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Daughter of Calabria
Previously published as Echoes of War'Blanchard at her breathtaking best. Rich in every sight, taste and smell.' Australian Women’s Weekly_________________Set in Mussolini’s Italy amid great upheaval, this is the story of one woman’s determination to find her place in a world that men are threatening to tear apart. Another heart-rending novel inspired by a true story from Australia's bestselling author of The Girl from Munich. Calabria, Italy, 1936In a remote farming village nestled in the mountains that descend into the sparkling Ionian Sea, young and spirited Giulia Tallariti longs for something more. While she loves her home and her lively family, she would much rather follow in her nonna’s footsteps and pursue her dream of becoming a healer.But as Mussolini’s focus shifts to the war in Europe, civil unrest looms. Whispers of war are at every corner and her beloved village, once safe from the fascist agenda of the North, is now in very real danger.Caught between her desire to forge her own path and her duty to her family, Giulia must draw on the passion in her heart and the strength of her conviction.Can she find a way to fulfill her dreams without sacrificing all she holds dear?_________________‘Richly imagined, heartbreaking and utterly captivating ... yet another outstanding piece of historical fiction from Blanchard, cementing her place at the top of this genre.’ Better Reading‘This is emotional reading for anyone born of immigrant stock as it explores the pain of leaving your homeland and your family to find opportunity elsewhere … an entertaining tale of fiction that will make your heart melt and sing and shatter.’ Glam Adelaide ‘A powerful novel about powerful women … a powerful evocation of a time, a place and a cultural vision which provided a significant boost to Australia’s population and its development as a multi-cultural destination of choice for refugees – both voluntary and choiceless.’ Carpe Librum
Kindle Edition
First published September 28, 2021
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About the author
Tania Blanchard
10 books230 followersTania lives in Sydney with her husband and three children. Coming from a family with rich cultural heritage with a German mother and Italian father, stories have always been in her blood. Following a career in physiotherapy, it was only when she had her family that she decided to return to her passion of writing.
Her debut novel is The Girl from Munich, the story she has always wanted to write, inspired by the fascinating stories told by her German grandmother, and she is currently working on the sequel, set in Australia in the 1950s.
Tania is excited to have found her light bulb moment, her love for writing historical fiction. She looks forward to delving further into her interests of history and family stories to enrich and bring to life the many ideas inspired by the amazing tales she has gathered over the years.
Her debut novel is The Girl from Munich, the story she has always wanted to write, inspired by the fascinating stories told by her German grandmother, and she is currently working on the sequel, set in Australia in the 1950s.
Tania is excited to have found her light bulb moment, her love for writing historical fiction. She looks forward to delving further into her interests of history and family stories to enrich and bring to life the many ideas inspired by the amazing tales she has gathered over the years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
September 18, 2021
This book was completely out of my comfort zone but I really enjoyed it nonetheless. It tells the story of a strong willed young woman who is desperate to follow her dreams of becoming a healer despite the constraints of a very traditional society and against a backdrop of looming war.
Set in Calabria, in the far south of Italy, the story starts before the beginning of WWII. Italy is already embroiled in conflict and has invaded Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) and then goes on to invade Albania. Giulia Tallariti is the second youngest of 5 children and her father despairs of her rebellious nature. In a bid to avoid an arranged marriage her mother, her Nonna and her aunt Francesca arrange for her to be sent to a convent/monastery to learn about hard work and discipline. What they don’t tell her father is that she will also further her studies of herbalism under the renowned monk Fra Fortunato.
Over the course of the next few years as the Second World War takes off the family has mixed fortunes. There are some weddings, some babies and some deaths. Giulia finds her calling tending to the wounded and she finds love in the arms of a young doctor.
What doesn’t change though is the deep abiding love these people have for their land, their culture and, of course, their families! The story is beautifully written and you really get to know the characters who are all just trying to do the best they can in very trying circumstances. Guilia was quite an inspirational character but even the quiet strength of her mother and nonna could put some modern women to shame. They just got on and did what needed doing. I have nothing but admiration for these characters who are modelled on the author’s real life family to a large extent.
It also gave me some insight to my own family background who also lived through WWII in Europe although my parents didn’t talk about it that much. We can only hope we never see a war on that scale again. Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
Set in Calabria, in the far south of Italy, the story starts before the beginning of WWII. Italy is already embroiled in conflict and has invaded Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) and then goes on to invade Albania. Giulia Tallariti is the second youngest of 5 children and her father despairs of her rebellious nature. In a bid to avoid an arranged marriage her mother, her Nonna and her aunt Francesca arrange for her to be sent to a convent/monastery to learn about hard work and discipline. What they don’t tell her father is that she will also further her studies of herbalism under the renowned monk Fra Fortunato.
Over the course of the next few years as the Second World War takes off the family has mixed fortunes. There are some weddings, some babies and some deaths. Giulia finds her calling tending to the wounded and she finds love in the arms of a young doctor.
What doesn’t change though is the deep abiding love these people have for their land, their culture and, of course, their families! The story is beautifully written and you really get to know the characters who are all just trying to do the best they can in very trying circumstances. Guilia was quite an inspirational character but even the quiet strength of her mother and nonna could put some modern women to shame. They just got on and did what needed doing. I have nothing but admiration for these characters who are modelled on the author’s real life family to a large extent.
It also gave me some insight to my own family background who also lived through WWII in Europe although my parents didn’t talk about it that much. We can only hope we never see a war on that scale again. Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
September 24, 2021
I was tempted into reading this because it tells a story set in Italy during the second world war and therefore shows the plight of the Italian people rather than the customary German or British. It was interesting to be reminded about Mussolini and his relationship with Hitler, and the way the Italian people were affected by this.
Echoes of War is set in Calabria, a rural area of Southern Italy. The people lived a traditional life and struggled with poverty. Our main character, Giulia, has her own struggles against a very paternalistic father who can only see one way of life for her, as a wife and mother. Giulia wants much more and envisions herself working as a healer and travelling beyond her limited borders. As the war takes hold we follow the ups and downs of Giulia's family as various members go off to fight, and some of course do not return.
I liked the historical parts of this book more than I did the fictional aspects. I did not find Giulia to be a very sympathetic character, and could therefore not be as concerned about her as I needed to be to enter fully into the tale. Still an enjoyable read and I recommend it to lovers of historical fiction.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Echoes of War is set in Calabria, a rural area of Southern Italy. The people lived a traditional life and struggled with poverty. Our main character, Giulia, has her own struggles against a very paternalistic father who can only see one way of life for her, as a wife and mother. Giulia wants much more and envisions herself working as a healer and travelling beyond her limited borders. As the war takes hold we follow the ups and downs of Giulia's family as various members go off to fight, and some of course do not return.
I liked the historical parts of this book more than I did the fictional aspects. I did not find Giulia to be a very sympathetic character, and could therefore not be as concerned about her as I needed to be to enter fully into the tale. Still an enjoyable read and I recommend it to lovers of historical fiction.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
August 2, 2021
Giulia Tallariti lives on a farm near the remote village of Bruzzano in Calabria in Italy, with her parents Andrea and Gabriella and siblings Vincenzo, Teresa, Poala and Antonio. Their farm supports the entire family, they grow crops and vegetables, have a flock of sheep and make cheese. Her father’s a rather stubborn and old fashioned Italian man, he can’t understand why Giulia wants to be a healer like her Nonna Mariana, at her age, she should be getting married and having babies. She’s caught between wanting to make her own way in life, her duty to her family and she seizes her only chance.
Giulia's given the opportunity to study at a monastery, with the famous herbalist Fra Fortunato, here she learns about growing herbs, drying them, and their healing properties. She meets sister Agata a nun who shares her interest in herbs, medicine and they become friends. Her older brother Vincenzo and his two friends Angelo and Stefano have been conscripted into the Royal Italian Army, they have been fighting in Abyssinia and Albania. They return home hungry, thin, tired, and dirty and the young men have a haunted look about them.
This is just the beginning, Italy's ruled by a fascist government and Mussolini, even veteran of the First World War Andrea is called up, the Tallariti women are left to run the farm, harvest the crops and Poala is in her element. Giulia and her Nonna are busy running their clinic, as the Second World War year’s drag and their traditional herbal medicine is a godsend. For the Tallariti family there are times of joy when new babies are born and when widowed Giulia marries Stefano, terrible sadness when a loved one’s are killed and every family in Bruzzano dreads getting a telegram.
Echoes of War story is based around the author Tania Blanchard’s grandfather being a member of the Royal Italian Army, and fighting in Abyssinia and Albania. Her family’s historical ties to Italy, her Nonna’s interest in herbal medicine and moving to Australia after the Second World War. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia and in exchange for an honest review. I have read and enjoyed all of Tania Blanchard’s books and her newest edition Echoes of War is absolutely brilliant and five stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
Giulia's given the opportunity to study at a monastery, with the famous herbalist Fra Fortunato, here she learns about growing herbs, drying them, and their healing properties. She meets sister Agata a nun who shares her interest in herbs, medicine and they become friends. Her older brother Vincenzo and his two friends Angelo and Stefano have been conscripted into the Royal Italian Army, they have been fighting in Abyssinia and Albania. They return home hungry, thin, tired, and dirty and the young men have a haunted look about them.
