Le Case, even the war looks different—mostly a matter of waiting, praying, and mourning. As a fierce winter threatens, an ominous order is issued by the local Fascist authorities: all Jews must be rounded up and detained in the bishop’s villa to await deportation.
René is the town’s cobbler. A loner, his only friend is the widow Anna, a woman with whom he has been secretly in love for years. When Anna’s son joins the Resistance but is soon killed by the Wehrmacht, the grieving woman vows to continue her son’s mission. René later learns that a group of Resistance fighters has been ambushed and the survivors are imprisoned in the bishop’s villa. A woman is among them, they say, a grieving mother and former inhabitant of Le Case.
René can no longer stand by and watch as his town, his country, and his one great love become victims of the Nazis and their Fascist enablers, and he decides to take action. Perhaps for the first time in his life.
Based on the true story of a nefarious collaboration between the Catholic diocese of Grosseto and the Fascist authorities, The Bishop’s Villa is a masterful weaving together of fact and fiction by one of Italy’s most exciting young writers.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781787705548 |
| PRICE | £10.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 220 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Christine B, Reviewer
A very good novel ! I found it rather interesting and clever to evoke the Second World War through the eyes of a cobbler (aiming at mending shoes, but not only shoes...). Based on real events , this novel perfectly illustrates hypocrisy, shame at hiding the truth of what actually happened in the Villa during the war. Nevertheless, the war brought out crucial personal psychological skills the cobbler would never have known or dared believe he had.... Very well and subtly rendered by the author! A thought provoking novel well worth knowing.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
Susan B, Reviewer
Tuscany 1943, all the Jews were rounded up and forced into the Bishop’’s Villa to await deportation to a prison. This is based on a real story.
Bookseller 1538377
This poignant novel offers a compelling portrayal of a WWII internment camp in Le Case, Italy, interwoven with the story of the Italian resistance and the love between René and Anna. It powerfully explores the extremes of human nature—both the profound sacrifices we make for love and the staggering brutality we are capable of. The novel provided fascinating insight into this shocking chapter of history, particularly within the Italian context, which I found especially engaging. However, certain nuances seem to have been lost in translation, and at times the narrative felt somewhat flat. Despite this, it remains an evocative, informative, and deeply moving read.
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