My Name Is Vittoria

by Dafna Vitale Ben Bassat

The fate of her entire family lies on her shoulders. Vittoria is a noble Jewish woman living in Northern Italy. With the onset of World War II, her life changes completely. When the Nazis invade her quiet town, Vittoria’s entire family is forced to flee and cross the border to Switzerland under fake identities. But not everything goes according to plan. One of her children is not allowed to cross the border with the rest of the family and must be left behind. Now, Vittoria must make a critical decision that could scar her and her family forever. This is the story of one unforgettable woman acting under impossible conditions, and that of the entire Italian Jewish community in the face of the Holocaust. It is a drama based on thorough research, interviews and original historical manuscripts about loss and despair, survival and human triumph. This book will stay with you long after you put it down. “My Name is Vittoria” is the first book in the "World War II Brave Women" series.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Holocaust, World War II, Italy, War, Fiction

179 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 29, 2016

Reviews

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vercelli, Italy. Ms. Vittoria Vitale (daughter/sister, wife/mother) remarkable narration of how her family, friends & others either perished or survived WWII.

Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, PP presentation, or better yet a mini TV series or even a documentary (A & E, History channel). It was just OK for me but I will still rate it at 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; InstaFreebie; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book of historical fiction that is based on a true story.

Vittoria Vitale is the person around whom this story revolves. An Italian Jew, this novel will open many eyes as to the suffering of the Italian Jews during WWII, a story which isn't heard very often. It is, as you would expect, filled with heartbreak, loss, violence, fear, and hunger - but it is also filled with hope, resilience, untold bravery, and even, at times, peace.

Written by Vittoria's granddaughter, this book is very well written and riveting. You will experience every emotion possible, and you will find yourself wondering at how humans can treat each other with such prejudice and hatred. You will also realize that people pushed to the ends of their tolerance will finally raise up and fight back - even if they are hungry, ill, and without much hope - all in the name of saving future generations and protecting their own dignity and worth.

[Lynda S. Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story good but needs better editing

While the story line is a good read, it is obvious that this was translated from the authors language but not by an English as a first language translator. It's rough in some spots and some words are close but not good enough. Also an editor would have ( should have) given the author some advice about some areas of the story. It's an "ok" read but I've read much better. ( I read about 5 books a week and used to be an editor.)

[Kalliste · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, and it reminded me that I will never cease to be shocked about the atrocities of war; however, the editing let it down.
There are instances where the spelling of character names change throughout the book, e.g. Carlotta and Carlota, Anetta and Anneta, which makes you wonder how well it was checked before being published.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

I was drawn to this book, because I like to read about history, strong women, and Italy. The author’s voice is very strong.

[BookishDitz123 · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart twisted at the fact this is a real story. I felt so sad for everything Vittoria went through but more than that so inspired by how strong she was.

I can’t even begin to put my thoughts into words right now so I’ll leave this review as a simple one.

[Adiva Geffen · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book by an excellent author

[Karen Pratt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Good book - about a family who were Jewish in the war. Based on a true story. The only reason scored as I did is that I didn’t feel any true emotion coming through the book especially for the older son and his tragedy of a childhood. This was truly a horrific time for Jews but emotions surrounding this was not shared.

[Barbara Birchall · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't bother, there are better books out there. Main character is self-obsessed, and I didn't care enough about her. Then to find out the book, written in the first person, was not.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Name is Vittoria is a historical fiction by Dafna Vitale Ben Bassat. This novel is based on the true story of Dafna’s grandmother and she took her Grandmother’s story and created this book. It is so well written that I had to look it up again to make sure it was fiction. It is evident from the details Dafna includes that she did extensive research into what was going on in the world as her Grandmother grew up and raised her family. The book is fantastic.
Vittoria was born in 1912 in Vercelli, Italy. She was the second of four children born to Anneta and Alfredo Vitale. Her father had a textile store where Vittoria and her older sister Celeste worked. Vittoria was close to her younger sister, Lina, and adored her younger brother, Napoleon until his death at an early age. Unlike her older sister and other girls at that time, Vittoria told her Father that she would choose her own husband and she did. She married Maurizo Vitale whose family owned a large textile company in Biella. Maurizio was happy to have his new wife work in the factory office as he knew she wanted to work. After her first child, Bruno, she attempted to stay home; but it soon became evident that she made a better mother as long as she worked. Eventually, they hired Carlota, a Catholic, to work for them and care for their growing family. Bruno was followed by Ricardo and Alldo. Without Carlota’s help, I wonder how Vittoria would have coped. Carlota became an integral part of the family as she helped keep the house in order. Later she would help them escape to Switzerland.
Like many people, Maurizio didn’t believe his family would suffer under the Nazis. His younger brother Emanuelle and his wife Lina, Victoria’s sister, got papers for the entire family to move to America; but they all refused. It was a decision they would regret making. When it came time for the family to flee, they relied on Maurizo’s youngest brother Michangelo, who was in the underground by then. He arranged their path into Switzerland; but it entailed separating the family. Bruno went alone first with his Father and then with Carlota. Bruni’s trips were very hard in his as was being without his Mother. The decision for him to travel alone with his Father and later Carlota and even later to go to boarding school were decisions Vittoria would later regret making. For a ten-year-old, she felt this cost him too much and he shut part of himself off. However, these were the difficult decisions that were made during this time.
This book was excellent and it turned out to be one which was read in one sitting. I just could not put it down. The emotional impact of this book as enormous. Dayna has a way of putting her grandmother in the story just at the time she was really needed.

