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Lilia: A True Story of Love, Courage, and Survival in the Shadow of War
Lilia is a gripping, cinematic true story of resilience and survival set against the backdrop of Mussolini’s fascist Italy and Hitler’s brutal occupation. Amidst war-torn chaos, a young girl and her family fight to endure unthinkable loss, betrayal, and the daily terror of Nazi rule. Stripped of childhood and forced to navigate an unforgiving world, Lilia clings to the only thing that cannot be taken from her—hope.
Where there is love, hope remains.
Through the eyes of a courageous girl, this harrowing yet deeply moving saga unfolds with rich historical detail and a deeply human core. Set against the backdrop of World War II and the Holocaust, Lilia brings to life the gripping true story of a family whose unbreakable bond defies war, loss, and betrayal. From poverty and upheaval to the daily fear of Nazi occupation, Lilia’s childhood is stolen, her family’s survival uncertain. Witnessing her parents’ desperate fight to stay alive becomes her greatest sorrow—one she conceals behind quiet resilience.
Yet even in the darkest times, a flicker of hope remains. Years after the war has ended, an unexpected encounter reignites the possibility of a new beginning.
An unforgettable story destined for the screen, Lilia is a powerful testament to the indomitable spirit of the human heart. This poignant account will transport you to a lost moment in history and stay with you long after you turn the final page.
An inspirational story that’s changing lives—experience it now.
Where there is love, hope remains.
Through the eyes of a courageous girl, this harrowing yet deeply moving saga unfolds with rich historical detail and a deeply human core. Set against the backdrop of World War II and the Holocaust, Lilia brings to life the gripping true story of a family whose unbreakable bond defies war, loss, and betrayal. From poverty and upheaval to the daily fear of Nazi occupation, Lilia’s childhood is stolen, her family’s survival uncertain. Witnessing her parents’ desperate fight to stay alive becomes her greatest sorrow—one she conceals behind quiet resilience.
Yet even in the darkest times, a flicker of hope remains. Years after the war has ended, an unexpected encounter reignites the possibility of a new beginning.
An unforgettable story destined for the screen, Lilia is a powerful testament to the indomitable spirit of the human heart. This poignant account will transport you to a lost moment in history and stay with you long after you turn the final page.
An inspirational story that’s changing lives—experience it now.
Paperback
Published April 1, 2023
379 people are currently reading
329 people want to read
About the author
Linda Ganzini
1 book40 followersMeet Linda Ganzini, a creative maven who has been weaving her artistic gifts into the fabric of her existence from a tender age. Her journey began with a spark of raw talent for painting and singing, igniting an unstoppable pursuit of creativity that led to a career with international accolades and awards in graphic design.
Raised as a first-generation Italian Canadian, Linda’s life has been a captivating blend of cultures and experiences. Her summer vacations in Italy imbued her with an insatiable wanderlust, compelling her to explore life beyond borders in the United States and Europe.
Linda’s portfolio, however, goes beyond art and travel. Her most profound passion lies in threading her mother’s life story narrative, giving a voice to the unheard, and crafting a legacy that transcends generations. Her award-winning masterpiece, LILIA, is a testament to this, capturing the essence of her family’s rich history in a beautifully penned tribute.
Raised as a first-generation Italian Canadian, Linda’s life has been a captivating blend of cultures and experiences. Her summer vacations in Italy imbued her with an insatiable wanderlust, compelling her to explore life beyond borders in the United States and Europe.
Linda’s portfolio, however, goes beyond art and travel. Her most profound passion lies in threading her mother’s life story narrative, giving a voice to the unheard, and crafting a legacy that transcends generations. Her award-winning masterpiece, LILIA, is a testament to this, capturing the essence of her family’s rich history in a beautifully penned tribute.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
April 23, 2021
Wow!! My parents generation knew all too well the horrors of WWII, but even though we’ve heard of some of the atrocities, it’s difficult for my generation and those that follow to imagine.
‘Lilia’ takes us into the core of a family in a Northern Italian village and their struggles to survive during these terrifying years. Ensure you have plenty of tissues at the ready as you will need them. Lilia sees and endures much more than any child should ever be exposed to, yet her heart and beautiful soul shine through in every page.
What makes this story even more heart-wrenching is that it’s true. Ganzini presents the story in a manner that captures the heart and makes you feel every emotion along with the characters. Linda Ganzini does her family proud in sharing this important story. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to write, knowing what her mother and her family went through.
Thank you, Linda and Lilia Ganzini, for sharing this brave and important story with us so that we may never forget the atrocities of the Second World War and ensure they are never repeated. This is a book that I will read again and again.
I can only hope that someone has the wherewithal to turn Lilia into a feature film. 🙏♥️
‘Lilia’ takes us into the core of a family in a Northern Italian village and their struggles to survive during these terrifying years. Ensure you have plenty of tissues at the ready as you will need them. Lilia sees and endures much more than any child should ever be exposed to, yet her heart and beautiful soul shine through in every page.
What makes this story even more heart-wrenching is that it’s true. Ganzini presents the story in a manner that captures the heart and makes you feel every emotion along with the characters. Linda Ganzini does her family proud in sharing this important story. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to write, knowing what her mother and her family went through.
Thank you, Linda and Lilia Ganzini, for sharing this brave and important story with us so that we may never forget the atrocities of the Second World War and ensure they are never repeated. This is a book that I will read again and again.
I can only hope that someone has the wherewithal to turn Lilia into a feature film. 🙏♥️
April 20, 2021
Lilia by Linda Ganzini is the fictionalised account of her mother's childhood in rural Italy during the second world war.
Writing with care and sensitivity, Ganzini has clearly researched the story from her mother's point of view and obtained heartbreaking information surrounding the fate of her uncles at the hands of the Nazis.
Poignant and moving, yet startlingly compelling, the narrative manages to be a pageturner whilst still delving deep into the heartache, joys, woes and losses of a childhood spent in poverty and steeped in the blood bonds of family.