This is just the beginning, Italy's ruled by a fascist government and Mussolini, even veteran of the First World War Andrea is called up, the Tallariti women are left to run the farm, harvest the crops and Poala is in her element. Giulia and her Nonna are busy running their clinic, as the Second World War year’s drag and their traditional herbal medicine is a godsend. For the Tallariti family there are times of joy when new babies are born and when widowed Giulia marries Stefano, terrible sadness when a loved one’s are killed and every family in Bruzzano dreads getting a telegram.
Echoes of War story is based around the author Tania Blanchard’s grandfather being a member of the Royal Italian Army, and fighting in Abyssinia and Albania. Her family’s historical ties to Italy, her Nonna’s interest in herbal medicine and moving to Australia after the Second World War. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia and in exchange for an honest review. I have read and enjoyed all of Tania Blanchard’s books and her newest edition Echoes of War is absolutely brilliant and five stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
August 14, 2021
Echoes of War by Tania Blanchard is a sweeping story of a family during WWII in Calabria, Southern Italy (the Toe). The story centres around Giulia, a strong, intelligent young woman who is trying to find her way in the world. This is made more difficult by the turbulence of the period and the conservative traditions of this part of rural Italy. Calabria is steeped in ancient traditions, in fact, much of these traditions go back thousands of years, even before the time the Greeks inhabited this part of the world – before the emergence of the mighty Roman Empire.
Giulia has a strong calling to help sick people, to this end she wishes to follow in her Nonna’s footsteps and become a healer. Yes, these are very real in Calabria – usually women, using indigenous remedies to cure all sorts of ailments. However, Giulia’s Papa will have nothing to do with this and plans to marry her off to a good local farm boy. Here is a classic clash of the new and the old – without giving the story away, our main character struggles to fight for her own vision of her future, it seems society at that time, in this region didn’t allow this level of discretion – particularly for young women. The journey Giulia traverses is epic, and varied – there are loves, deaths, tragedies and some horrors. It’s genuinely an interesting story, and this author brings it to the reader in a very easy to read style – I found it very engaging.
There is also a concurrent thread here which is equally interesting and that is the political and worldwide upheaval of WWII. Hitler is just commencing his aggressive campaign in Europe; Mussolini is starting to flex his fascist ambitions in Italy, and we get to see the consequences of his alliance with the Nazis to the people of Italy. This historical fiction aspect of the book was my favourite, it is always interesting to see how the general population dealt with their leader forming an alliance with Hitler, and the impact of the Allies eventually winning and taking back Italy after the Germans capitulated. This was very well done, and obviously well researched. We even hear the hackneyed comment:
“There’s talk of us coming home and I hope it’s before Christmas……”
One final aspect I found interesting were the nefarious antics of the ‘Ndrangheta, the Mafia of Calabria. Their actions were often dressed up as being beneficial for the locals, but there’s no denying this mob were (are) ruthlessly brutal.
The ancient healing traditions of Calabria described in this book were interesting enough for me to do some further reading and for anyone interested in the history of this region and the indigenous healers – take a look at this short paper:
https://www.researchgate.net/publicat...
4 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
Giulia has a strong calling to help sick people, to this end she wishes to follow in her Nonna’s footsteps and become a healer. Yes, these are very real in Calabria – usually women, using indigenous remedies to cure all sorts of ailments. However, Giulia’s Papa will have nothing to do with this and plans to marry her off to a good local farm boy. Here is a classic clash of the new and the old – without giving the story away, our main character struggles to fight for her own vision of her future, it seems society at that time, in this region didn’t allow this level of discretion – particularly for young women. The journey Giulia traverses is epic, and varied – there are loves, deaths, tragedies and some horrors. It’s genuinely an interesting story, and this author brings it to the reader in a very easy to read style – I found it very engaging.
There is also a concurrent thread here which is equally interesting and that is the political and worldwide upheaval of WWII. Hitler is just commencing his aggressive campaign in Europe; Mussolini is starting to flex his fascist ambitions in Italy, and we get to see the consequences of his alliance with the Nazis to the people of Italy. This historical fiction aspect of the book was my favourite, it is always interesting to see how the general population dealt with their leader forming an alliance with Hitler, and the impact of the Allies eventually winning and taking back Italy after the Germans capitulated. This was very well done, and obviously well researched. We even hear the hackneyed comment:
“There’s talk of us coming home and I hope it’s before Christmas……”
One final aspect I found interesting were the nefarious antics of the ‘Ndrangheta, the Mafia of Calabria. Their actions were often dressed up as being beneficial for the locals, but there’s no denying this mob were (are) ruthlessly brutal.
The ancient healing traditions of Calabria described in this book were interesting enough for me to do some further reading and for anyone interested in the history of this region and the indigenous healers – take a look at this short paper:
https://www.researchgate.net/publicat...
4 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
September 25, 2021
It was 1936 in Calabria, Italy and the farm where Giulia Tallariti lived with her Mamma, Papa, two brothers and two sisters, was a happy home filled with love. Nonna Mariana and Giulia’s aunt weren’t far away, and Giulia’s desire was to become a healer like her Nonna, to care for those who needed it with the herbs and remedies that had been handed down for generations. But Giulia’s Papa was against herbal medicines, declaring it to be witchcraft, and was preparing to find a suitable man for Giulia to marry. When the violent argument ended with Giulia entering the monastery to learn with the nuns and a well-known herbalist, Giulia, although homesick, was content.
When Giulia’s oldest brother Vincenzo headed off to war, then Papa was called up, the peace the family had known slowly shattered. Giulia’s sister, Theresa was married with children, Vincenzo married his sweetheart Rosa when he was home on leave, and Giulia was forced to marry an older man. But the future was uncertain and happiness fleeting. Northern Italy was in trouble, and while Vincenzo and his two friends came home to visit when they could, as well as Papa, they could see things were worsening.
Would Giulia be able to continue her healing? Would their village be safe? And would war come closer to their rural area before it ended?
Echoes of War by Aussie author Tania Blanchard is based on the true story of the author’s grandfather, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fascinating, intriguing, I learned a lot I didn’t know through reading this book. Mussolini was great friends with Hitler – that was a recipe for disaster! I have an Italian daughter-in-law and I was wondering all the way through if she would know the various places, foods etc that were so much a part of the lives of Giulia and her family. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
When Giulia’s oldest brother Vincenzo headed off to war, then Papa was called up, the peace the family had known slowly shattered. Giulia’s sister, Theresa was married with children, Vincenzo married his sweetheart Rosa when he was home on leave, and Giulia was forced to marry an older man. But the future was uncertain and happiness fleeting. Northern Italy was in trouble, and while Vincenzo and his two friends came home to visit when they could, as well as Papa, they could see things were worsening.
Would Giulia be able to continue her healing? Would their village be safe? And would war come closer to their rural area before it ended?
Echoes of War by Aussie author Tania Blanchard is based on the true story of the author’s grandfather, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fascinating, intriguing, I learned a lot I didn’t know through reading this book. Mussolini was great friends with Hitler – that was a recipe for disaster! I have an Italian daughter-in-law and I was wondering all the way through if she would know the various places, foods etc that were so much a part of the lives of Giulia and her family. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
September 25, 2021
This is a beautifully told story set in Calabria, Italy starting in 1936 where we meet a young Giulia Tallariti and move through life with her and her family as she grows to a woman and we share what she goes through during some very hard times Mussolini’s rein, World War 11 and the aftermath of war, this story pulled me in with the descriptions of the setting and life.
Giulia lives in a small village amongst the mountains and close to the Ionian Sea with her parents Andrea and Gabriella, her sisters Teresa and Paola and brothers Vincenzo and Antonio, she dreams of being a healer like her Nonna but her father has other ideas, these were the days of arranged marriages and Giulia is determined to not have that happen to her, after a stand-off with her father Giulia is sent to a monastery to learn the art of being a healer under a famous herbalist, here Giulia learns more than being a good healer and makes true friends. It is not long before Giulia is being pushed again by her father on her return home.
Family life on the farm is not always easy especially as they are ruled by a fascist government and when family members her father Andrea and brother Vincenzo are called up to fight for Italy, this leaves the females of the family to run the farm and Paola does this really well the woman stand together and strong as they do what has to be done.
When World War 11 erupts throughout Europe and Italy is fighting with the Nazis people are torn with what is right, there are tragedies that devastate the family but still the woman keep going with what has to be done and Giulia stands tall and proud as she continues to help people.
I loved this story from page one, I have read many stories set in World War 11 and most have been set around Paris so being in Italy and seeing it from the Italians’ point of view was fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable, getting to know Giulia and seeing her grow in strength and find love through such hard times was fabulous. I found this story heart-wrenching at times and yes there tears from me, I couldn’t help but cheer Giulia on throughout her journey from Italy 1936 to Australia 1953.