[Píaras Cíonnaoíth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unforgettable story about an unforgettable woman...

Author Dafna Vitale Ben Bassat weaves a powerful historical fiction based on a true story. With fascinating twists and turns, it will easily captivate the reader from the first page to the last. The author paints a dramatic and riveting tale of loss and despair, survival and human triumph in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It’s a compelling story that will have you mesmerized from the opening chapter.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘Vittoria Vitale was born to a noble Jewish family in the north of Italy at the very same year that Mussolini met his Jewish lover. With the onset of World War II, her life is carried by a swirl of atrocities, decisions, farewells and remorse that will scar her forever.

This is the story of one unforgettable woman, supporting her husband and children under impossible conditions. It is also the story of a Jewish family who feels safe from war because of its status and wealth and wakes up to a disastrous reality. More than anything, it is the story of the entire Italian Jewish community in face of the Holocaust – a story of disaster, overcoming and eventual immigration to Israel as a part of the Zionist movement.

Daily life soaked in historical consequences, family ties and general atmosphere, aromas, sounds and tastes, based on thorough research, interviews and original historical manuscripts. A drama of loss and despair, survival and human triumph with unforgettable characters that stay with you long after the last page.’

If that’s not enough to get you engaged, I don’t know what will. But if you want to find out what happens, you’ll just have to turn the pages for yourself! However, I will say it was well worth the read. It’s my first time reading this author and I must say I was very impressed.

MY NAME IS VITTORIA had every element a good story should have. An interesting plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I really look for in a good book.

I’ll be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. I would highly recommend this book. A well-deserved five stars from me.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting novel about Holocaust from point of Jewish Italian family much different than Polish or Hungarian Jews.I liked family strength and different way of life.The wife roll to husband during war time.Most books about Holocaust are about poor families but people of stature and leader of community.I loved the Zionisic outlook of father. This must read for all ages

[Rosemary Ghosn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vittoria

Not very well written with many typos and incorrectly used words. Would have enjoyed more substance and depth of characters.

[Deedee Freemire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although an interesting story, there were grammatical errors, poorly edited sentences and broken English throughout the book. At times it hindered the storytelling flow.

[David Wasser · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much to say about this. Could have been a good story with all the material the author had to work with, but it was not well written.

[Dave Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

History of an inspirational Lady.

There are lots of stories of Jews and the Second World War, the cruelty the suffering but this is the first time i have read one about a Jewish family from Italy. They faced a different experience but still frightening and costly, war and aftermath normally is i guess. They also were betrayed by neighbour and the like same as the lots of European Jews . However compared to much off Europe that the Nazis invaded Italy was a lot later in the war but the great loss, fear and cost was still painful and destructive.

This is not a sad story it is a love story (not sloppy it's ok) the life of a daughter a wife and a mother, o plus sister, researched and told by a Grandchild. You will experience the highs and the fear with the decisions that have to be made, were they right or wrong i didn't feel in able to judge i wasn't there and i have never had to face what the Jews did or anyone for that matter who faced life in the late 1930's & 40's could i have faced being in the place that held so much?. The choices of life after the war i found fascinating having never considered that cost of the war where would i have gone i have no idea.
I really do recommend this book it you want to learn more about the life of a Jewish family albeit a wealthy one from Italy a strong family unit this is a good place to start, i have learnt a lot and have mixed emotions as i finished this book you may also.