Achingly familiar, yet also a snapshot of a brutal time we forget at our peril, Lilia is both a tribute to an amazing woman and a call to action now. Stunning.
Writing with care and sensitivity, Ganzini has clearly researched the story from her mother's point of view and obtained heartbreaking information surrounding the fate of her uncles at the hands of the Nazis.
Poignant and moving, yet startlingly compelling, the narrative manages to be a pageturner whilst still delving deep into the heartache, joys, woes and losses of a childhood spent in poverty and steeped in the blood bonds of family.
Achingly familiar, yet also a snapshot of a brutal time we forget at our peril, Lilia is both a tribute to an amazing woman and a call to action now. Stunning.
April 23, 2021
The indignities, atrocities, and terrors visited on a poor family in a tiny Northern Italian village during WWII place in stark relief the human toll war takes on those the history books never document. Told with deep emotion and love, Lilia’s story steals your breath at the misery and hardship visited on a young girl forced to grow up far too fast in a world torn apart by the greed for power in fascist Italy. Yet there are moments of beautiful joy too. Through it all, somehow Lilia’s incredible well of resilience never runs dry. Ganzini’s poetic prose renders this story both a warning about the slide into fascism in modern times and a beacon of hope for the strength of the human spirit. Resiliency triumphs. Readers of this book will triumph too. Read it now.
July 2, 2024
Lilia is a family affair in that the author is also the daughter of the main character, Lilia. Linda Ganzini probably grew up with these stories, snippets and pieces of her mother’s childhood to young adult throughout her own childhood. These are stories of love, courage, fear, sadness, joy and survival of one family in the rumbling and foreboding shadows of WWII in a small Italian village. The story begins in Italy in 1939. It’s told through the many eyes of the Meneguzzi family giving us much insight into the day to day routines. As the rumbles of war grow louder so does the uncertainty and fear.
Young Lilia’s story is stirring and heart wrenching at the same time. She is a child herself taking care of younger siblings. Life is harsh but there is still much joy in the simple everyday things. Her mother is the rock of the family. She is strict, bordering on bitter as she also gave up her childhood. Lilia’s father is the balance for the family; providing the core strength and unconditional love that binds them all together.
Lilia’s story reads like a memoir….stories told to her daughter many times over the years. It is obvious that events have been tediously researched to bring into focus the harsh realities of a war torn village in Italy and the sacrifices made by so many. Ganzini has successfully made her mother’s story real and stirring. Lila is written with love, respectful awe and an intensity that pulls you into the story…an intensity that I won’t soon forget. Lila would be an excellent choice for a book club selection.
I’ll just end with this…
I must have read The Summer of 1952 three times before finally closing the book. Could it be???? I think there’s more yet to tell. I sure hope so.
A Stirring ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Young Lilia’s story is stirring and heart wrenching at the same time. She is a child herself taking care of younger siblings. Life is harsh but there is still much joy in the simple everyday things. Her mother is the rock of the family. She is strict, bordering on bitter as she also gave up her childhood. Lilia’s father is the balance for the family; providing the core strength and unconditional love that binds them all together.
Lilia’s story reads like a memoir….stories told to her daughter many times over the years. It is obvious that events have been tediously researched to bring into focus the harsh realities of a war torn village in Italy and the sacrifices made by so many. Ganzini has successfully made her mother’s story real and stirring. Lila is written with love, respectful awe and an intensity that pulls you into the story…an intensity that I won’t soon forget. Lila would be an excellent choice for a book club selection.
I’ll just end with this…
I must have read The Summer of 1952 three times before finally closing the book. Could it be???? I think there’s more yet to tell. I sure hope so.
A Stirring ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 14, 2021
Lilia: A True Story of Love, Courage, and Survival in the Shadow of War is by Linda Ganzini. Linda undertook to tell her mother’s amazing story of growing up under Mussolini and Hitler in a small village in the northern portion of Italy. Linda uncovers her mother’s memories of being a small child at this time and yet having the responsibilities of a grown person. Lilia never felt her mother’s love as she was growing up. She never felt she would ever be able to gain her mother’s approval. However, she basked in the love her father offered and the love her older brother, Arturo gave her. Their love and that of her younger brothers gave her the courage to go on with her life. Her love of fairy tales kept the vision of “Prince Charming” in her mind.
When Lilia was five, her little brother Bruno was born and Lilia was given him to care for along with her brothers Giovanni (3) and Riccardo (2). In addition, she helped care for the house and garden, did the laundry, ran errands, and did whatever else her mother required as well as attended school. Her older sisters were already working away from home, and her older brothers were soon to be in the Army. Life was hard for Lilia and yet she dreamed of a future that was totally different.
Linda tells her mother’s story with openness and compassion. The reader feels Lilia’s unhappiness at being unable to continue school or even to work abroad. We feel her sorrow as her older brothers leave for the war and her devastation when her father leaves and her delight when Arturo returns.
We get a glimpse of the life the Italians lived under Mussolini and Hitler. The book is easy to read and understand, although the topic is difficult. I can hardly wait to read her next book.
When Lilia was five, her little brother Bruno was born and Lilia was given him to care for along with her brothers Giovanni (3) and Riccardo (2). In addition, she helped care for the house and garden, did the laundry, ran errands, and did whatever else her mother required as well as attended school. Her older sisters were already working away from home, and her older brothers were soon to be in the Army. Life was hard for Lilia and yet she dreamed of a future that was totally different.
Linda tells her mother’s story with openness and compassion. The reader feels Lilia’s unhappiness at being unable to continue school or even to work abroad. We feel her sorrow as her older brothers leave for the war and her devastation when her father leaves and her delight when Arturo returns.
We get a glimpse of the life the Italians lived under Mussolini and Hitler. The book is easy to read and understand, although the topic is difficult. I can hardly wait to read her next book.