To think that this story come from a photo of Tania Blanchard’s grandfather was awesome, this is one that I would highly recommend the history and settings of the times were just wonderful, but above all it shows the courage and strength that the woman showed when times were tough.
My thanks to Netgelly and the publisher for my copy to read and review
Giulia lives in a small village amongst the mountains and close to the Ionian Sea with her parents Andrea and Gabriella, her sisters Teresa and Paola and brothers Vincenzo and Antonio, she dreams of being a healer like her Nonna but her father has other ideas, these were the days of arranged marriages and Giulia is determined to not have that happen to her, after a stand-off with her father Giulia is sent to a monastery to learn the art of being a healer under a famous herbalist, here Giulia learns more than being a good healer and makes true friends. It is not long before Giulia is being pushed again by her father on her return home.
Family life on the farm is not always easy especially as they are ruled by a fascist government and when family members her father Andrea and brother Vincenzo are called up to fight for Italy, this leaves the females of the family to run the farm and Paola does this really well the woman stand together and strong as they do what has to be done.
When World War 11 erupts throughout Europe and Italy is fighting with the Nazis people are torn with what is right, there are tragedies that devastate the family but still the woman keep going with what has to be done and Giulia stands tall and proud as she continues to help people.
I loved this story from page one, I have read many stories set in World War 11 and most have been set around Paris so being in Italy and seeing it from the Italians’ point of view was fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable, getting to know Giulia and seeing her grow in strength and find love through such hard times was fabulous. I found this story heart-wrenching at times and yes there tears from me, I couldn’t help but cheer Giulia on throughout her journey from Italy 1936 to Australia 1953.
To think that this story come from a photo of Tania Blanchard’s grandfather was awesome, this is one that I would highly recommend the history and settings of the times were just wonderful, but above all it shows the courage and strength that the woman showed when times were tough.
My thanks to Netgelly and the publisher for my copy to read and review
December 12, 2021
Echoes of War is the fourth novel by Australian author, Tania Blanchard. All sixteen-year-old Guilia Tallariti has ever wanted is to be a healer like her Nonna Mariana, but this puts her vociferously at odds with her father, whose scepticism about herbal healing is matched only by his determination to see his daughters safely married off as quickly as possible.
Thanks to her aunt and mother, there is a temporary reprieve when she is sent to the Monastery of the Madonna to “learn some discipline” from the nuns, while actually training in healing from talented herbalist, Fra Fortunato. But this is Calabria, 1936, and what Papa says, goes. Despite her protests, when she returns to Bruzzano, her father arranges her marriage: at seventeen, she is married to a widower of her father’s vintage.
From here the story follows Guilia’s life through married life, early widowhood, a career as a healer, another marriage, a brush with the Calabrian mafia, practising frontline healing in a warzone, and becoming a mother, all against the backdrop of southern Italy as the country’s leaders engage it in several wars during the build-up to World War Two, wherein an alliance with the Nazis.
This is a novel that describes the experience of those left behind at home while able-bodied men go to war to fight for the Fascist cause, a perspective perhaps seen less often. But it all happens at a glacial pace, and does get repetitive as the men go off to fight while the women and children stay at home to keep the farm/trattoria/shop running, constantly worrying about whether the men will return safely to once more impregnate their wives. Of course, not all do, so there are tears and funerals and mourning; rinse and repeat.
Guilia starts off as a wilful teen given to melodramatic outbursts when she doesn’t get her way. She’s very slow to absorb the good advice of the women in the family about how to handle their patriarchal menfolk. She’s a difficult character to connect with, the result sadly being that some readers will not be very much invested in her fate.
A tale filled with politics and history, in which the misuse of personal pronouns will probably grate for some readers, but which is likely to appeal to those who enjoy long, drawn-out historical fiction.
This unbiased review is from an unsolicited copy provided by Simon & Schuster Australia.
Thanks to her aunt and mother, there is a temporary reprieve when she is sent to the Monastery of the Madonna to “learn some discipline” from the nuns, while actually training in healing from talented herbalist, Fra Fortunato. But this is Calabria, 1936, and what Papa says, goes. Despite her protests, when she returns to Bruzzano, her father arranges her marriage: at seventeen, she is married to a widower of her father’s vintage.
From here the story follows Guilia’s life through married life, early widowhood, a career as a healer, another marriage, a brush with the Calabrian mafia, practising frontline healing in a warzone, and becoming a mother, all against the backdrop of southern Italy as the country’s leaders engage it in several wars during the build-up to World War Two, wherein an alliance with the Nazis.
This is a novel that describes the experience of those left behind at home while able-bodied men go to war to fight for the Fascist cause, a perspective perhaps seen less often. But it all happens at a glacial pace, and does get repetitive as the men go off to fight while the women and children stay at home to keep the farm/trattoria/shop running, constantly worrying about whether the men will return safely to once more impregnate their wives. Of course, not all do, so there are tears and funerals and mourning; rinse and repeat.
Guilia starts off as a wilful teen given to melodramatic outbursts when she doesn’t get her way. She’s very slow to absorb the good advice of the women in the family about how to handle their patriarchal menfolk. She’s a difficult character to connect with, the result sadly being that some readers will not be very much invested in her fate.
A tale filled with politics and history, in which the misuse of personal pronouns will probably grate for some readers, but which is likely to appeal to those who enjoy long, drawn-out historical fiction.
This unbiased review is from an unsolicited copy provided by Simon & Schuster Australia.
December 24, 2024
Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster (Australia) Publishers for this advanced copy of Echoes of War for my comments and review.
While a lot has been written about WW2 on the Western Front, the Allied forces and other northern European countries this read is centred around the war in Italy. It will appeal to a wide readership including historical fiction enthusiasts. The author has drawn into the historical events the human side of everyday small farming Italian families with the main character of Giulia a young lady with a strong desire to be her own person.
Mussolini and his Secret Police have taken control of the country and along with Hitler, he has formed an alliance. Musollini's plan is to recreate the past power of the Roman Empire without giving second thought to the fact that he has a poorly trained army that is poorly equipped and that Italy is not at this stage an industrial powerhouse. He does have some initial success with his invasions, however when the Allied Forces make progress in pushing back events start to change.
Giulia's brother Vincenzo is called up for the army and her father a veteran of WW1 even though now so much older with his old regiment being reactivated, he too puts his army uniform on. Younger brother Antonio like so many young men went to the mountains in order not to be called up but he does join a partisan group. Later on Vincenzo and her father are killed.
Even with all that is occurring, Giulia is at loggerheads with her father, fiery and outspoken in particular to her opposition in his determination to marry her off. She wants nothing like this, rather her desire is to become a herbalist healer like her Nona. Her father considers such practices as nothing but witchcraft. Against Giulia's will however he is finally successful and under extreme duress she finds herself married to a widower, an older man, a fisherman Massimo. Fortunately he turns out to be a gentle man with his experience in life he is patient with her and as time moves on Giulia is able to settle into married life. She has the added benefit that her husband understands her passion and provides her with a donkey as a means of transport to go to study with a master herbalist. An earthquake culminates in a massive tidal wave smashing the small fishing village and Giulia's home and when her husband is found dead, she is devastated and returns to her family home. It's while she's at home that one of her brothers' friends, Stefano and her, start a relationship and are married. Stefano wants to study medicine, already with a start to his studies fostered by Don Silvio of the Ndrangheta (mafia-like crime syndicate…..for which later there is a payback required).
With his war effort failing Mussolini in his capitulation is arrested (later killed). Victor Emmanuel III, an opportunist and a turncoat, makes a deal with the Allies. The Germans in their retreat destroy as much as possible the infrastructure of Naples and go on a killing spree on the Napolese community. The Allies have bombed Milan and Torino.
Stefano becomes an army medic finally being attached to the US army, Naples then to Rome. Giulia follows him and with her knowledge treats those of the community injured in the war. When Stefano informs her that he is to move closer to the sea west of Florence (Firenze), Giulia, now pregnant, is determined to follow him. She reacts as she always has fighting against a male's decision, rather than accepting how dangerous the war has become, Italians and Allies fighting Italians. (The battle lines had come to a stalemate whereby the Allies were not making any progress bogged down at the "Gothic line").
Giulia receives news that her mother is gravely ill and not responding to any of Nona's treatment. Reluctantly along with her brother Antonio she returns to her village where she sees that her mother, a strong woman seems to have given up, her world of her husband and family torn apart by this war. Slowly with the combined efforts of daughter and grandmother she slowly returns to good health.
The war is over but life in Italy is desperate, poverty is rampant. In desperation with no improvement in their finances and no means for him to finish his studies Stefano looks to migrate and with contacts in Australia where they can start a new life with greater opportunities he applies to immigrate. He is able to get to Australia and soon working and saving he is able to buy his block of land. With a photo of him on their block of land in her hand Giulia and their children board the ship (not boat) with great sadness knowing full well she may never see her family again.
