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The Italian Girl
A fearless Italian girl risks her life to save precious artworks from the Nazis in a gripping new novel from the bestselling author of The Light After the War.
Rome, 1943: Marina Tozzi adores her father Vittorio and working together in his art gallery is her only escape from the reality of the Nazi occupation of her beloved city. Not only has she inherited her father’s passion for art but Marina is gaining a reputation as an expert in her own right.
However, Vittorio is keeping a deadly secret from her. He has been hiding a Jewish artist in their basement and one day she returns home to find her father has been brutally murdered by a German officer. Devastated, Marina flees to Florence to seek help from the man who owes Vittorio his life.
Renowned American art expert Bernard Berenson offers Marina sanctuary in his beautiful villa outside Florence and puts her in charge of cataloguing his vast art library. As Marina gradually begins to heal, she becomes obsessed with finding a way to avenge her father. As the Germans and partisans fight for control of Florence, Marina discovers that Bernard is helping to save precious art from the Nazis. When handsome young artist Carlos approaches Marina to help the partisans by using her expertise to value artworks for the cause, she has at last found her purpose.
In one daring act, Marina risks her life to save a priceless painting from falling into Nazi hands and proves herself to the partisans. But falling in love with Carlos was not part of her plan. When Carlos suddenly disappears, Marina’s dreams about life after the war with him turn to ash – and she’ll have to travel halfway around the world to unravel the truth.
Rome, 1943: Marina Tozzi adores her father Vittorio and working together in his art gallery is her only escape from the reality of the Nazi occupation of her beloved city. Not only has she inherited her father’s passion for art but Marina is gaining a reputation as an expert in her own right.
However, Vittorio is keeping a deadly secret from her. He has been hiding a Jewish artist in their basement and one day she returns home to find her father has been brutally murdered by a German officer. Devastated, Marina flees to Florence to seek help from the man who owes Vittorio his life.
Renowned American art expert Bernard Berenson offers Marina sanctuary in his beautiful villa outside Florence and puts her in charge of cataloguing his vast art library. As Marina gradually begins to heal, she becomes obsessed with finding a way to avenge her father. As the Germans and partisans fight for control of Florence, Marina discovers that Bernard is helping to save precious art from the Nazis. When handsome young artist Carlos approaches Marina to help the partisans by using her expertise to value artworks for the cause, she has at last found her purpose.
In one daring act, Marina risks her life to save a priceless painting from falling into Nazi hands and proves herself to the partisans. But falling in love with Carlos was not part of her plan. When Carlos suddenly disappears, Marina’s dreams about life after the war with him turn to ash – and she’ll have to travel halfway around the world to unravel the truth.
317 pages, Paperback
First published March 8, 2022
162 people are currently reading
4386 people want to read
About the author
Anita Abriel
6 books454 followersAnita Abriel was born in Sydney, Australia. She received a BA in English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing from Bard College. She lives in California with her family and is the author of The Light After the War which was inspired by her mother’s story of survival during WWII.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
February 2, 2022
The night Marina Tozzi arrived home to her father and saw two SS running from the house was the night her safe, secure world crumbled. Learning Vittorio had been sheltering Jewish artists in their basement and that both he and the latest artist had died that night, left Marina shattered. It was Rome, 1943, the Germans had occupied her beautiful city for some time, and she had nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. But after prompting from her neighbour, she remembered a good friend of her father in Florence, and left that night, heartbroken, grief stricken and wondering what would come of the future she’d always envisioned.
