Day: September 24, 2020

I’ve made no secret of how much I like to learn from historical fiction novels. I would be willing to bet that most people who read the genre do so for the same reasons. There’s just something about learning while enjoying a good story as well.

I’ve been fortunate in this regard, especially lately, because I particularly like learning about aspects that are usually overlooked. Oddly, this is the second book in a week that centered on an English woman in Italy during the rise of Mussolini in the early days of WWII.

I actually like it when this happens, because (as I have mentioned before) I love to learn from historical fiction. When I find (even by accident) books that have similar themes, I feel like I gain a deeper understanding of the period and the issues. That’s certainly the case here. I really liked this author’s previous book, In Darkness, Look For Stars, so I was looking forward to this one.

I thought the set-up was a grab, and it drew me in right away. I mean, any time you are in WWII fiction and you have Nazis in the opening scene, you know that there is going to be some hidden meanings or events.

As much as I liked the story, the premise was a tad shaky. A 19-year-old English female traveling to Italy in September 1938 seems foolish, especially if anyone at the time had been paying attention. But that relocation was vital to the plot, and Stella did seem pretty sheltered, so I was able to overlook it .

I could tell right away that Monica and her brother were up to no good. But the intrigue was certainly well-written. At times I felt more like I was reading a mystery, which made me that much more invested in figuring out what was really going on with the dynamics.

And yes, there were times that I wanted to yell at Stella to stop being so naïve. Thank goodness Ted was there to do that for me! I think he was my favorite character, only because most of the time he seemed to just “get it.”

He was aware when others weren’t and seemed to be a voice of reason. He was also the personification of perseverance, and I love how he taught that to Stella.

I particularly liked the motivating factors behind the entire plot. I have always found the plundering of art by the Nazis to be a particularly fascinating psychological study, largely due to their (illogical) reasonings and excuses for their actions in this regard. I thought the author handled this very well with both facts and speculation (for the purpose of the plot).

Another strength was the author’s descriptions of Florence. I know that there were many changes over the years, especially having to rebuild after the war, but I was there in the 90s, and there were several locations that were familiar. That was a nice stroll down memory lane for me.

I’d definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, and even to those who like a little bit of mystery.  

Author Bio:

Clara Benson is the author of the Angela Marchmont Mysteries and Freddy Pilkington-Soames Adventures – traditional English whodunits in authentic style set in the 1920s and 30s. One day she would like to drink cocktails and solve mysteries in a sequinned dress and evening gloves. In the meantime, she lives in the north of England with her family and doesn’t do any of those things.

To find out about new releases and receive a FREE, exclusive Angela Marchmont short story, sign up to her mailing list at clarabenson.com/newsletter.