While a lot has been written about WW2 on the Western Front, the Allied forces and other northern European countries this read is centred around the war in Italy. It will appeal to a wide readership including historical fiction enthusiasts. The author has drawn into the historical events the human side of everyday small farming Italian families with the main character of Giulia a young lady with a strong desire to be her own person.
Mussolini and his Secret Police have taken control of the country and along with Hitler, he has formed an alliance. Musollini's plan is to recreate the past power of the Roman Empire without giving second thought to the fact that he has a poorly trained army that is poorly equipped and that Italy is not at this stage an industrial powerhouse. He does have some initial success with his invasions, however when the Allied Forces make progress in pushing back events start to change.
Giulia's brother Vincenzo is called up for the army and her father a veteran of WW1 even though now so much older with his old regiment being reactivated, he too puts his army uniform on. Younger brother Antonio like so many young men went to the mountains in order not to be called up but he does join a partisan group. Later on Vincenzo and her father are killed.
Even with all that is occurring, Giulia is at loggerheads with her father, fiery and outspoken in particular to her opposition in his determination to marry her off. She wants nothing like this, rather her desire is to become a herbalist healer like her Nona. Her father considers such practices as nothing but witchcraft. Against Giulia's will however he is finally successful and under extreme duress she finds herself married to a widower, an older man, a fisherman Massimo. Fortunately he turns out to be a gentle man with his experience in life he is patient with her and as time moves on Giulia is able to settle into married life. She has the added benefit that her husband understands her passion and provides her with a donkey as a means of transport to go to study with a master herbalist. An earthquake culminates in a massive tidal wave smashing the small fishing village and Giulia's home and when her husband is found dead, she is devastated and returns to her family home. It's while she's at home that one of her brothers' friends, Stefano and her, start a relationship and are married. Stefano wants to study medicine, already with a start to his studies fostered by Don Silvio of the Ndrangheta (mafia-like crime syndicate…..for which later there is a payback required).
With his war effort failing Mussolini in his capitulation is arrested (later killed). Victor Emmanuel III, an opportunist and a turncoat, makes a deal with the Allies. The Germans in their retreat destroy as much as possible the infrastructure of Naples and go on a killing spree on the Napolese community. The Allies have bombed Milan and Torino.
Stefano becomes an army medic finally being attached to the US army, Naples then to Rome. Giulia follows him and with her knowledge treats those of the community injured in the war. When Stefano informs her that he is to move closer to the sea west of Florence (Firenze), Giulia, now pregnant, is determined to follow him. She reacts as she always has fighting against a male's decision, rather than accepting how dangerous the war has become, Italians and Allies fighting Italians. (The battle lines had come to a stalemate whereby the Allies were not making any progress bogged down at the "Gothic line").
Giulia receives news that her mother is gravely ill and not responding to any of Nona's treatment. Reluctantly along with her brother Antonio she returns to her village where she sees that her mother, a strong woman seems to have given up, her world of her husband and family torn apart by this war. Slowly with the combined efforts of daughter and grandmother she slowly returns to good health.
The war is over but life in Italy is desperate, poverty is rampant. In desperation with no improvement in their finances and no means for him to finish his studies Stefano looks to migrate and with contacts in Australia where they can start a new life with greater opportunities he applies to immigrate. He is able to get to Australia and soon working and saving he is able to buy his block of land. With a photo of him on their block of land in her hand Giulia and their children board the ship (not boat) with great sadness knowing full well she may never see her family again.
December 7, 2024
This is my 2nd read. This time, I read the book because I wanted to learn as much as possible about the effect of WW2 on Southern Italy. I was equally enthralled with the book this time around. The author skillfully describes the emotional effects of family bonds, war, death, natural disasters, love, childbirth and poverty. I highly recommend this boook.
October 4, 2021
Set in Calabria (the tip of Southern Italy) and spanning from the mid-1930s through to the early 1950s, Echoes of War is an immense novel, a tribute to Italians and their cultural heritage, their bravery, and their determination to survive. Inspired by the author’s own family history, it tells the story of Guilia, an ambitious young woman determined to follow in the footsteps of her nonna and become a traditional healer. Guilia is the second youngest in a family of five and through her narration we come to know her entire family and its extended members as well as their neighbours and friends. Tania Blanchard writes in an effortlessly expansive way, weaving history, both social and political, with cultural traditions into her narrative and peopling it with characters that you can’t help but come to feel highly invested in. I am particularly interested in Italy’s experiences during and after WWII, so this novel was highly anticipated for me and it certainly exceeded my expectations.
Italy has such a complex history, particularly throughout the years of WWII where Fascism was overthrown partway through the war, with the resignation of Mussolini leading to a switching of sides, a distancing from Nazism in favour of the freedom that the Allies were fighting for. There was significant civil unrest throughout Italy preceding the war and continuing throughout, and Blanchard gives a good overview of the volatile political climate and the resultant social unrest, not just throughout Southern Italy and Sicily, but throughout Northern Italy as well. I appreciated the depth of her research and the precision with which she wove all these details into her narrative. She really is a terrific writer of historical fiction and knows exactly how to strike that perfect balance between telling a good story and sharing the history of a place and its people.
I enjoyed the family dynamics within this story, they were realistic and absorbing. Guilia was, for the most part, a great narrator. She frustrated me occasionally when she was a little too headstrong to see her way through, at times she seemed to be stubborn for the mere sake of it, but for the most part, I liked her a lot, admired her tenacity and championed her story. The practising of traditional medicine and herbalism as portrayed within this story was quite fascinating and when told within the context of the region, you got to see just how important traditional healers were to a village in Italy during and prior to this era. This is a novel of strong women, determined and brave, dedicated to their family and each other. It broke my heart many times, the struggles they faced, not just because of the war, but through natural disaster as well, given the volatility of Southern Italy topographically. It was very much a case of how much more can these poor people go through. It made me appreciate anew the bravery of those who lived through the world wars, and I gained a greater understanding about the motivations to migrate after the war for a better and more prosperous life. For those who were unable to afford to migrate or had no sponsorship to do so, they faced widespread hardships and poverty as their nation changed and their livelihoods were lost and redefined.
Echoes of War is top shelf historical fiction, an absorbing family saga that is well written, striking a perfect balance between history, dramatic storytelling, and memorable characters. Highly recommended.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Italy has such a complex history, particularly throughout the years of WWII where Fascism was overthrown partway through the war, with the resignation of Mussolini leading to a switching of sides, a distancing from Nazism in favour of the freedom that the Allies were fighting for. There was significant civil unrest throughout Italy preceding the war and continuing throughout, and Blanchard gives a good overview of the volatile political climate and the resultant social unrest, not just throughout Southern Italy and Sicily, but throughout Northern Italy as well. I appreciated the depth of her research and the precision with which she wove all these details into her narrative. She really is a terrific writer of historical fiction and knows exactly how to strike that perfect balance between telling a good story and sharing the history of a place and its people.
I enjoyed the family dynamics within this story, they were realistic and absorbing. Guilia was, for the most part, a great narrator. She frustrated me occasionally when she was a little too headstrong to see her way through, at times she seemed to be stubborn for the mere sake of it, but for the most part, I liked her a lot, admired her tenacity and championed her story. The practising of traditional medicine and herbalism as portrayed within this story was quite fascinating and when told within the context of the region, you got to see just how important traditional healers were to a village in Italy during and prior to this era. This is a novel of strong women, determined and brave, dedicated to their family and each other. It broke my heart many times, the struggles they faced, not just because of the war, but through natural disaster as well, given the volatility of Southern Italy topographically. It was very much a case of how much more can these poor people go through. It made me appreciate anew the bravery of those who lived through the world wars, and I gained a greater understanding about the motivations to migrate after the war for a better and more prosperous life. For those who were unable to afford to migrate or had no sponsorship to do so, they faced widespread hardships and poverty as their nation changed and their livelihoods were lost and redefined.
Echoes of War is top shelf historical fiction, an absorbing family saga that is well written, striking a perfect balance between history, dramatic storytelling, and memorable characters. Highly recommended.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
October 6, 2021
Dear Echoes of War, It’s not you, it’s me. I was invited to read this historical drama set in WW2 era Italy by the Australian publisher. It’s not my usual preferred genres, and I generally don’t enjoy wartime novels, but I was in the mood for something different and was interested to learn more about Italy’s role in WW2, which I knew very little about, since most fiction focuses on Britain and Germany. Unfortunately this has taken me over ten days to finish (my average is two) - my most putdownable book in quite a while - which has wrecked my ARC schedule, but I was determined to finish it. I do however think other readers would enjoy it much more than I did.
It’s 1936 and headstrong Calabrian teenager Giulia Tallarita longs to escape the confines of her loving but patriarchal family to become a healer, but her father is determined to get her married off. The wily women of the family arrange for her to be placed in a convent where she can study the use of traditional herbal medicines in secret, but it only postpones the inevitable and Giulia must submit to an arranged marriage. Luckily her new husband is kind and more progressive, and is happy to let her work helping the poor, who have limited access to medical care. When Italy enters the war, her skills will be needed more than ever. Over a decade, Giulia’s family will struggle with hardship as their men go off to fight, rejoice with new lives, suffer heartbreaking losses and survive terrible privations as a war started by madmen dominates their lives.