Sixty-year-old Bernard Berenson welcomed Marina with open arms – he had owed her father and was more than happy to give her safe haven for as long as she needed it. His luxurious villa just outside Florence and his and Belle’s care was a balm to her soul, and soon she was working in Bernard’s huge library, cataloguing and preparing the works to be saved from Nazi hands. The art which was in the various museums and galleries around Florence needed to be taken away from the grasp of Hitler who was ‘saving’ it, but everyone knew it was going into his own collection. Marina was determined to stop his grasping little fingers from the century old works. Helping Carlos and the partisans went some way to easing Marina’s grief…
The Italian Girl is another excellent historical novel by Aussie author Anita Abriel which I thoroughly enjoyed and read in a matter of hours. The strength and courage of Marina, the behind the scenes efforts by many to give safe haven to the persecuted, the fortitude of those same people and the determination to better the Germans was outstanding. This is the author’s third historical novel and I’ve enjoyed them all. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster AU for my uncorrected proof ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Sixty-year-old Bernard Berenson welcomed Marina with open arms – he had owed her father and was more than happy to give her safe haven for as long as she needed it. His luxurious villa just outside Florence and his and Belle’s care was a balm to her soul, and soon she was working in Bernard’s huge library, cataloguing and preparing the works to be saved from Nazi hands. The art which was in the various museums and galleries around Florence needed to be taken away from the grasp of Hitler who was ‘saving’ it, but everyone knew it was going into his own collection. Marina was determined to stop his grasping little fingers from the century old works. Helping Carlos and the partisans went some way to easing Marina’s grief…
The Italian Girl is another excellent historical novel by Aussie author Anita Abriel which I thoroughly enjoyed and read in a matter of hours. The strength and courage of Marina, the behind the scenes efforts by many to give safe haven to the persecuted, the fortitude of those same people and the determination to better the Germans was outstanding. This is the author’s third historical novel and I’ve enjoyed them all. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster AU for my uncorrected proof ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2022
Emotional historical fiction/romance. The story kept my attention. I would recommend it to HS community for sure.
Read
April 6, 2022This is what I would call ‘light reading’ even though it’s set in Italy during WWII.
It reads more like a romance novel and after 100 pages I gave it up.
Abriel’s last book “Lana’s War” I felt the same - it was light reading but I liked it more than this one.
It reads more like a romance novel and after 100 pages I gave it up.
Abriel’s last book “Lana’s War” I felt the same - it was light reading but I liked it more than this one.
Read
February 15, 2022What a great story. Anita Abriel's writing flows so well that before you know it you are at the end of a wonderful adventure. This book really kept my attention. This novel of wartime Italy follows a young Roman woman by the name of Marina with modern sensibilities who flees to the Tuscan countryside after the murder of her father in 1943. There, she finds a treasure trove of art, friends who become family, and a new calling to stand up against the Germans responsible for her father’s death. Dotted with real-life historical figures, this coming-of-age story of love and art set in World War II Italy is a fast-paced and engaging read. Highly recommend.
March 1, 2022
Saving Art
Romance, Heartbreak, War and saving the art from the Nazi's.
Marina stops to buy anchovies for her father's pasta after work. When she arrives home, she finds her father and another man dead in the basement. Her neighbor tells her that the Nazi's killed her father for harboring a Jewish Artist. Marina's father owned an art gallery in Rome, Italy and Marina was learning to run the gallery as she studied art at the university. The neighbor tells her she must leave at once before the soldier return. She flees to her father's friend in Florence, Italy.
Marina is lost without her father although her father's friend and art collector Bernard and his wife take her under their wing and treat her as family. She starts to catalog Bernard's collection while he smuggles art to Switzerland to keep it from the Nazi's.
When Marina meets Desi the girl next door and Carlos she finds friends. Carlos draws Marina into his partisan resistance activities as he seeks her art expertise. As they draw closer Marina dares to dream of a life with Carlos after the war. Then Carlos disappears and Marina fears the worst.
A job working with Art opens in Argentina and Marina decides to go there and start a new life. What she finds there is enlightening, heartbreaking and life changing.
I found the Character of Marina endearing but a bit naive as she had led a sheltered life with her father. Carlos was a charming character that took advantage of Marina for his own selfish purpose. Desi came across as a sweet young lady caught in an impossible situation and was a good match as a friend for Marina.
War is a different time, and sometimes people get caught up in the moment Horrible things happened and sometimes good things happened as well. All German people were not Nazi's and monsters, but those that were spread horrible destruction to life and property.
I did enjoy reading the book, I loved the ending and I would recommend it.
Thanks to Anita Abriel for writing another great book, to Atria books for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.
Romance, Heartbreak, War and saving the art from the Nazi's.
Marina stops to buy anchovies for her father's pasta after work. When she arrives home, she finds her father and another man dead in the basement. Her neighbor tells her that the Nazi's killed her father for harboring a Jewish Artist. Marina's father owned an art gallery in Rome, Italy and Marina was learning to run the gallery as she studied art at the university. The neighbor tells her she must leave at once before the soldier return. She flees to her father's friend in Florence, Italy.
Marina is lost without her father although her father's friend and art collector Bernard and his wife take her under their wing and treat her as family. She starts to catalog Bernard's collection while he smuggles art to Switzerland to keep it from the Nazi's.
When Marina meets Desi the girl next door and Carlos she finds friends. Carlos draws Marina into his partisan resistance activities as he seeks her art expertise. As they draw closer Marina dares to dream of a life with Carlos after the war. Then Carlos disappears and Marina fears the worst.