[Elizabeth Fellows · Rating 5 out of 5]

My name is Vittoria

WWII
Vercelli Italy / based on a true story.
Vittoria grew in a wealthy Jewish Italian Family. She had the Idea that nothing could upset or change their life, even when she heard about Hitler and what was going on in Europe from 1939 to 1945. Her family ignored the signs of what they heard and what they saw.
Eventually things in their small Italian town started to change. Her husband decided that they had to leave Italy and get to Switzerland. They only way they could go was they had to pay a lot of money to get their family out of Italy.. It was a horrendous risk, and they almost didn’t make it.
Eventually they succeeded to get to a refugee camp in Switzerland, even with all the suffering it entailed and they all survived. During this time Vittoria was very sick, and wasn’t sure of the next steps their families would take, if they were going to finally leave Italy, their home their families lived in for many years, or if they were going to Israel. During that time the whole family all suffered. There was catastrophic confusion, pain, fear, and loss. This story is about a woman who suffered a lot, and watched her family go through horrendous violent situations. Definitely a must read, to comprehend a Mother’s love, angst and remarkable courage.

[Sherry Rosenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos to Dafna Vitale Ben Bassat. She has written a beautiful story and her family must be very proud. I read many WWII books but my favorites are always written first person. The author writes as her grandmother Vittoria, a Jewish Italian woman who tells me the story of her family, growing up in Italy, falling in love and creating her own family. She tells me the most pertinent things I need to know to fall in love with her and never lose interest. Although Vittoria technically wasn't in any camp, she was very brave and kept her wonderful disposition throughout the escape. I did cry when Bruno was separated from the family and worried about him. I loved that this was a beginning to end story, done so very briefly, going seamlessly from event to event and how I found myself caring about each and every person. Although Ms Vitale Ben Bassat had a real story to tell, I am hoping that this will not be her only book. I believe she has a gifted way of telling a story, and I hope she has many more stories to tell.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. So this book wasn’t nearly as compelling as many WWII Holocaust stories. The writing style is just ok. It’s written by a granddaughter or great granddaughter of the main character, but written in the first person as though it’s a memoir. It’s a novel though as she doesn’t know everything that was said or thought. While this Jewish family had struggles and managed to escape Italy when the situation for the Jews in Italy became dire, they suffered far less than millions of Jews who suffered in concentration camps or were killed and exterminated. She was separated from her son for a couple of months, but the family for the most part remained intact. And after the war they returned to Italy and reclaimed their homes and restarted their business, where so many lost everything. That said, I feel that this was a valiant effort by the family to document their story for future generations. I believe that it is important for all of us to know this history, and for this family especially to document their journey.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was pretty lackluster, for me, and I typically enjoy WWII historical fiction.  I did not realize until the epilogue that this is actually non-fiction, and the author's grandmother was the title character.  But I think a book about the real hero of the story, Carlota, would have been far more interesting.  As it is, this was the retelling of a bunch of second-hand (and third-hand) stories about an Italian Jewish family that got separated during the Holocaust, and it turned out to be far less dramatic than the summary suggests.  Throughout the book, Vittoria is unhappy with her husband, and even seems to have a crush on his brother.  But in the end the reader is suppose to be convinced that they had this epic love story.  


The storytelling was mediocre with too many characters and a storyline that was all over the place.  And the editing mistakes here so numerous they were distracting, especially near the end of the book.  But I reserve my 1⭐ ratings for books that make my physically angry, and I don't hate this one.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Italian Jewish community.

This is one of the few books in which I have discovered another sad tale about the Jewish community that lived in Italy and the way their lives were uprooted by Hitler and Mussolini. It reinforces how people who thought they were an important part of their community were made to feel that they didn’t belong with the rise of racism. Vittoria believes that once the war is finished that she and her family can return to Italy to what existed before Mussolini and Hitler. Sadly, the anti Semitism that was present before remained and without a doubt reinforced what her husband believed that… Israel was the best place for them. They built a life there but Vittoria’s story highlights the many people who could never tell their story and it was left to their children, grandchildren and the survivors of the Holocaust to ensure their stories were told.

[L_attraversalibri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una storia che si legge con facilità e buone intenzioni, ma che, almeno per me, non è mai riuscita a decollare del tutto.
Sono Vittoria racconta una vita piena di passaggi importanti: l’amore assoluto per un uomo, la maternità, la fuga dalla guerra, l’esilio in Svizzera, la costruzione di una nuova esistenza in Israele… Eppure, nonostante tutto questo, la narrazione resta sempre un po’ distante, senza veri slanci o momenti di svolta.

Il mio dubbio, a fine lettura, è stato: è la storia che non coinvolge, o sono io che non riesco ad aderire a questo tipo di racconto?
Forse entrambe le cose. Ma di certo non ho sentito mai quella scintilla.