I’m always interested in historical fiction about female medics ahead of their time. This did explore the way herbal treatments are used first in place of, and then alongside conventional medicine, but much less than I was hoping for. Instead the focus is on Giulia’s coming of age, family and romantic relationships, and dissatisfaction with the constraints of her life. I didn’t like her much as a character - she’s petulant, arrogant and rather a drama queen. Her dogged insistence on following her calling despite the risk to herself is admirable, but she takes it too far and falls out with people who care about her because they want her to be safe - she behaves like a stroppy adolescent well into her twenties.
The writing was okay - it’s all told from Giulia’s first person past perspective - but peppered with stupid lines like “My eyes widened in amazement.” It failed to bring the colours, scents and vibrancy of Southern Italy to life as I had hoped. Conversely, the horrors of war were muted by all being related second-hand, a positive for me. The middle part got pretty repetitive, while more interesting plot-lines, like the role of the Ndrangheta (Calabrian mafia), petered out. The other characters are not very well developed, probably because Giulia is too self-absorbed to be bothered describing them. While I generally don’t mind first person narrative, I think this would’ve worked better in third person with other character perspectives. The afterword explains that the story was inspired by the author’s grandparents, and includes various family names, positions and anecdotes, but the main story is fiction. I did learn a bit about the relevant history of Mussolini’s Italy, but it’s very much in the background and the switch in sides to join the Allies was glossed over.
Overall this was a good book, but just not for me - I suggest reading other reviews and giving it a go if you are enthused rather than annoyed by feisty female leads and enjoy romance, angst and family drama rather, while I’ll follow my instincts and avoid historical war stories for a few years. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review and apologies that it is late.
It’s 1936 and headstrong Calabrian teenager Giulia Tallarita longs to escape the confines of her loving but patriarchal family to become a healer, but her father is determined to get her married off. The wily women of the family arrange for her to be placed in a convent where she can study the use of traditional herbal medicines in secret, but it only postpones the inevitable and Giulia must submit to an arranged marriage. Luckily her new husband is kind and more progressive, and is happy to let her work helping the poor, who have limited access to medical care. When Italy enters the war, her skills will be needed more than ever. Over a decade, Giulia’s family will struggle with hardship as their men go off to fight, rejoice with new lives, suffer heartbreaking losses and survive terrible privations as a war started by madmen dominates their lives.
I’m always interested in historical fiction about female medics ahead of their time. This did explore the way herbal treatments are used first in place of, and then alongside conventional medicine, but much less than I was hoping for. Instead the focus is on Giulia’s coming of age, family and romantic relationships, and dissatisfaction with the constraints of her life. I didn’t like her much as a character - she’s petulant, arrogant and rather a drama queen. Her dogged insistence on following her calling despite the risk to herself is admirable, but she takes it too far and falls out with people who care about her because they want her to be safe - she behaves like a stroppy adolescent well into her twenties.
The writing was okay - it’s all told from Giulia’s first person past perspective - but peppered with stupid lines like “My eyes widened in amazement.” It failed to bring the colours, scents and vibrancy of Southern Italy to life as I had hoped. Conversely, the horrors of war were muted by all being related second-hand, a positive for me. The middle part got pretty repetitive, while more interesting plot-lines, like the role of the Ndrangheta (Calabrian mafia), petered out. The other characters are not very well developed, probably because Giulia is too self-absorbed to be bothered describing them. While I generally don’t mind first person narrative, I think this would’ve worked better in third person with other character perspectives. The afterword explains that the story was inspired by the author’s grandparents, and includes various family names, positions and anecdotes, but the main story is fiction. I did learn a bit about the relevant history of Mussolini’s Italy, but it’s very much in the background and the switch in sides to join the Allies was glossed over.
Overall this was a good book, but just not for me - I suggest reading other reviews and giving it a go if you are enthused rather than annoyed by feisty female leads and enjoy romance, angst and family drama rather, while I’ll follow my instincts and avoid historical war stories for a few years. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review and apologies that it is late.
September 6, 2022
Daughter of Calabria (previously published as Echoes of War) is the fourth novel by Aussie author Tania Blanchard and I was excited to read it as I have very much enjoyed her previous offerings. On this occasion we have a young girl, Guilia, who just wants to be a healer like her Nonna. However, this puts her at odds with her father who’s only wish is to see his daughters married off as quickly as possible. Add into the mix, the outbreak of WWII and it is a recipe for a drama filled tale.
‘I was finally free of Papà’s controlling ways and about to learn from one of the best herbalists in Calabria.’
Extending from 1936 into the 1950s, the reader follows Guilia’s struggles between her dreams and her family’s wishes. In the background, Mussolini and the world are waging war. Tania does a fantastic job of bringing to life not only this dictatorial government but also the patriarchal society and how life might have played out for someone such as Guilia.
‘The greatest responsibility of all rested on the shoulders of women. We were the ones who kept the family together, kept our farms and businesses running, put food on the table and made sure we all survived. But we couldn’t do it without each other.’
The story is inspired by Tania’s grandparents as mentioned in her Author Notes and she does another sensational job of melding fact and fiction. As in her previous works, Tania blends the events of the war beautifully with a story, in fact, the war most definitely is in the background for this one. With themes of family and ambition, dreams and heartbreak, I recommend lovers of historical fiction to take this journey with all the drama that this period brings with it.
‘Oh, Giulia, you’ve always had a passion for life, a thirst for knowledge and the strength of will to reach for your dreams. You only needed to know how to harness your talents and recognise the strength within you.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
‘I was finally free of Papà’s controlling ways and about to learn from one of the best herbalists in Calabria.’
Extending from 1936 into the 1950s, the reader follows Guilia’s struggles between her dreams and her family’s wishes. In the background, Mussolini and the world are waging war. Tania does a fantastic job of bringing to life not only this dictatorial government but also the patriarchal society and how life might have played out for someone such as Guilia.
‘The greatest responsibility of all rested on the shoulders of women. We were the ones who kept the family together, kept our farms and businesses running, put food on the table and made sure we all survived. But we couldn’t do it without each other.’
The story is inspired by Tania’s grandparents as mentioned in her Author Notes and she does another sensational job of melding fact and fiction. As in her previous works, Tania blends the events of the war beautifully with a story, in fact, the war most definitely is in the background for this one. With themes of family and ambition, dreams and heartbreak, I recommend lovers of historical fiction to take this journey with all the drama that this period brings with it.
‘Oh, Giulia, you’ve always had a passion for life, a thirst for knowledge and the strength of will to reach for your dreams. You only needed to know how to harness your talents and recognise the strength within you.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
September 28, 2021
Being a huge fan of historical fiction, I was very excited to read this book and I just LOVED it!!
Echoes of War was written beautifully and made me cry during the tragic moments. It was written with such depth that it had me imagining the scenarios with a vividness that pulled at my heartstrings. What spectacular writing!! I also found the healing aspects of the work that Giulia does with her Nonna to help the sick and injured fascinating! What a wonderful read.
Something I also enjoyed about this book was the perspective of the storyline and how much it taught me. Many books I’ve read about the Second World War have mostly been about the cities under occupation and their experiences with the Nazi’s but this was set in Italy and I really liked reading about their perspective. I didn’t realise until now the dilemma the Italian’s found themselves in during that time so it was eye opening to learn about it.
Overall this strong, gorgeous book is well researched and beautifully written. It’s an absolute must read for all historical fiction lovers!! 😍
Echoes of War was written beautifully and made me cry during the tragic moments. It was written with such depth that it had me imagining the scenarios with a vividness that pulled at my heartstrings. What spectacular writing!! I also found the healing aspects of the work that Giulia does with her Nonna to help the sick and injured fascinating! What a wonderful read.
Something I also enjoyed about this book was the perspective of the storyline and how much it taught me. Many books I’ve read about the Second World War have mostly been about the cities under occupation and their experiences with the Nazi’s but this was set in Italy and I really liked reading about their perspective. I didn’t realise until now the dilemma the Italian’s found themselves in during that time so it was eye opening to learn about it.
Overall this strong, gorgeous book is well researched and beautifully written. It’s an absolute must read for all historical fiction lovers!! 😍
September 30, 2021
This book was outside my usual reading genre but I’m so glad I found it.
It’s a story about a young woman with dreams that definitely don’t fit society’s mould. Set in Italy at the beginning of WWII it tells the story of Guilia’s quest to be a healer.
The storytelling is beautiful and also kind of heartbreaking. It’s obviously set during a very difficult time in Italy’s history. It explores the Italian culture of family, connection to the land sense of obligation. It’s a great read.
I received an arc of this book
It’s a story about a young woman with dreams that definitely don’t fit society’s mould. Set in Italy at the beginning of WWII it tells the story of Guilia’s quest to be a healer.
The storytelling is beautiful and also kind of heartbreaking. It’s obviously set during a very difficult time in Italy’s history. It explores the Italian culture of family, connection to the land sense of obligation. It’s a great read.