March 15, 2022
Honestly, no words for this powerful book
This is hands down the BEST WWII survival story I have ever read to date. Lilia began a life of unimaginable heartache, pain, suffering at 6 years old and it continued for years. She lost her siblings and her mother to heartache and grief. She endured more than most would we had multiple lifetimes and did it with grace and strength. This book will make you reflect on your own life and be strong to push through. Lilia not only never gave up but she was determined to thrive. On her weakest days where she could go no more. She did. So thankful I found this book. It will change lives.
This is hands down the BEST WWII survival story I have ever read to date. Lilia began a life of unimaginable heartache, pain, suffering at 6 years old and it continued for years. She lost her siblings and her mother to heartache and grief. She endured more than most would we had multiple lifetimes and did it with grace and strength. This book will make you reflect on your own life and be strong to push through. Lilia not only never gave up but she was determined to thrive. On her weakest days where she could go no more. She did. So thankful I found this book. It will change lives.
May 30, 2021
Linda Ganziini writes like a painter with descriptive brushstrokes that capture the reader and pull you into the story. This heart-wrenching historical memoir takes you on a ride in which you will not soon forget. While this was a highly enjoyable read, I learned a great deal about WWII and the Italian victims of the Holocaust. This story tears your heart out then puts it together again. A must-read!
April 23, 2021
A heartwrenching story that will live in you long after you finish reading it, Lilia shows us the life of a family destined to war, poverty, and suffering. Still, the strong love that bonds each member together will keep them together despite the mystery, sadness, and death.
Each character will leave his or her footprint in your heart because they were real people in the real, cruel world of the WWII. I saw in Lilia my grandmother and mother's lives, who were also subjected to suffering, early responsibilities, and cold-hearted mothers (they'd have done better if they'd known better).
Being the youngest of 3 daughters from a poor family in an Italian village, Lilia learned it the hard way. Since five years old, she had to care for her new-born brother, plus other two siblings younger than her, run some errands, and help her mother with the house chores since her older sisters were working as maids for affluent families. It all started too soon when war knocked at the Meneguzzi's door taking her older brothers, Arturo and Erminio, away.
When her father Virginio is also called for duty, everyone knew Italy was in bad shape under Mussolini's dictatorship. Then, her mother Maria, Lilia, her siblings, and a family's friend are left alone to take care of the farm. Bad news were on their way to tore this family apart and harsh experiences were still awaiting the young girl. However, after war ended and Lilia enters her teenage years, light is shown in the horizon, but Lilia has to sacrifice her family once more.
I won't spoil the ending of this book, but I can only say that I can't wait to see the second installment. I cried and laughed with Lilia's story, and in some ways felt connected to her mother Maria, besides our similar blood type ;D
I can understand why she was the way she were, and I also empathized with Lilia and the hard life she had to bear.
I've known author Linda Ganzini through our social media platforms and since the first time I met her, she demonstrated trust and transperancy. This is one of the reasons I loved her book so much. I must recognize her elegant writing style which touches the soul from the very first line is smooth and easygoing. I didn't feel bored in any part of the story, and the characters were absolutely engaging. A plot that shows the worst and best of real life.
Brace yourself with courage and a strong heart to dive into this breathtaking story. You will never see life the same, and despite everything we're living nowadays, you'll acknowledge and be grateful for the horrors we hopefully won't live as our ancestors once did.
For this book, I give it a 4.8 stars review!
Each character will leave his or her footprint in your heart because they were real people in the real, cruel world of the WWII. I saw in Lilia my grandmother and mother's lives, who were also subjected to suffering, early responsibilities, and cold-hearted mothers (they'd have done better if they'd known better).
Being the youngest of 3 daughters from a poor family in an Italian village, Lilia learned it the hard way. Since five years old, she had to care for her new-born brother, plus other two siblings younger than her, run some errands, and help her mother with the house chores since her older sisters were working as maids for affluent families. It all started too soon when war knocked at the Meneguzzi's door taking her older brothers, Arturo and Erminio, away.
When her father Virginio is also called for duty, everyone knew Italy was in bad shape under Mussolini's dictatorship. Then, her mother Maria, Lilia, her siblings, and a family's friend are left alone to take care of the farm. Bad news were on their way to tore this family apart and harsh experiences were still awaiting the young girl. However, after war ended and Lilia enters her teenage years, light is shown in the horizon, but Lilia has to sacrifice her family once more.
I won't spoil the ending of this book, but I can only say that I can't wait to see the second installment. I cried and laughed with Lilia's story, and in some ways felt connected to her mother Maria, besides our similar blood type ;D
I can understand why she was the way she were, and I also empathized with Lilia and the hard life she had to bear.
I've known author Linda Ganzini through our social media platforms and since the first time I met her, she demonstrated trust and transperancy. This is one of the reasons I loved her book so much. I must recognize her elegant writing style which touches the soul from the very first line is smooth and easygoing. I didn't feel bored in any part of the story, and the characters were absolutely engaging. A plot that shows the worst and best of real life.
Brace yourself with courage and a strong heart to dive into this breathtaking story. You will never see life the same, and despite everything we're living nowadays, you'll acknowledge and be grateful for the horrors we hopefully won't live as our ancestors once did.
For this book, I give it a 4.8 stars review!
June 11, 2021
This is a book that will grip you by the heartstrings and not let go. Powerful, passionate, and poignant, “Lilia” is a true accounting of the life of a young girl and her family as she comes of age in a war-torn and troubled Italy. Never feeling like a historical document, this book nevertheless packs a mighty punch and educates as well as entertains. I was aware of the history of Italy during WWII but had no idea of the depths of hardship and pain its people had endured.
Based on a close-knit but poor family in a small corner of Northern Italy, this tale focuses on the smallness of their lives which in turn reflects on the bigger picture happening all around them. The war touches many of their friends and neighbours, but Lilia and her family seem cursed to suffer tragedy after tragedy as the conflict makes monsters of some and victims of many.
Maybe it is the minutiae of their lives that throws the horrors of war into sharp relief – their men are missing in action, believed dead, but the water still needs to be fetched from the well and the vegetable patch still needs tending – and so their existence turns, day in, day out, whilst all around them the world is descending into madness.