A job working with Art opens in Argentina and Marina decides to go there and start a new life. What she finds there is enlightening, heartbreaking and life changing.
I found the Character of Marina endearing but a bit naive as she had led a sheltered life with her father. Carlos was a charming character that took advantage of Marina for his own selfish purpose. Desi came across as a sweet young lady caught in an impossible situation and was a good match as a friend for Marina.
War is a different time, and sometimes people get caught up in the moment Horrible things happened and sometimes good things happened as well. All German people were not Nazi's and monsters, but those that were spread horrible destruction to life and property.
I did enjoy reading the book, I loved the ending and I would recommend it.
Thanks to Anita Abriel for writing another great book, to Atria books for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.
January 31, 2022
Marina has been enamored with art her entire life. Her father owned a gallery in Rome and she hoped to one day run it herself. One day, the Nazis March into the city and everything changes. Her father secretly hides a Jewish artist in their basement and she comes home one to find them both shot to death. She then finds her way to Florence where she spends her time getting to know new people and cataloging a huge library of valuable art and writings so that it can be smuggled to safety in Switzerland. But…everyone has secrets during the war and they sometimes come at the expense of other people.
This was just okay for me. I actually got to the point where I was ready to turn the last page. When I saw the description of saving art from the Germans during the war…I expected that to be the main story, but it wasn’t. There were just too many plot holes for me though I am grateful because when there was talk of art…it was very interesting and I wanted more of that
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Anita Abriel for early access to this story.
This was just okay for me. I actually got to the point where I was ready to turn the last page. When I saw the description of saving art from the Germans during the war…I expected that to be the main story, but it wasn’t. There were just too many plot holes for me though I am grateful because when there was talk of art…it was very interesting and I wanted more of that
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Anita Abriel for early access to this story.
Want to read
April 2, 2022A Girl During the War is a wonderful story of a woman, Marina who has a discerning eye for great works of art. She works to save Italy’s Renaissance art from being plundered by the Nazi’s during WWII.
The story is full of heartbreak, but also intrigue, strength and love. There are not many books I can think of that are written from the perspective of the Italian’s and the partisan’s and those that worked to save their incredible history and works of art. The Nazi’s plundered so much from all the countries they occupied and it makes you wonder how many actually made it back to their rightful owners.
Thank you #netgalley and #atria for allowing me to read this wonderful eARC. All opinions expressed above are my own.
The story is full of heartbreak, but also intrigue, strength and love. There are not many books I can think of that are written from the perspective of the Italian’s and the partisan’s and those that worked to save their incredible history and works of art. The Nazi’s plundered so much from all the countries they occupied and it makes you wonder how many actually made it back to their rightful owners.
Thank you #netgalley and #atria for allowing me to read this wonderful eARC. All opinions expressed above are my own.
March 22, 2022
I love a good story about WWII in Italy, but unfortunately, this one was just okay for me. I was really looking forward to it, as I loved Beneath a Scarlet Sky and Eternal, but it was missing the emotional tug I need to feel in Historical Fiction. What I liked about it: The friendships that became family, the references to Italian attractions, art and food, the inclusion of J.P. Morgan's Personal Librarian, Belle da Costa Greene (since I enjoyed The Personal Librarian), and the change of setting to South America. Worth a read, but not on level with some of my favs.
April 17, 2022
The heroine was fairly likable and there were some great characters. I loved the depictions of the paintings and architecture and the love for art that was spoken about but ultimately when I finished and closed the book I was disappointed. "Disappointing" those were my exact words when I closed the book, the great love story of the book was false and fake and that was a big let down.
March 13, 2022
Anita Abriel is a new-to-me author, but I found this story of the Italian resistance and partisans quite interesting. Marina Tozzi is a university student in Rome studying art and following in her father's footsteps. But when she returns home one day to find him dead because he was hiding a Jew in their basement, her whole life changes as she heads to the country near Florence to stay with friends of her father. Bernard is an art historian and has a huge library which he asks Marina to help him catalog. But Marina finds herself involved in the resistance and partisan effort to save Italy's great art works.
Abriel's book focuses on a part of World War II history with which I was not familiar and brought it vividly to life. Resisters played many roles and grabbed life and love where they could. The setting spanned countries and continents as they tried to keep famous art works safe from the Nazis who looted at will throughout Italy. Paintings in particular were smuggled as far away as South America. The romance theme showed the twists and turns that life could take as couples were separated, believed their love to be dead, and then found they were alive in another country. Very interesting look at the war through the eyes of those in Italy.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.