Una frase mi è rimasta impressa, ma non nel senso positivo:
“Ho amato i miei figli, ma Maurizio veniva prima di tutti.”
Ecco, forse è proprio questo il nodo: una protagonista che si annulla per amore, senza mai rivendicare davvero uno spazio per sé.

Una lettura da tre stelle: scorrevole, ma con molte riserve personali.

[Dori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story! The author is an excellent writer, capturing the sights and sounds and RAW EMOTIONS experienced in pre-war through post-war Italy, Israel and surrounding countries.
She or the translator does seem to struggle with English grammar but I understand that the author isn’t from my own native country. Everything was understandable.
I feel I know Vittoria as a life-long very close friend!
I’ve found a hunger to read numerous bios and historic novels lately, about people who went through this era, some survivors, others heroes, all innocent victims of the crazy mind of Hitler and his minions.
Hopefully not a spoiler, but this book doesn’t have details of the atrocities of the camps. That was a welcomed relief for a change. Even still, the experiences leave me heartbroken.
Read this book! I highly recommend it!

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insights into family life during World War II

My Name is Victoria reads almost like a diary or biography, a novel based on a real family in Italy during World War II. It is a sad story, as the unfolding events of the war affect the family members in different ways. The family is Jewish, so the impacts on them are even more striking, as each person tries to do what is best for the family members.
There are quite a few people to keep track of in the extended family, and I found that difficult at times. At times the words were in Italian or were Jewish terms that were sometimes unfamiliar.
The story is good on showing how a family is impacted by war, and how they must adjust to the changing times brought about by the war.

[Evelin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Vittoria egy második világháborús holokausztról szóló zsidó történet. Továbbá egy olyan történelmi regény, amely igaz eseményeken alapul. A történet középpontjában Vittoria Vitale áll. A kötet javarészt az olasz zsidók szenvedésére mutat rá a második világháború alatt.

Emiatt tele van fájdalommal, veszteséggel és szenvedéssel a kötet. Igaz, hogy rövid olvasmány, viszont nagyon megterhelő, és nem is ajánlom mindenkinek, csak azoknak, akiket érdekel a történelem csúf oldala is, ami a földbe döngöl, és megmutatja egy háború zord és kegyetlen oldalát.

A már említett érzelmek mellett az éhségre és az elhagyatottságra is fókuszál a szerzőpáros. A kötetet Vittoria unokája tárja fel előttünk, és ő az, akinek köszönhetően átélhetjük a Vittoria cselekményét.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of WWII non-fiction and fiction. I wasn't sure which this was, but I believe it's a true story - it's explained at the end. There are some grammatical errors and confusing parts for me, but it was translated from Hebrew and takes place in Italy. I got past that, and I really liked the narrative story and it felt like a friend telling me about her life and story. There are a lot of characters and I had a hard time keeping them straight at first - I got her whole family and then we met the husband and his family - Italians had big families in those years! It kept my interest and it was interesting to see the war from her perspective. Worth a read!

[Elize Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Name Is Vittoria by Dafna Vitale Bassat I enjoyed from the beginning to the end. The story about a magnificent woman who experiences a life of continues challenges and struggles during World War II provides an insight into the complex events of the time. The storyline provides an amazing historical background but also explanation of the love, hurt and sadness experienced by women, in particular Jewish communities of the time. I recommend this book to any person who enjoys history and also aim to understand the tough decisions made by women during 2nd World War. Also the tough decisions Jewish women needed to make to assist their families and ensure survival.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this story, Vittoria grows up wealthy in northern Italy with a nice family. She grows up and expects to live a similar life to her childhood, but living during WWII changes her life completely. She needs to survive Nazi attacks and escape to save herself and her family. The book describes how her life changed so drastically, and represents the lives of every Jewish person living during that time. I really enjoyed this book because it gave a real perspective on how Vittoria felt, and what she went through. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Holocaust, or anyone who likes historical fiction in general.

[Cindy Woods · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather boring.

This story set mostly during WWII in Italy about a Jewish woman named Vittoria catalogues her life from adolescence until her death in Israel.

The story of her family, marriage, children over a period in history when Jews were being hunted and sent to camps and/or killed is horrofic, but I didn't get a sense of the desperation that existed. The writing is dull and dry and reads like a newspaper article as events unfold.

I became bored while reading this one, although I did finish it.

[Anna (Literaria Luminaria) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit rough, but a good read

This book started off a bit rough/slow, but picked up and told a story that needed to be written. My love for genealogy, history, and my Italian heritage drew me into it and I thought it was special that it was written by the main character's granddaughter. I also think it's important because a lot of people seem to forget the history of the Italian Jews during WWII (at least in the United States), so I liked that some of their stories were included here.