At the heart of this story of family life in times of turmoil is Lilia herself. Young, brave, and eternally optimistic, she longs for the things that every child nowadays would take for granted, and it is her hardworking soul and her courageous heart that is the mainstay for her family.
I decided to purchase the paperback version of this book and I am glad that I did. Actually holding the book in my hands and slowly turning the pages made it feel even more real as if the raw honesty of the words deserved to be consumed through paper and ink, rather than on the cold screen.
This is a beautifully written and crafted novel, and it is clear that the author has researched the subject well. It states in the beginning that this story was told to the author by her mother and that sense of family connection echoes through every word. This tale is personal and when you read it the family within the pages become as close to the reader as their own.
A compelling and astonishing five star read.
Based on a close-knit but poor family in a small corner of Northern Italy, this tale focuses on the smallness of their lives which in turn reflects on the bigger picture happening all around them. The war touches many of their friends and neighbours, but Lilia and her family seem cursed to suffer tragedy after tragedy as the conflict makes monsters of some and victims of many.
Maybe it is the minutiae of their lives that throws the horrors of war into sharp relief – their men are missing in action, believed dead, but the water still needs to be fetched from the well and the vegetable patch still needs tending – and so their existence turns, day in, day out, whilst all around them the world is descending into madness.
At the heart of this story of family life in times of turmoil is Lilia herself. Young, brave, and eternally optimistic, she longs for the things that every child nowadays would take for granted, and it is her hardworking soul and her courageous heart that is the mainstay for her family.
I decided to purchase the paperback version of this book and I am glad that I did. Actually holding the book in my hands and slowly turning the pages made it feel even more real as if the raw honesty of the words deserved to be consumed through paper and ink, rather than on the cold screen.
This is a beautifully written and crafted novel, and it is clear that the author has researched the subject well. It states in the beginning that this story was told to the author by her mother and that sense of family connection echoes through every word. This tale is personal and when you read it the family within the pages become as close to the reader as their own.
A compelling and astonishing five star read.
June 24, 2021
I finished the book yesterday evening and wept for considerable time after, heartbroken, enraged and so very humbled. Lilia is a powerful historical memoir that took me through a horrific period of our time, and while the events are unspeakably tragic and the losses of too great a magnitude to comprehend, I felt as thought Linda Ganzini had me by the hand, carefully leading me through her family’s past. ‘I know it’s hard,’ I could hear her say, ‘but this period—these lives—they deserve to be recounted.’ So I let her guide me, nudging me through the scenes of her mother’s life, where I watched devastation, death and dismay play out.
In history class way back in my school days, I did pay (some) attention, but somehow, as the terrors continued to unfold in Lilia, and hope really did seem to fade, the war ended and it caught me by surprise. Ganzini drew me so deeply into her mother’s life that I lived through the eyes of then, not knowing when the suffering would end. But as we know, it did, in terms of troops withdrawing and peace returning to Europe. The scars, however, will forever remain.
I’m lucky enough to know this author through our connection on social media. I, and many of her author friends know just how hard she struggled to voice the heart-rending memoirs her mother related. Even as she shared excerpts from the book prior to its publication, we knew she was crafting something captivating, poignant and ultimately, harrowing. Linda regularly shares photos and updates on her mother, and to see the light in Lilia’s smile, despite all she has experienced, makes me believe she truly is an Angel on this earth.
For the sake of our world, I hope this book reaches far and wide. War is not in the past, it’s alive today, devouring lives with unending greed. But Lilia: a true story of love, courage and survival in the shadow of war, reminds us that hope and love cannot be destroyed.
In history class way back in my school days, I did pay (some) attention, but somehow, as the terrors continued to unfold in Lilia, and hope really did seem to fade, the war ended and it caught me by surprise. Ganzini drew me so deeply into her mother’s life that I lived through the eyes of then, not knowing when the suffering would end. But as we know, it did, in terms of troops withdrawing and peace returning to Europe. The scars, however, will forever remain.
I’m lucky enough to know this author through our connection on social media. I, and many of her author friends know just how hard she struggled to voice the heart-rending memoirs her mother related. Even as she shared excerpts from the book prior to its publication, we knew she was crafting something captivating, poignant and ultimately, harrowing. Linda regularly shares photos and updates on her mother, and to see the light in Lilia’s smile, despite all she has experienced, makes me believe she truly is an Angel on this earth.
For the sake of our world, I hope this book reaches far and wide. War is not in the past, it’s alive today, devouring lives with unending greed. But Lilia: a true story of love, courage and survival in the shadow of war, reminds us that hope and love cannot be destroyed.
April 23, 2021
A true page turner! I burned through this book in about a week and when I got to the end all I could think of was "sequel..." The "feelings" portaryed in the book are sincere and heartfelt. Poor Lilia, having to grow up so fast during the occupation of Italy in WWII. I must say, I didn't like her mother (Maria) very much but she too was a victim of the war and she suffered losses beyond comprehension. A "long and winding road" portrayed beautifully by Linda Ganzini in her first of (I'm sure) many books and stories yet to follow.
April 24, 2021
Lilia is a beautiful, heartbreaking, and emotional story that needed to be told. Linda Ganzini invites you into her mother’s past with such an open and vulnerable narrative that it is so easy to slip into her story and feel as though you are experiencing it right along side her- telling a narrative from WW2 that often gets lost but is still an incredible piece of history to preserve.
April 23, 2021
I read this book and felt so deeply connected to Lilia. I cried at all she endured. The author has a way of drawing you in and keeping your attention. I could not stop reading or put the book down. I want to know more and see what happens next. Along with it being a true story, it made me want to learn more about what happened during WW2. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
November 3, 2021
A beautiful emotionally compelling story.
January 11, 2022
This is the coming of age story of a little girl called Lilia in a farming town Mussons in Northern Italy. Through her, you relive the horrors of the World War 2, the gut wrenching heart break of losing family members to the war and Nazi concentration camps, the misery of war but how love and hope can hold everything together. Stories like this are essential reminders of how important it is for love to triumph over fear and hatred. This book could easily be one of the most moving novels I will read this year.