Abriel's book focuses on a part of World War II history with which I was not familiar and brought it vividly to life. Resisters played many roles and grabbed life and love where they could. The setting spanned countries and continents as they tried to keep famous art works safe from the Nazis who looted at will throughout Italy. Paintings in particular were smuggled as far away as South America. The romance theme showed the twists and turns that life could take as couples were separated, believed their love to be dead, and then found they were alive in another country. Very interesting look at the war through the eyes of those in Italy.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.
March 20, 2022
A fast paced, entertaining and engrossing read will keep you mesmerised from cover to cover.
Rome 1943 and Marina Tozzi arrives home to tragedy.
Working with her father in the local art gallery and keeping a shocking secret had put his life at risk.
Family friend and renowned art expert Bernard Berenson comes to Marina’s rescue with the offer of a place to stay and a job in his villa in the country.
With revenge on her mind and feeling relieved she does what she needs to do daily to survive.
Soon a handsome young artist appears and requests her help.
Marina accepts but before too long she is risking her life in dangerous escapades and falling in love with the artist, Carlos.
Then Carlos disappears.
Marina then needs to unravel the past and present to find the truth.
A romantic, beautifully crafted tale that takes the reader back to war torn Italy where you will be captivated and entertained.
There’s much to adore here, atmospheric location descriptions, historical art details explored, love and heartbreak captured passionately and an emotional, intriguing storyline.
I love Anita’s books and her inviting stories and I look forward to read whatever Anita releases next.
Rome 1943 and Marina Tozzi arrives home to tragedy.
Working with her father in the local art gallery and keeping a shocking secret had put his life at risk.
Family friend and renowned art expert Bernard Berenson comes to Marina’s rescue with the offer of a place to stay and a job in his villa in the country.
With revenge on her mind and feeling relieved she does what she needs to do daily to survive.
Soon a handsome young artist appears and requests her help.
Marina accepts but before too long she is risking her life in dangerous escapades and falling in love with the artist, Carlos.
Then Carlos disappears.
Marina then needs to unravel the past and present to find the truth.
A romantic, beautifully crafted tale that takes the reader back to war torn Italy where you will be captivated and entertained.
There’s much to adore here, atmospheric location descriptions, historical art details explored, love and heartbreak captured passionately and an emotional, intriguing storyline.
I love Anita’s books and her inviting stories and I look forward to read whatever Anita releases next.
June 5, 2024
Another good read by Anita Abriel!
From the beginning, we understand that Marina has an ingrained sense of survival, after watching the senseless death of her father at the hands of a Nazi soldier. She moves from Rome to Florence to Villa I Tatti, the home of her late father's American friend.
In the months following her arrival, Marina's expertise in art history makes her valuable to her newfound "family" and the Germans that occupy the surrounding town she lives in. While she navigates her new life, she meets Carlos, a member of the Italian Resistance who is housing a small Jewish family in an abandoned shed. Torn between safety and danger, Marina wills to help as many people as she can to avenge the death of her father and that means walking straight into the lion's den to do that.
Heartbreak, triumph, and hope are main themes of this story as Marina weaves in and out of danger and in and out of love. After the war, she sets off for Argentina where her art history expertise once again becomes the forefront of her life. In South America, she finds new life and old "friends" and decides she'll build her life back up from scratch after losing so much.
This book is a quick, interesting read and I really enjoyed it.
From the beginning, we understand that Marina has an ingrained sense of survival, after watching the senseless death of her father at the hands of a Nazi soldier. She moves from Rome to Florence to Villa I Tatti, the home of her late father's American friend.
In the months following her arrival, Marina's expertise in art history makes her valuable to her newfound "family" and the Germans that occupy the surrounding town she lives in. While she navigates her new life, she meets Carlos, a member of the Italian Resistance who is housing a small Jewish family in an abandoned shed. Torn between safety and danger, Marina wills to help as many people as she can to avenge the death of her father and that means walking straight into the lion's den to do that.
Heartbreak, triumph, and hope are main themes of this story as Marina weaves in and out of danger and in and out of love. After the war, she sets off for Argentina where her art history expertise once again becomes the forefront of her life. In South America, she finds new life and old "friends" and decides she'll build her life back up from scratch after losing so much.
This book is a quick, interesting read and I really enjoyed it.
