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| Author: |
Mary Doria Russell |
| Barcode/ISBN13: | 9780552772884 |
| ISBN: | 0552772887 |
| Imprint/Brand: | Black Swan |
| Release Date: | Jan 2006 |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Price in AUD: | $23.95 |
| Categories: | Book Historical Fiction |
Epic, resonant, moving, exciting and utterly involving novel about faith, forgiveness and the indomitability of the human spirit set in Italy during the latter part of the Second World War.
It is 8 September 1943 and fourteenyearold Claudette Blum is learning Italian with a battered suitcase in her hand. She and her father are among the thousands of Jewish refugees scrambling over the Alps towards Italy, where they hope to find safety, now that the Italians have broken with Germany and made a separate peace. The Blums will soon discover that Italy is anything but peaceful. Overnight, it becomes a battleground for the occupying German forces, advancing Allies, an increasingly confident resistance, Jews in hiding and ordinary Italians simply trying to survive. Against this dramatic backdrop and through the experiences of a handful of fascinating, beautifully drawn characters a mercurial Italian resistance leader, a Catholic priest, an Italian rabbi and his family, and a disillusioned Wehrmacht doctor A THREAD OF GRACE recalls the littleknown but true conspiracy of Italian citizens that saved the lives of tens of thousands of Jews during the final, desperate phase of the Second World War. The result of five years of meticulous research, Mary Doria Russell's first historical novel is a captivating story of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary times and accomplishing remarkable things. Full of drama, warmth, nobility and, for all the darkness, hope, it is a breathtaking achievement.
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This is a very special book, on that we should all be compelled to read. The story of Jewish people who escaped Nazi Germany to Italy during the later part of World War II and the courage of, for the most part Italian peasants who risked their lives to save so many of them. Although the characters are fictionalised, these events did happen and one is greatly moved by these happenings.
It is a beautifully written story. I wished I could read and understand the Italian language, as small phrases pop up quite often.
Mesmerising, meant to be read as a whole, for me anyway.
When I finished, I really wanted to sit down, for a whole day and read this book from beginning to end again.
Thank you Mary Doria Russell for bringing history alive in "A Thread of Grace".