May 12, 2021
An all but dismissed aspect of WW2, was the Italian nation having been drawn into a conflict for which it had scant stomach and less purpose. Badly trained, ill-equipped, and poorly lead, they were no match for the Allied armies, even the smaller in number Greek defenders vanquished them in short order. As their forces disintegrated, Italy became just another territory occupied by the Reich and its population subjected to the same Nazi tyranny as the rest of Europe.
It is against this this tumultuous backdrop that we follow the early childhood of a poor, small-town little girl in north-eastern Italy – Lilia. There were so many times as I absorbed the pages of this book that as a father, all I wanted to do was gather her in my arms and hold her world at baye. You will also. Can there be a place of salvation that both subject and reader can aspire?
It is against this this tumultuous backdrop that we follow the early childhood of a poor, small-town little girl in north-eastern Italy – Lilia. There were so many times as I absorbed the pages of this book that as a father, all I wanted to do was gather her in my arms and hold her world at baye. You will also. Can there be a place of salvation that both subject and reader can aspire?
April 28, 2021
How close to my heart! I too am a daughter of war survivors from Northern Italy : so many similar stories I've heard from my blood. Written in a way not only to bring tears to your eyes but to bring pride to your soul: the test of resilience, adaptation, and surviving and thriving. I wish more of the millennial generation would get this before complaining about having to wear a mask in their spin class! So accurate and shocking. How could all of that have actually happened? Let's make sure we never let it happen again. SO MUCH to learn from this book: it should be taught in schools and promoted amongst the younger entitled adult population. A true epic tale. Can't wait for the movie/netfix series/or docudrama. Let as many humans read this book: it is the only way to protect our future as a species that can overcome adversity and grow to be strong.
UN GRANDE LAVORO DI FORZA, PASSION E CUORE. BRAVA LINDA E GRAZIE LILIA.
UN GRANDE LAVORO DI FORZA, PASSION E CUORE. BRAVA LINDA E GRAZIE LILIA.
August 23, 2021
From the opening chapter, Lilia had gripped my heart.
Lilia is the fictionalised memoir of Lilia and her family through Nazi occupation in Northern Italy, during WWII. Made more personal by the fact that Lilia is the author's mother, a point that keeps this story grounded in a very real way. (And on a personal note too, as Lilia and my own father were around the same age. Although my father was here in England, an evacuee ripped from his family, I have Italian roots and to know I had family who suffered the same was hard to swallow whilst reading this.)
We first meet Lilia in all her personal strife and hardship at the age of four, a small child with the heavy burden of daily chores and care of her younger brothers. We are pulled into a fierce embrace as we travel through the story of her family, predominantly told through the eyes of this child. There are tears, tragedy, hardship and pain, but there is also laughter and intense love that holds this all together. This is a story of everyday, normal, people just like you and me who face unimaginable horrors of war.
I won't give anything of the story away, knowing the setting and era of the story is enough to want you to read. I managed to keep my emotions in check most of the way through this book being caught up in the colour and texture of watching a movie; in fact, it was the Authors Note at the end that broke me. That stark reminder that the story I had just read was true, real, and leaving oh such a bitter taste on my tongue that left me in tears for an hour after.
Lilia is the fictionalised memoir of Lilia and her family through Nazi occupation in Northern Italy, during WWII. Made more personal by the fact that Lilia is the author's mother, a point that keeps this story grounded in a very real way. (And on a personal note too, as Lilia and my own father were around the same age. Although my father was here in England, an evacuee ripped from his family, I have Italian roots and to know I had family who suffered the same was hard to swallow whilst reading this.)
We first meet Lilia in all her personal strife and hardship at the age of four, a small child with the heavy burden of daily chores and care of her younger brothers. We are pulled into a fierce embrace as we travel through the story of her family, predominantly told through the eyes of this child. There are tears, tragedy, hardship and pain, but there is also laughter and intense love that holds this all together. This is a story of everyday, normal, people just like you and me who face unimaginable horrors of war.
I won't give anything of the story away, knowing the setting and era of the story is enough to want you to read. I managed to keep my emotions in check most of the way through this book being caught up in the colour and texture of watching a movie; in fact, it was the Authors Note at the end that broke me. That stark reminder that the story I had just read was true, real, and leaving oh such a bitter taste on my tongue that left me in tears for an hour after.
June 10, 2021
Lilia
If you do a Google search of how many Italians were sent to German concentration camps during the last years of WW2, you won’t find much information. Even me, someone accustomed to the foibles of Boolean algorithms, and with a strong background in the history of the Second World War, I can’t find any sort of reliable number.
Now, I’m not even talking about military internees, demobilised Italian soldiers. Nor am I talking about the 6 million souls targeted by Hitler and annihilated in the Shoah. Same goes for the resistance, the partigiani.
Not that those stories aren’t tragic. They are. And yet, there remain largely untold the stories of many thousands more civilians who were snatched up by the Nazis after Italy capitulated, simply for the crime of being Italian.
I’m talking about the everyday Italians. Rosa from the trattoria. Pasquale from the dairy. Maria who owned the flower stall. Beatrice the seamstress. Giovanni the taxi-driver.
Those people could be us. Your neighbour. Your friend. Your cousin. Your lover. Your brother. Snatched for no good reason, never to be seen again.
This book, this wonderful book by Linda Ganzini Linda Ganzini about her mother’s gut-wrenching and heartbreaking tribulations during World War 2, brings into the light those smaller stories by focusing on one family, la famiglia Meneguzzi.
Told mostly – though not exclusively – through the eyes of the eponymous Lilia, who, at the start of the tale is four and already saddled with the morning-to-night care of her two (soon to be three) younger brothers, this story will have you cringing with the indignities and depravations that this little girl suffers day after day. Nonetheless, the author does a superb job of keeping our fingers hovering in anticipation at the top of the righthand page.