May 14, 2022
This was only okay. Marina is an ITalian woman whose family owns an art gallery during WWII. Her father is shot and killed for harbouring a Jewish artist. Marina escapes to the countryside to her father's friend who owns a villa. This part is interesting but the love interest of Carlos just never sat right with me and the ending just doesn't read true at all.
February 27, 2022
A Girl During the War by Anita Abriel is a great WWII-era historical fiction that spans countries, continents, and produce a story that held me captivated from beginning to end.
I have enjoyed the author’s previous books - The Light After the War and Lana’s War, so I knew I had to read this one.
I really enjoyed the fact that she chose the locations to take place in Italy and then in Argentina. Both are beautiful countries with stunning landscapes, history, and classic landmarks. Both are also underserved when it comes to shedding light on all of the activities and tragedies that involved both countries during and after the war. The author did a great job creating a narrative that had history, realistic fictional additions, and creating a visual landscape for the reader to feel as if they were first-hand within the action.
I loved the main character, Marina Tozzi. She is smart, feisty, and like her younger age would suggest at the beginning, she has a lot to learn. Unfortunately, she experienced such tragedy at the beginning of the book and begins to form a connection of friendships, passions, ideals, and a moral compass as she seeks out direction, sees what is happening around her, and makes mistakes in the process, all the while trying in her own way to right the wrongs that she sees unfolding around her.
This book has romance, suspense, intrigue, history, wonderful descriptions of art and artifacts, true historical figures peppered within, mystery, and a definitely satisfying conclusion. I loved the twists that took place and all is certainly not what it seemed to the reader as the story went on.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone that loves historical fiction.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Atria books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to NG only at this time and will post it to my GR, Bookbub, Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/8/22.
I have enjoyed the author’s previous books - The Light After the War and Lana’s War, so I knew I had to read this one.
I really enjoyed the fact that she chose the locations to take place in Italy and then in Argentina. Both are beautiful countries with stunning landscapes, history, and classic landmarks. Both are also underserved when it comes to shedding light on all of the activities and tragedies that involved both countries during and after the war. The author did a great job creating a narrative that had history, realistic fictional additions, and creating a visual landscape for the reader to feel as if they were first-hand within the action.
I loved the main character, Marina Tozzi. She is smart, feisty, and like her younger age would suggest at the beginning, she has a lot to learn. Unfortunately, she experienced such tragedy at the beginning of the book and begins to form a connection of friendships, passions, ideals, and a moral compass as she seeks out direction, sees what is happening around her, and makes mistakes in the process, all the while trying in her own way to right the wrongs that she sees unfolding around her.
This book has romance, suspense, intrigue, history, wonderful descriptions of art and artifacts, true historical figures peppered within, mystery, and a definitely satisfying conclusion. I loved the twists that took place and all is certainly not what it seemed to the reader as the story went on.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone that loves historical fiction.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Atria books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to NG only at this time and will post it to my GR, Bookbub, Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/8/22.
March 13, 2022
I loved the idea for this book. Lots of art history and saving art during the war. Unfortunately, for me the book wasn’t great. The pace seemed a bit off, lots of time jumps where I wanted more detail. Some of the timeline didn’t make a ton of sense to me either. Parts of the book were extremely vague and yet it seemed long. I feel like there are still some unanswered questions and I didn’t love any of the characters. It felt a bit rushed, I didn’t have time to like them or care about their relationships. I just wanted so much more.
Thank you @atriabooks for my gifted copy!
Thank you @atriabooks for my gifted copy!
April 11, 2022
I enjoyed the story but found the writing style to be super cheesy and disjointed at times. Hard to look past that.
March 28, 2022
3.5 rounded up.
I enjoyed this WWII historical romance novel set in Florence Italy and later in postwar Argentina. This story follows art historian Marina who comes home to find her father and the Jewish artist he was hiding from the Nazis dead. Scared, she flees to Florence to take shelter with his American friend Bernard Berenson and his partner Belle da Costa Greene, the famed librarian who once curated J.P. Morgan’s library.
Here Marina meets Carlos, a partisan helping to save Italian Jews and get precious artwork out of the country before the Nazis can confiscate it. Marina ends up helping Carlos and then is left abandoned when he mysteriously disappears. Fast forward to after the war and Marina has gone to Argentina to help recover the missing/stolen art.