I received an arc of this book
September 18, 2022
A sweeping family saga that spans the 1930’s to the 50’s.
Previously published under the title Echoes Of War, it was given a new lease of life with a catchy new name.
1936 and in a small village in Calabria, Italy young Giulia wants to become a healer like her Nonna.
Her big family and her parents are everything to her and she wouldn’t change it at all.
Her father wants her to marry and settle down and stop her daydreaming.
But soon whispers of war are just around the corner and set everyone on edge.
Now Calabria is in danger and Giulia must put her family first.
A historical drama with family dynamics through a terrible time of war.
Exploring the use of herbal medicine as well as the usual traditional medical practices, this was a very interesting concept and worked rather well.
Based loosely on the authors own history, Tania weaves her own facts into a fiction plot giving it the authenticity and realism to shine.
It’s important that we continue to keep this part of history alive and continue to hear these stories.
Well written, researched and sparkling with genuineness.
An intriguing insight into a Italian dynasty where life, society and tradition come into play.
A wonderful read.
Previously published under the title Echoes Of War, it was given a new lease of life with a catchy new name.
1936 and in a small village in Calabria, Italy young Giulia wants to become a healer like her Nonna.
Her big family and her parents are everything to her and she wouldn’t change it at all.
Her father wants her to marry and settle down and stop her daydreaming.
But soon whispers of war are just around the corner and set everyone on edge.
Now Calabria is in danger and Giulia must put her family first.
A historical drama with family dynamics through a terrible time of war.
Exploring the use of herbal medicine as well as the usual traditional medical practices, this was a very interesting concept and worked rather well.
Based loosely on the authors own history, Tania weaves her own facts into a fiction plot giving it the authenticity and realism to shine.
It’s important that we continue to keep this part of history alive and continue to hear these stories.
Well written, researched and sparkling with genuineness.
An intriguing insight into a Italian dynasty where life, society and tradition come into play.
A wonderful read.
Read
August 29, 2021Unfortunately not for me.
The main character grated on me - she was way to modern for the period. The narrative dragged on without really much happening then jumped about ten years in the very last part.
In the end I could sum up the whole book in one famous sentence by French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, who wrote “plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose “ – the more things change, the more they stay the same - which was also the theme of The Leopard.
The main character grated on me - she was way to modern for the period. The narrative dragged on without really much happening then jumped about ten years in the very last part.
In the end I could sum up the whole book in one famous sentence by French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, who wrote “plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose “ – the more things change, the more they stay the same - which was also the theme of The Leopard.
February 2, 2022
A historical fiction set in Italy around the time of WW2, Australian author Tania Blanchard writes a story loosely based on her Italian Calabrese grandparents and family. The story begins in 1936 in the rural village of Bruzzano in Calabria with headstrong teenager Giulia Tallariti who wants to escape her father’s dictates for her to marry and raise children, and wishes to follow her grandmother’s footsteps to become a herbal healer instead. The women in the family arrange for her to be sent to a nunnery to avoid an arranged marriage, and to secretly learn herbalism from the skilful Fra Fortunato.
Giulia’s life takes many turns as she pursues her passion for healing despite an arranged marriage to gentle fisherman Massimo, and many other challenges. She is always torn between her desire to spread her wings and follow her career and her duty to her close family. The story encompasses earthquakes, family loves and tragedies, interaction with the Ndrangheta or Calabrese mafia and war. The wars are a constant setting, beginning with Mussolini (or “Il Duce”, the leader) as fascist dictator, desiring to expand Italy and recreate the Roman Empire with Italian invasions into Ethiopia and Albania then involvement in the Spanish Civil War. Then as WW2 begins Italy becomes involved with the Nazis. The story describes the hardships faced by the local people, then the change of sides after Mussolini is deposed and the Allies arrive in Italy. The Calabrese feel overlooked by their government and struggle with hardship and poverty.
I found this a good story but it dragged somewhat. It could definitely have been shortened by 100-150 pages without suffering as a story. Giulia was also given very modern sensibilities for a woman of her era and sometimes came across as a headstrong child. The novel pointed out repeatedly how strong the women in the family were, something I thought the reader could have figured out themselves without so much coaching. An enjoyable read but would have been better if shortened and less repetitive.
Giulia’s life takes many turns as she pursues her passion for healing despite an arranged marriage to gentle fisherman Massimo, and many other challenges. She is always torn between her desire to spread her wings and follow her career and her duty to her close family. The story encompasses earthquakes, family loves and tragedies, interaction with the Ndrangheta or Calabrese mafia and war. The wars are a constant setting, beginning with Mussolini (or “Il Duce”, the leader) as fascist dictator, desiring to expand Italy and recreate the Roman Empire with Italian invasions into Ethiopia and Albania then involvement in the Spanish Civil War. Then as WW2 begins Italy becomes involved with the Nazis. The story describes the hardships faced by the local people, then the change of sides after Mussolini is deposed and the Allies arrive in Italy. The Calabrese feel overlooked by their government and struggle with hardship and poverty.
I found this a good story but it dragged somewhat. It could definitely have been shortened by 100-150 pages without suffering as a story. Giulia was also given very modern sensibilities for a woman of her era and sometimes came across as a headstrong child. The novel pointed out repeatedly how strong the women in the family were, something I thought the reader could have figured out themselves without so much coaching. An enjoyable read but would have been better if shortened and less repetitive.
December 12, 2021
I was really excited to read this. However it just didn’t get me hooked. Took me an extremely long time to read as I just couldn’t get into it.
September 27, 2021
‘I followed the nun in a haze of exhaustion.’
Calabria, Italy, 1936. Guilia Tallariti lives with her family (parents and four siblings) in a remote farming village. She dreams of being a healer, like her grandmother, but her father is determined to see each of his three daughters married. Guilia spends some time at a monastery where, unknown to her father, she learns some of the skills of healing with a famous herbalist. But after she returns to the village, she is married at seventeen and then widowed two years later.
Beyond Calabria, Mussolini and his National Fascist Party are in power in Italy and the world is edging towards World War II. Calabria is no longer safe from the fascist agenda of northern Italy and Guilia’s family will be torn apart. Guilia remarries: her husband, father and brother are called up to serve in the armed forces. By now, Guilia is a trusted healer: even her father has accepted her skills.
And after the war, many of those who have survived can no longer make a living on their farms. Many will emigrate.
Ms Blanchard has drawn on her grandfather’s life in writing this novel: deftly drawing history into fiction and enabling the reader to experience the customs of Calabria and the challenges faced. I enjoyed this novel and learned more about the impact of Mussolini and of World War II in this part of Italy. The characters and story held my attention from beginning to end.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Calabria, Italy, 1936. Guilia Tallariti lives with her family (parents and four siblings) in a remote farming village. She dreams of being a healer, like her grandmother, but her father is determined to see each of his three daughters married. Guilia spends some time at a monastery where, unknown to her father, she learns some of the skills of healing with a famous herbalist. But after she returns to the village, she is married at seventeen and then widowed two years later.
Beyond Calabria, Mussolini and his National Fascist Party are in power in Italy and the world is edging towards World War II. Calabria is no longer safe from the fascist agenda of northern Italy and Guilia’s family will be torn apart. Guilia remarries: her husband, father and brother are called up to serve in the armed forces. By now, Guilia is a trusted healer: even her father has accepted her skills.
And after the war, many of those who have survived can no longer make a living on their farms. Many will emigrate.
Ms Blanchard has drawn on her grandfather’s life in writing this novel: deftly drawing history into fiction and enabling the reader to experience the customs of Calabria and the challenges faced. I enjoyed this novel and learned more about the impact of Mussolini and of World War II in this part of Italy. The characters and story held my attention from beginning to end.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
August 16, 2021
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Echoes of War follows the life of Giulia, a young woman living in a farming village in Calabria, Italy, from 1936 to the early 50s. She struggles between her love for her close-knit family and her dreams to follow in her nonna's footsteps to become a healer and help those who need it all over Italy and beyond. This book details Mussolini's Italy, the patriarchal society and WWII, creating an incredibly vivid image of what life may have been like during this time.
In the author's note, Tania Blanchard mentions that the story was inspired by her grandparents, and I think it is a beautiful tribute to them.
What drew me to the story in the first place was the fact it was set in Calabria, where my nonna was from. My nonna migrated to Australia during WWII with the help of a sponsor. I didn't ask her a lot about her life in Italy when she was alive, but the few things I do know about are written in this book. Now I'm wishing I asked her more about her life.
I really loved this book. It is about more than just WWII. It's a story about love, ambition, compassion, heartbreak, and dreams. I love the way it's written, the fact it explores so much about the time period and is clearly very well researched.
Echoes of War follows the life of Giulia, a young woman living in a farming village in Calabria, Italy, from 1936 to the early 50s. She struggles between her love for her close-knit family and her dreams to follow in her nonna's footsteps to become a healer and help those who need it all over Italy and beyond. This book details Mussolini's Italy, the patriarchal society and WWII, creating an incredibly vivid image of what life may have been like during this time.
