Whispers of Betrayal: Love Letters That Changed Everything

by Adela Edgecombe

Adela Edgecombe discovered a hidden secret that compelled her to search for answers about her family's beginnings. WHISPERS OF BETRAYAL reflects her passion for finding the truth. What she unearthed shocked her.




From the US to War torn Italy, her parent's love story captured the hearts of the world. But was it a love story? What really happened behind the veil of words that brought her parents together?




"Since every human personality is at root mysterious, all families present us with an abundance of mysteries, the chief of which is often how marriages ever happened in the first place. In her family memoir, Adela Edgecombe tackles that mystery head-on, uncovering a web of circumstances peculiar to place and time. The place is the Province of Salerno, Italy; the time, 1944, the depths of World War II. A young American GI meets an impoverished Italian family, grows to care for them, and, as he leaves for the front, promises a nine-year-old child that one day he will return and help them. And does the man, against all odds, keep that promise? Judging from the fairy-tale wedding that took place in Passiano in 1951 and was featured in Life Magazine, it would seem so. Edgecombe explores that fairy tale moment, how it came to pass, and what followed after. She digs fearlessly into the mystery of an unhappy marriage that began with such photogenic joy and hope. Read Whispers of Betrayal for a well-researched, surprising, and moving tale which reminds us that the casualties of war are many and varied."

                 -Jincy Willett, author and Winner of the National Book Award

334 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2024

Reviews

[Deedee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a chance to delve into a stranger’s family life and history, without the created drama of “reality TV”, into real drama including family dysfunction, poverty, war and steadfast loyalty through sacrifice. Adela shares her upbringing and the unique relationship of her parents, initiated in war-torn Italy between an American soldier and a young girl. It is complicated, gritty and difficult at times, questioning why people do what they do. Would I lie or mislead those I am supposed to love, or be driven to do things out of desperation or selfishness? Adela survives and triumphs in putting her family’s story into written form from her mother’s memories and father’s post-war correspondence. It’s very gutsy to expose yourself in such a vulnerable way. Slow at times to get through all the letters, but hang in there, as they are unedited but vital to the story.

[Eileen Weeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adela’s search for the truth surrounding her parents fairytale love story was amazingly written by this first time author. What began in Italy during WWII, this story shares how the casualties of war are not just for those whose families loved ones were injured or who had tragically lost their lives. Through love letters, unopened for many years, Adela pieces together the true story of her parents love story and how it was not as she had expected. This was a great book of discovery and understanding which opened my eyes of how this true story may have been repeated in many other families in similar situations. I have compassion for Adela for not having these letters from her father while he was still alive. This is a great read.

[Shannon Cullip · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful odyssey of discovery! Adela takes us on a journey into her family’s past as she unearths a shocking secret that transforms her understanding of her parents and the tragedy, disguised as a love story, that formed the foundation of her challenging childhood. The memoir is rich with stories of World War II in Italy shared by her mother, woven together with the letters that take the reader through a growing love story based on deceit. Adela embraces compassion and forgiveness as she digs into the layers of trauma that created her family, and emerges with a new appreciation for her complex heritage.

[Pam Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the ending of the book. It certainly made the book worth reading. I felt like the letters made the book very drawn out, mainly because they were pretty much the same; So you were reading the same thing over and over. It took me a while to read this book, which usually it does not. I think it was just because of the repetition. I think the book is a sad one, but a beautiful story to tell. My favorite person in the book was her dad. I felt a great deal of empathy for him.

[Sandra Mayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adela Rocks

This story sucked me in from the paragraph. Incredibly well written and well organized. I could feel the pain, sadness, joy, and Adela's commitment to finding the truth.

Adela, thank you so much for doing the incredible work that was required to write your family's story. Thank you for sharing this story with us!

[Esther Dushinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Kalyn Oconnor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the story extremely interesting. There were a couple times that I wanted to skip a couple parts such as the letters. But overall great read and love the style.

[Janis Fults · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.