I don’t want to spoil any of the story for anyone who might be interested in picking up this poignant war narrative, so I’ll not expound on the rest of the tale or the characters, other than perhaps to say this: Maria, her mother, is a difficult character to forgive. If you’re wired like me, you will find yourself gritting your teeth in frustration at her treatment of Lilia, and wondering why her ‘character’ seems arc-less, without growth or change. When I found myself in this position, I had to remind myself that this is a true story, and in true stories, the story arcs of the protagonists are not always steep, nor are they always plainly visible.
Don’t fret, though. There is light and there is love and there is laughter. Not bucket-loads, but it’s there, and Linda Ganzini does a good job of weaving the threads of relief in where they are most needed.
Let me close by saying that this book is a necessary read for anyone who thinks that we have come so far from those fascistic horrors of World War 2 Europe, and besides, it was Europe, right? They’ve always had wars. That sort of thing could never happen here, and certainly not now. Right?
Wrong.
Look around. It’s already happening. Let Lilia open your eyes and your heart.
If you do a Google search of how many Italians were sent to German concentration camps during the last years of WW2, you won’t find much information. Even me, someone accustomed to the foibles of Boolean algorithms, and with a strong background in the history of the Second World War, I can’t find any sort of reliable number.
Now, I’m not even talking about military internees, demobilised Italian soldiers. Nor am I talking about the 6 million souls targeted by Hitler and annihilated in the Shoah. Same goes for the resistance, the partigiani.
Not that those stories aren’t tragic. They are. And yet, there remain largely untold the stories of many thousands more civilians who were snatched up by the Nazis after Italy capitulated, simply for the crime of being Italian.
I’m talking about the everyday Italians. Rosa from the trattoria. Pasquale from the dairy. Maria who owned the flower stall. Beatrice the seamstress. Giovanni the taxi-driver.
Those people could be us. Your neighbour. Your friend. Your cousin. Your lover. Your brother. Snatched for no good reason, never to be seen again.
This book, this wonderful book by Linda Ganzini Linda Ganzini about her mother’s gut-wrenching and heartbreaking tribulations during World War 2, brings into the light those smaller stories by focusing on one family, la famiglia Meneguzzi.
Told mostly – though not exclusively – through the eyes of the eponymous Lilia, who, at the start of the tale is four and already saddled with the morning-to-night care of her two (soon to be three) younger brothers, this story will have you cringing with the indignities and depravations that this little girl suffers day after day. Nonetheless, the author does a superb job of keeping our fingers hovering in anticipation at the top of the righthand page.
I don’t want to spoil any of the story for anyone who might be interested in picking up this poignant war narrative, so I’ll not expound on the rest of the tale or the characters, other than perhaps to say this: Maria, her mother, is a difficult character to forgive. If you’re wired like me, you will find yourself gritting your teeth in frustration at her treatment of Lilia, and wondering why her ‘character’ seems arc-less, without growth or change. When I found myself in this position, I had to remind myself that this is a true story, and in true stories, the story arcs of the protagonists are not always steep, nor are they always plainly visible.
Don’t fret, though. There is light and there is love and there is laughter. Not bucket-loads, but it’s there, and Linda Ganzini does a good job of weaving the threads of relief in where they are most needed.
Let me close by saying that this book is a necessary read for anyone who thinks that we have come so far from those fascistic horrors of World War 2 Europe, and besides, it was Europe, right? They’ve always had wars. That sort of thing could never happen here, and certainly not now. Right?
Wrong.
Look around. It’s already happening. Let Lilia open your eyes and your heart.
July 10, 2021
This is a book that had to be written, was meant to be written and that should be read by everyone. It is a heart wrenching true story of a young girl growing up in Italy under Mussolini’s reign and Hitler’s occupation and it shows you and makes you feel what she and her family endured. It is written with a deep and compelling understanding of Lilia’s and her family’s suffering, and that is no surprise because it is written by Lilia’s own daughter, Linda Ganzini. And what a superb writer Ms. Ganzini is. So when I say this was a story meant to be told, I mean so on every level.
This telling will be a voice for generations to come in showing us what the innocent of Italy endured, often being sent to Nazi concentration camps, suffering in fear during the occupation of their cities and villages, the endless loss of loved ones, deprivations, food shortages and starvation, bombings and a life of fear and hopelessness. My father was stationed in Italy the last 16 months of the war, as a 23-24-year-old American soldier. He would tell me of the suffering he saw on the faces of the people he met in villages across the country, that it was nothing he would ever forget. It broke his heart over and over.
But young Lilia, the author’s mom, had such a zest for life she managed to keep her hope alive. Yes, there were times her life was so painful, she did nearly lose that hope, but it always surfaced again. Lilia will be admired and loved by many because of her story of courage and strength under such harsh conditions and because of this amazing book her daughter has written. This mother and daughter team has given us an important book that resonates with compassion while offering historical documentation and significance. She is now writing a second book about her mother’s life after the war.
This telling will be a voice for generations to come in showing us what the innocent of Italy endured, often being sent to Nazi concentration camps, suffering in fear during the occupation of their cities and villages, the endless loss of loved ones, deprivations, food shortages and starvation, bombings and a life of fear and hopelessness. My father was stationed in Italy the last 16 months of the war, as a 23-24-year-old American soldier. He would tell me of the suffering he saw on the faces of the people he met in villages across the country, that it was nothing he would ever forget. It broke his heart over and over.
But young Lilia, the author’s mom, had such a zest for life she managed to keep her hope alive. Yes, there were times her life was so painful, she did nearly lose that hope, but it always surfaced again. Lilia will be admired and loved by many because of her story of courage and strength under such harsh conditions and because of this amazing book her daughter has written. This mother and daughter team has given us an important book that resonates with compassion while offering historical documentation and significance. She is now writing a second book about her mother’s life after the war.
May 12, 2021
Beautiful Family Full of Love and Sacrifice !
Excellent book about the horrors of WWII and what one family lived thru.