In the author's note, Tania Blanchard mentions that the story was inspired by her grandparents, and I think it is a beautiful tribute to them.
What drew me to the story in the first place was the fact it was set in Calabria, where my nonna was from. My nonna migrated to Australia during WWII with the help of a sponsor. I didn't ask her a lot about her life in Italy when she was alive, but the few things I do know about are written in this book. Now I'm wishing I asked her more about her life.
I really loved this book. It is about more than just WWII. It's a story about love, ambition, compassion, heartbreak, and dreams. I love the way it's written, the fact it explores so much about the time period and is clearly very well researched.
November 22, 2021
3.5 stars.
This was an epic story about how war affected families and relationships - I think the book was very appropriately titled. It was a story about the echoes of war(s), indeed.
I liked the overall concept of the story, and I really appreciated that the Author incorporated elements from her own heritage and stories from her own grandparents. Giulia’s strong relationship with her family was clearly the core of the story, and her love for natural medicines showed her ‘modern’ side of wanting to be an independent woman.
While some of the sub-plots were used repetitively, such as Giulia’s desire to further her medicine study and thus instigating arguments with her father, and the romance (the courting part) could’ve been improved, it was an enjoyable read overall.
There was this particular quote that I liked very much from the book:
“After everything I’d been through, I recognised the value of taking joy wherever we could.”
I think it is very important indeed to always recognise the value of taking joy wherever we can!
(Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for a free copy in exchange for an honest review)
See my bookstagram review.
This was an epic story about how war affected families and relationships - I think the book was very appropriately titled. It was a story about the echoes of war(s), indeed.
I liked the overall concept of the story, and I really appreciated that the Author incorporated elements from her own heritage and stories from her own grandparents. Giulia’s strong relationship with her family was clearly the core of the story, and her love for natural medicines showed her ‘modern’ side of wanting to be an independent woman.
While some of the sub-plots were used repetitively, such as Giulia’s desire to further her medicine study and thus instigating arguments with her father, and the romance (the courting part) could’ve been improved, it was an enjoyable read overall.
There was this particular quote that I liked very much from the book:
“After everything I’d been through, I recognised the value of taking joy wherever we could.”
I think it is very important indeed to always recognise the value of taking joy wherever we can!
(Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for a free copy in exchange for an honest review)
See my bookstagram review.
August 16, 2021
I'd rate Echoes of War 4.5 stars but enjoyed it enough to round it up to 5. While I'm a big lover of history, this book probably isn't what I'd ordinarily choose (I tend to stick to novels that lean more heavily towards romance) but I'm really glad I picked it up and once I did, I was hooked. The story follows Giulia, a young and idealistic woman, living in Southern Italy and on the cusp of adulthood in the years leading up to World War II. Her internal struggles with being a woman with few rights of her own and living a world where personal choice was often taken away by men is a key focus of the book and portrayed well by the author as I personally felt frustrated by the degree of powerlessness experienced by the main character. Arranged marriages, the lack of career and educational opportunities and a strong culture steeped in traditional family structures are strong features in the story, counteracted with a dependence on women to also help with survival during wartime. In the background of Giulia's desire to strive for more in life rather than settle for being only a wife and mother is the rise to power of Benito Mussolini and his alliance with Nazi Germany. Rather than taking over the story, there was a great balance between the historical aspects as Italy stepped closer to (and eventually jumped into) war across Europe and the main character's personal journey and desire for more control of her life.
There was the right amount of attention to detail in the historical elements of the story, with the plight of many Italians being a focus without it taking over Giulia's own story and commitment to becoming a community healer. With members of her family taking part in the war effort, there was a solid connection to the emotional and economical toll on local communities and the country at large. The author wove a lot of her own family history throughout the plot which also gave the story a more realistic, human touch that sucked me right in. As someone with their own family history of Italian immigration, the small nuances and understated recounts of daily life really brought to life rural Italy in the 1930s and 1940s, including the struggles faced by a country not only at war but losing faith in their government. Underlying all of this was a strong sense of home and family that built a solid foundation that was developed upon throughout the story.
As tensions deepened and the country was forever changed from both inside and outside forces, the strong character of Giulia kept the story grounded. Without any over the top dramatics (or perhaps because of it and the book's rather matter-of-fact approach on how life was at the time), I found the emotional connection between myself and the main character quite poignant at times. I'm not generally a crier in books but I have to admit there were several parts of this story that left me sobbing and it's perhaps because of this that the story had such an impact for me. It wasn't flashy and retained the human element throughout the novel as Giulia tried to overcome the barriers set in her way from being a woman while living through a dark period in both her own and our world's history. Giulia and her family were terrific characters brought to life by the author and while I found she (Giulia) harped on a bit about certain things in a desperate grab for personal independence, she was likeable and a really solid, strong female lead.
The book covered the black and white realities of war without glorifying it nor glossing over any harsh truth it brings. It also gave the reader a distinctly 'Italian' flavour, lightly covering the politics of the time, the local influence of the 'Ndrangheta and the unshakeable love and loyalty that is family, particularly the role of women and their strength during this time. There are questions to reflect on at the end, particularly suited for book clubs. The story highlighted the worst of life, the shining potential and hopeful optimism of the future and how quickly life can go from contentedness to tragedy and back again. The moral to the story? Even with everything we endure, life is a gift. I really enjoyed the story and will be coming back to this author in the future.
There was the right amount of attention to detail in the historical elements of the story, with the plight of many Italians being a focus without it taking over Giulia's own story and commitment to becoming a community healer. With members of her family taking part in the war effort, there was a solid connection to the emotional and economical toll on local communities and the country at large. The author wove a lot of her own family history throughout the plot which also gave the story a more realistic, human touch that sucked me right in. As someone with their own family history of Italian immigration, the small nuances and understated recounts of daily life really brought to life rural Italy in the 1930s and 1940s, including the struggles faced by a country not only at war but losing faith in their government. Underlying all of this was a strong sense of home and family that built a solid foundation that was developed upon throughout the story.
As tensions deepened and the country was forever changed from both inside and outside forces, the strong character of Giulia kept the story grounded. Without any over the top dramatics (or perhaps because of it and the book's rather matter-of-fact approach on how life was at the time), I found the emotional connection between myself and the main character quite poignant at times. I'm not generally a crier in books but I have to admit there were several parts of this story that left me sobbing and it's perhaps because of this that the story had such an impact for me. It wasn't flashy and retained the human element throughout the novel as Giulia tried to overcome the barriers set in her way from being a woman while living through a dark period in both her own and our world's history. Giulia and her family were terrific characters brought to life by the author and while I found she (Giulia) harped on a bit about certain things in a desperate grab for personal independence, she was likeable and a really solid, strong female lead.
The book covered the black and white realities of war without glorifying it nor glossing over any harsh truth it brings. It also gave the reader a distinctly 'Italian' flavour, lightly covering the politics of the time, the local influence of the 'Ndrangheta and the unshakeable love and loyalty that is family, particularly the role of women and their strength during this time. There are questions to reflect on at the end, particularly suited for book clubs. The story highlighted the worst of life, the shining potential and hopeful optimism of the future and how quickly life can go from contentedness to tragedy and back again. The moral to the story? Even with everything we endure, life is a gift. I really enjoyed the story and will be coming back to this author in the future.
October 3, 2021
Life in Calabria is idyllic for Guilia, surrounded by a loving family and a lifestyle rich in beauty and nature’s gifts. But Guilia has dreams that girls in an Italian family don’t have the right to — fathers and husbands make decisions for women. If only her father would allow her to train as a healer and join the Red Cross.
That was enough to tempt me to read this new release by Tania Blanchard, her fourth novel. This one is written not from the German perspective as she has previously, but from the Italian. Trapped into Mussolini’s Fascist plans and fated alliance with Hitler, it saw Italy switch sides during the war.
I love Italy, and the chance to see it on the page is always a delight. But reading Echoes of War has opened me to a part of Italy’s history that I was relatively uninformed about. To read of Italy just before WWII and to imagine life in the villages before war changed everything, was an eye-opener. And Guilia’s family are delightful.
Guilia is a wonderful well-rounded character. While measured and sure of what she wants, she is also headstrong and passionate — wanting to learn healing from her maternal Nonna. But her father opposes her resistance and controls her at every opportunity. He decides the only way to curb his wild daughter’s ways is to marry her off – then her husband will make decisions for her future. There is much to love about the way Guilia responds to the life chosen for her and forges ahead to make the best of it.
The relationships within the family are beautiful. At the head, Guilia's father holds the power, but he is no violent dictator; ultimately he is a benevolent man who is loving and tender with his wife and family. Guilia’s siblings are supportive and caring, and the women in the family are strong. Life in the village is beautiful. But then nature has a way in southern Italy of making things difficult.