Lilia,was one of 10 children and the youngest daughter at home.Her two,older sisters had been sent away to work as Ladies maids to help provide for their family,as times were very hard.
Lilia,being a girl was not seen as important to her mother,except for taking care of her three younger brothers, doing the laundry,cleaning up messes and being a general slave to the family.
Education was out,after 5th.grade.
Their town was full of spies because of the advantages it could give you with the Germans,so times were very lonely, because you didn't know who was your friend and who wasn't.
Her two oldest brothers were killed during the war and the one,that she had a special connection with Arturo,died for his family,as he told his mother,when the Germans came for him,"If I don't go,they'll kill us all.
This is a book that you won't easily forget and you will fall in love with Lilia and your heart will hurt for all she had to endure from the time,she was a very small child.
There is another book coming and I cannot wait to read it !
Arturo,was the uncle of Linda Ganzini,the author of "Lilia"
Excellent book about the horrors of WWII and what one family lived thru.
Lilia,was one of 10 children and the youngest daughter at home.Her two,older sisters had been sent away to work as Ladies maids to help provide for their family,as times were very hard.
Lilia,being a girl was not seen as important to her mother,except for taking care of her three younger brothers, doing the laundry,cleaning up messes and being a general slave to the family.
Education was out,after 5th.grade.
Their town was full of spies because of the advantages it could give you with the Germans,so times were very lonely, because you didn't know who was your friend and who wasn't.
Her two oldest brothers were killed during the war and the one,that she had a special connection with Arturo,died for his family,as he told his mother,when the Germans came for him,"If I don't go,they'll kill us all.
This is a book that you won't easily forget and you will fall in love with Lilia and your heart will hurt for all she had to endure from the time,she was a very small child.
There is another book coming and I cannot wait to read it !
Arturo,was the uncle of Linda Ganzini,the author of "Lilia"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2021
*spoilers*
Based off the life of Lilia, a Northern Italian woman who grew up in World War 2 Nazi Italy, this book packs an emotional punch to the reader.
I appreciated this book because it provides a unique view into the lives of the lesser known persecuted people of the war. In fact, a big part of the story centers on Lilia’s brother, an Italian POW who was sent to a concentration camp.
I felt so terrible for Lilia, and for the trauma that she faced growing up - a doll being her only confidant. This true story is not one that I will ever forget.
I also wanted to thank the author for including how the Jews were treated. One passage that particularly stood out is what her grandpa, Virginio, experienced while escaping home to his family:
Virginio gripped the wall as his eyes came to rest on a man and his son stepping off the train. The boy was in tears as he clung to his father.
“Come here! On your knees. On your knees, I said, both of you!” one of the officers shouted with fiery contempt.
“Please!” begged the man as he sank to his knees. “I beg you, let my son go. He’s a child! I’ll do anything you want—let him go!”
“Shut up, filthy vermin!” the officer sneered.
He cracked his pistol over the man’s head and knocked him to the ground. The boy froze, and his eyes remained fixed on his father. Two remorseless gunshots split the air. Virginio released his grip and sank to the car floor as he watched the man and his child fall to their deaths—the little boy’s tears now turned to blood.
The German’s devilish laughter broke the silence as he spat in disgust on the bodies. “Useless parasites.” He gazed triumphantly on the young soldier, who looked stunned as he stared at the lifeless forms on the ground.
Based off the life of Lilia, a Northern Italian woman who grew up in World War 2 Nazi Italy, this book packs an emotional punch to the reader.
I appreciated this book because it provides a unique view into the lives of the lesser known persecuted people of the war. In fact, a big part of the story centers on Lilia’s brother, an Italian POW who was sent to a concentration camp.
I felt so terrible for Lilia, and for the trauma that she faced growing up - a doll being her only confidant. This true story is not one that I will ever forget.
I also wanted to thank the author for including how the Jews were treated. One passage that particularly stood out is what her grandpa, Virginio, experienced while escaping home to his family:
Virginio gripped the wall as his eyes came to rest on a man and his son stepping off the train. The boy was in tears as he clung to his father.
“Come here! On your knees. On your knees, I said, both of you!” one of the officers shouted with fiery contempt.
“Please!” begged the man as he sank to his knees. “I beg you, let my son go. He’s a child! I’ll do anything you want—let him go!”
“Shut up, filthy vermin!” the officer sneered.
He cracked his pistol over the man’s head and knocked him to the ground. The boy froze, and his eyes remained fixed on his father. Two remorseless gunshots split the air. Virginio released his grip and sank to the car floor as he watched the man and his child fall to their deaths—the little boy’s tears now turned to blood.
The German’s devilish laughter broke the silence as he spat in disgust on the bodies. “Useless parasites.” He gazed triumphantly on the young soldier, who looked stunned as he stared at the lifeless forms on the ground.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2021
This is a captivating story of Lilia, a young girl who grew up in a poor family in Northern Italy during WWII. It is beautifully recounted by Lilia's daughter, Linda Ganzini. The story begins with Lilia as a young child. Given the family's circumstances, Lilia is forced to care for her younger brothers and do household chores rather than focusing on school work. Lilia's relationship with her mother is heartbreaking. As the war progresses, Lilia's elder brothers and, eventually her father, are drawn into the conflict, with some tragic outcomes.
Ganzini has painstakingly researched her mother's family history. I learned so much about Northern Italy during WWII from Lilia's story - from life under Mussolini, to the Nazi occupation, to the partisans fighting for control as the war progressed. Lilia lived through an incredible time in history and her story is one that will stay with the reader for a long time.
For Mother's Day, I gave the book to my mother, who also lived through the war. She, too, is really enjoying it. I will also recommend it to my book club. There is so much to talk about!
Ganzini has painstakingly researched her mother's family history. I learned so much about Northern Italy during WWII from Lilia's story - from life under Mussolini, to the Nazi occupation, to the partisans fighting for control as the war progressed. Lilia lived through an incredible time in history and her story is one that will stay with the reader for a long time.
For Mother's Day, I gave the book to my mother, who also lived through the war. She, too, is really enjoying it. I will also recommend it to my book club. There is so much to talk about!
April 25, 2021
This is the incredible true story of a little girl called Lilia, to whom war and her mother's grief have stolen childhood, and of her unfortunate family. Overwhelmed by chores, Lilia powerlessly watches her big brothers and her father leave to serve Italy during second World War. Despite these sorrows and much more, she never looses hope and while growing up she still struggles for a better life of joy and love.
The main characters are very well portrayed, their thoughts and feelings are open to the readers, involving them in the characters’life, deep in their feelings in order to understand their situation.
Being Italian, I also appreciated how well Italian traditions are explained and the exact description of everyday life.
Characters thoughts, dialogues, historical situation and descriptions are very well balanced, which gives the narration fluidity and expressiveness.
The story is very touching and penetrating, in a word heartbreaking.
I do recommend this novel: get ready to cry, love, smile, hate, fear, hope and live with Lilia and her family.
The main characters are very well portrayed, their thoughts and feelings are open to the readers, involving them in the characters’life, deep in their feelings in order to understand their situation.
Being Italian, I also appreciated how well Italian traditions are explained and the exact description of everyday life.
Characters thoughts, dialogues, historical situation and descriptions are very well balanced, which gives the narration fluidity and expressiveness.
The story is very touching and penetrating, in a word heartbreaking.
I do recommend this novel: get ready to cry, love, smile, hate, fear, hope and live with Lilia and her family.
July 5, 2021
I've met several people in my life who were survivors of WW2. This included a Jewish woman who was my neighbour. I remember the first time I'd seen the tattoo on her wrist and thinking, "Wow, how incredible you survived what must have been a horrific childhood". We never spoke of it. Now after reading Lilia and learning of another child whose life was so horribly affected by the atrocities of war, it has made me reflect on the suffering yet the strength to go on. I am amazed at the courage and determination of Ms Ganzini and her sweet mother to revisit the most painful and devastating time in Lilia's life. It must have been such an emotional journey for both of them. If history was taught to our children from the human aspect rather than solely the political, could we only hope that no one would forget or take for granted the sacrifices of war.
June 22, 2021
Each scene was a visual work of art. So much heart, depth, detail, research went into this book. It's such a luxury for me to take time to read a book for pleasure. Lilia swept me away with the rollercoaster of emotions.
It's hard to imagine a person could survive such hardship and misery and come out of it so positive and joyful. There's a note from the Lilia (who the story is based on) at the beginning of the book. After reading the most intimate stories of her growing up, it's nice to read her comments again.
The author also has a note about her travels to a concentration camp in Germany. As in her book, the descriptions of her discoveries are filled with emotion and empathy and made me cry.
Lilia is a movie for sure.
It's hard to imagine a person could survive such hardship and misery and come out of it so positive and joyful. There's a note from the Lilia (who the story is based on) at the beginning of the book. After reading the most intimate stories of her growing up, it's nice to read her comments again.
The author also has a note about her travels to a concentration camp in Germany. As in her book, the descriptions of her discoveries are filled with emotion and empathy and made me cry.
Lilia is a movie for sure.
September 9, 2021
A story not to be forgotten.
Lilia, the subject of this biographical story (written by her daughter), speaks to the reader in the beginning of the book bearing her name. In part, she says, “In reliving these heart-rending memories, what also surfaced were beautiful memories that had been masked by pain yet yearned to be remembered.” What a poignant message, one of many to be found in Lilia. During the most painful times of our lives, beautiful moments are often overshadowed and forgotten, when instead they should be cherished for the light they offer within a dark landscape. Ganzini did just this when telling the harrowing story of her mother’s childhood in Italy during the Second World War, leaving me in awe of what the human spirit is capable of.
Lilia, the subject of this biographical story (written by her daughter), speaks to the reader in the beginning of the book bearing her name. In part, she says, “In reliving these heart-rending memories, what also surfaced were beautiful memories that had been masked by pain yet yearned to be remembered.” What a poignant message, one of many to be found in Lilia. During the most painful times of our lives, beautiful moments are often overshadowed and forgotten, when instead they should be cherished for the light they offer within a dark landscape. Ganzini did just this when telling the harrowing story of her mother’s childhood in Italy during the Second World War, leaving me in awe of what the human spirit is capable of.
September 9, 2021
Lilia, the subject of this biographical story (written by her daughter), speaks to the reader in the beginning of the book bearing her name. In part, she says, “In reliving these heart-rending memories, what also surfaced were beautiful memories that had been masked by pain yet yearned to be remembered.” What a poignant message, one of many to be found in Lilia. During the most painful times of our lives, beautiful moments are often overshadowed and forgotten, when instead they should be cherished for the light they offer within a dark landscape. Ganzini did just this when telling the harrowing story of her mother’s childhood in Italy during the Second World War, leaving me in awe of what the human spirit is capable of.
November 22, 2021
The intimacy of a daughter telling her mother's story shines through in this book. It benefits from the lucidity of Lilia's memory of a difficult time when she was still a young child. Linda Ganzini has lovingly taken this foundation and brought it to life with a moving portrayal of one families' experiences during WWII in a small town in the province of Pordenone near the present border with Slovenia. As tragic as the story is, what can be found here is an unbending resiliency that would serve this generation well as they emigrated in the millions after the war. My own in-laws have shared their own versions of this story with me and perhaps that made me appreciate the story of Lilia all the more. Brava!
November 13, 2021
Lilia is the true story of a girl growing up in Italy during WW2. As a young girl of 5 or 6 she is responsible for looking after her younger brothers. She dreams of a fairy tale life with her Prince Charming. Her two older brothers and father are sent off to war. Her two older sisters are sent away to be maids for rich families. She gets a taste of the larger life when she is sent away to Rome to work with her sister. Only to be snatched back to her old life to help her ailing mother. Lilia is a strong determined young woman who wants to experience the world and you get the impression that she will.
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