Inevitably war arrives on Guiilia’s doorstep. As the male members of her family are drawn into the conflict, we see the politics of Il Duce and Italy through Guilia’s open and intelligent eyes. Her relationship with Zia Francesca and her friend Don Silvio, introduce us to the darker side of Calabria– the ‘Ndrangheta – and their influence over the Calabrese. I was interested in the part Don Silvio played to save Italy from the grip of fascism, as the tide turned against the fury and devastation of Hitler’s demands.
This is a beautiful story of love, family and sacrifice. While death, betrayal and hurt form part of the story too, what I love most about a narrative is when it prompts me to learn more about a place or time. So as a result, it's off to the history books I wander to investigate Calabria further, and discover more.
That was enough to tempt me to read this new release by Tania Blanchard, her fourth novel. This one is written not from the German perspective as she has previously, but from the Italian. Trapped into Mussolini’s Fascist plans and fated alliance with Hitler, it saw Italy switch sides during the war.
I love Italy, and the chance to see it on the page is always a delight. But reading Echoes of War has opened me to a part of Italy’s history that I was relatively uninformed about. To read of Italy just before WWII and to imagine life in the villages before war changed everything, was an eye-opener. And Guilia’s family are delightful.
Guilia is a wonderful well-rounded character. While measured and sure of what she wants, she is also headstrong and passionate — wanting to learn healing from her maternal Nonna. But her father opposes her resistance and controls her at every opportunity. He decides the only way to curb his wild daughter’s ways is to marry her off – then her husband will make decisions for her future. There is much to love about the way Guilia responds to the life chosen for her and forges ahead to make the best of it.
The relationships within the family are beautiful. At the head, Guilia's father holds the power, but he is no violent dictator; ultimately he is a benevolent man who is loving and tender with his wife and family. Guilia’s siblings are supportive and caring, and the women in the family are strong. Life in the village is beautiful. But then nature has a way in southern Italy of making things difficult.
Inevitably war arrives on Guiilia’s doorstep. As the male members of her family are drawn into the conflict, we see the politics of Il Duce and Italy through Guilia’s open and intelligent eyes. Her relationship with Zia Francesca and her friend Don Silvio, introduce us to the darker side of Calabria– the ‘Ndrangheta – and their influence over the Calabrese. I was interested in the part Don Silvio played to save Italy from the grip of fascism, as the tide turned against the fury and devastation of Hitler’s demands.
This is a beautiful story of love, family and sacrifice. While death, betrayal and hurt form part of the story too, what I love most about a narrative is when it prompts me to learn more about a place or time. So as a result, it's off to the history books I wander to investigate Calabria further, and discover more.
August 21, 2021
I enjoyed this story set in Calabria, Italy from the 1930s until the 1950s. Giulia starts off as a 17 year old rebelling against her family because she wants to be independent and train as a healer like her Nonna and clashes with her father. She manages to get some time training in using herbal medicine at a convent before she returns home and into an arranged marriage. Her husband is sympathetic to Giulia and she is able to continue working as a healer. The reader experiences what life was like in this area of rural Italy which was under the control of the local mafia. Calabria experiences natural disasters like earthquakes, tidal waves and floods. We learn about the effects of Mussolini’s fascist regime on the family when Giulia’s father and brothers go off to fight in the war and the destruction of Italy when war arrives on its doorstep. Giulia experiences tragedy but her healing skills are put to good use when she travels to wartime Naples and Rome which have suffered destruction. Finally after the war we see the problems encountered by the people of Southern Italy which made many emigrate to America and Australia- Giulia’s family included. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity of reading this story.
March 7, 2022
Set in a small town in the south of Italy, this book tells the story of a headstrong young girl and her perception of world war 2. Spanning from the mid-1930s- 1950s. I found myself aligning with the main character Gulia, who was strong-willed, ambitious, and at times incredibly frustrating.
I was fascinated by the historical context that the book explored peppered with its cultural traditions. I had not heard of a healer before and was apprehensive at first, sharing much of the concern like Gulia’s father. However, this book and my own research told me a new side of Italy that I had not yet seen before.
At times, I found myself getting confused with the characters. And who was related to who, who had connections and who didn’t. I suppose it was a very big Italian family and there would have been no way to overcome this. So at times, I had to go back and reread to make sure I had the right people in my head.
But for what it was, very well narrated/written. I had read a number of books about WW2, and recently read the Cellist of Sarajevo. It has been interesting to read about the civilians of these countries and delve into their experiences.
The author did well to tell such a complex part of Italy’s history. Particularly when conveying the general sentiment of the resignation of Mussolini which led to the switching to the Allies. I was captivated by the way the political/ social unrest was portrayed and was drawn in by the “realness” of the character's reactions.
All in all, I give this book 4.5 stars.
I was fascinated by the historical context that the book explored peppered with its cultural traditions. I had not heard of a healer before and was apprehensive at first, sharing much of the concern like Gulia’s father. However, this book and my own research told me a new side of Italy that I had not yet seen before.
At times, I found myself getting confused with the characters. And who was related to who, who had connections and who didn’t. I suppose it was a very big Italian family and there would have been no way to overcome this. So at times, I had to go back and reread to make sure I had the right people in my head.
But for what it was, very well narrated/written. I had read a number of books about WW2, and recently read the Cellist of Sarajevo. It has been interesting to read about the civilians of these countries and delve into their experiences.
The author did well to tell such a complex part of Italy’s history. Particularly when conveying the general sentiment of the resignation of Mussolini which led to the switching to the Allies. I was captivated by the way the political/ social unrest was portrayed and was drawn in by the “realness” of the character's reactions.
All in all, I give this book 4.5 stars.
December 9, 2021
[ TW × war × grief × death × pregnancy × natural disaster ]
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a review copy of this
Beautifully Italian and fiercely passionate.
Quick thoughts
This was such a beautiful story about finding your place in the world and fighting to keep it once it's found. I loved the characters and the book really felt like it captured the beauty of Italy.
Why I loved it
Giulia is a very passionate individual and it makes it really easy to love her. From the beginning of this book, she butts heads with her dad who doesn't want her to learn herbal medicine like her nonna.
Of course, the story is all about her doing just that and doing herself proud, as well as her family. Coming from a poor family, her father is also determine to see his daughters married off so they are safe - something Giulia and her sisters really doesn't want.
It's this back and forth tug of war between Giulia's sense of duty to her family and following her own dreams that makes this book so enjoyable. She's constantly walking the fine line between both in the pursuit of happiness.
Not to mention that the strong family ties in this book are beautiful and something to be treasured. Even more so knowing that the inspiration for this story is based on the author's own family history.
I also really loved the portrayal of Italy in this story. From the small insertions of Italian words to the food the characters make, this book took me straight back to Italy and its warm, rustic summer vibes.
This book is also very sad, there was a lot of grief and loss in it (being wartime and all) and it was hard to let so many characters go in so many tragic moments.
Final thoughts
If you like your historical fiction and want a book set in WWII without the war actually being forefront and centre, this is for you. The main themes are family and standing up for yourself, but with all the drama that a wartime setting brings.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a review copy of this
Beautifully Italian and fiercely passionate.
Quick thoughts
This was such a beautiful story about finding your place in the world and fighting to keep it once it's found. I loved the characters and the book really felt like it captured the beauty of Italy.
Why I loved it
Giulia is a very passionate individual and it makes it really easy to love her. From the beginning of this book, she butts heads with her dad who doesn't want her to learn herbal medicine like her nonna.
Of course, the story is all about her doing just that and doing herself proud, as well as her family. Coming from a poor family, her father is also determine to see his daughters married off so they are safe - something Giulia and her sisters really doesn't want.
It's this back and forth tug of war between Giulia's sense of duty to her family and following her own dreams that makes this book so enjoyable. She's constantly walking the fine line between both in the pursuit of happiness.
Not to mention that the strong family ties in this book are beautiful and something to be treasured. Even more so knowing that the inspiration for this story is based on the author's own family history.
I also really loved the portrayal of Italy in this story. From the small insertions of Italian words to the food the characters make, this book took me straight back to Italy and its warm, rustic summer vibes.
This book is also very sad, there was a lot of grief and loss in it (being wartime and all) and it was hard to let so many characters go in so many tragic moments.
Final thoughts
If you like your historical fiction and want a book set in WWII without the war actually being forefront and centre, this is for you. The main themes are family and standing up for yourself, but with all the drama that a wartime setting brings.
September 2, 2022
Another riveting story from this author whose characters come to life through her war themed stories. I didn’t know a lot about the war from an Italian perspective so I loved reading and learning about it this way. Calabria seems so beautiful but in anguish as well.
May 15, 2025
Enjoyed this book. It reminded me of my family background. Not the war but Calabria
December 16, 2024
Great story of an Italian woman dealing with being an intelligent independent person in strongly patriarchal cultural traditions.
Very interesting storyline that also parallels old traditional healing culture and modern medicine.
Great audio book
Very interesting storyline that also parallels old traditional healing culture and modern medicine.
Great audio book
December 26, 2024
For Jess: I have enjoyed other books by this author so had high hopes but this one was very average. Give it the swerve unless you have a real hankering to read about WW2 in rural southern Italy.
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