I really enjoyed how the author weaved fact and fiction in this book. Belle da Costa Greene is such an intriguing woman in history and it was so interesting imagining how she might have befriended a woman like Marina. I didn't love how Carlos and Marina's love story ended up but Marina did eventually find her own happiness. Perfect for fans of Kristin Harmel or Jennifer Robson. This was great on audio and a great addition to a part of WWII historical fiction I hadn't read much about before. Definitely recommended!
I enjoyed this WWII historical romance novel set in Florence Italy and later in postwar Argentina. This story follows art historian Marina who comes home to find her father and the Jewish artist he was hiding from the Nazis dead. Scared, she flees to Florence to take shelter with his American friend Bernard Berenson and his partner Belle da Costa Greene, the famed librarian who once curated J.P. Morgan’s library.
Here Marina meets Carlos, a partisan helping to save Italian Jews and get precious artwork out of the country before the Nazis can confiscate it. Marina ends up helping Carlos and then is left abandoned when he mysteriously disappears. Fast forward to after the war and Marina has gone to Argentina to help recover the missing/stolen art.
I really enjoyed how the author weaved fact and fiction in this book. Belle da Costa Greene is such an intriguing woman in history and it was so interesting imagining how she might have befriended a woman like Marina. I didn't love how Carlos and Marina's love story ended up but Marina did eventually find her own happiness. Perfect for fans of Kristin Harmel or Jennifer Robson. This was great on audio and a great addition to a part of WWII historical fiction I hadn't read much about before. Definitely recommended!
March 8, 2022
Author, Anita Abriel's, third historical novel, A GIRL DURING THE WAR (Simon&Schuster/Atria) is a love story in the hills of Tuscany, during the final years of WWII. It starts in Rome, is situated for the majority of the novel in Tuscany and ends in South America.
Rome: 1943, Marina Tozzi is on her way home with anchovies for her father's pasta, when she finds him dead, along with the Jewish artist he's been hiding in their basement. Worrying about retaliations against her, Marina flees to the Florence villa of her father's American business partner, Bernard Berenson and his partner, the famed JP Morgan Librarian, Belle da Costa Greene.
Florence is a full of partisans and Germans fighting for control over the city. Art expert, Marina starts helping Bernard catalog his extensive library of rare books he's hoping to protect from the looting Nazis. But war makes for strange bed fellows and soon Marina finds herself in a relationship with patrician, Carlos. Marina shares her artistic knowledge to help determine the value of precious art Carlos is collecting to raise money for the resistance.
As the war winds down, Marina questions all the assumptions she's made. Is what she has believed throughout the war, true? A GIRL DURING THE WAR is filled with history, art, betrayal, grief, horror and love.
Rome: 1943, Marina Tozzi is on her way home with anchovies for her father's pasta, when she finds him dead, along with the Jewish artist he's been hiding in their basement. Worrying about retaliations against her, Marina flees to the Florence villa of her father's American business partner, Bernard Berenson and his partner, the famed JP Morgan Librarian, Belle da Costa Greene.
Florence is a full of partisans and Germans fighting for control over the city. Art expert, Marina starts helping Bernard catalog his extensive library of rare books he's hoping to protect from the looting Nazis. But war makes for strange bed fellows and soon Marina finds herself in a relationship with patrician, Carlos. Marina shares her artistic knowledge to help determine the value of precious art Carlos is collecting to raise money for the resistance.
As the war winds down, Marina questions all the assumptions she's made. Is what she has believed throughout the war, true? A GIRL DURING THE WAR is filled with history, art, betrayal, grief, horror and love.
August 5, 2022
2.5 stars.
This had things I love - Italy and art - and was set during the Nazi occupation of Rome - usually a recipe for a great read, but this one didn't fall into the "great" category for me. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, but I didn't love it like I thought I would.
Marina and her Father work together in his gallery in Rome, but unbeknownst to her he is hiding a Jewish artist in their basement. When Marina arrives home one evening to find her father has been killed by a German officer she contacts an old friend of her father's and flees to the hills outside Florence to take refuge in his villa. Berenson, her father's friend, gives her work cataloguing his huge art collection and Marina, determined to avenge her father's death, becomes involved with another local artist, Carlos, and his partisan cause.
Marina risks her life to prevent priceless works of art from falling into the hands of the Nazi's and falls in love with Carlos, but when Carlos disappears her new life and plans are thrown into chaos...
While enjoyable, this was perhaps a little too predictable and tame for my liking.. still recommended though :-)
This had things I love - Italy and art - and was set during the Nazi occupation of Rome - usually a recipe for a great read, but this one didn't fall into the "great" category for me. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, but I didn't love it like I thought I would.
Marina and her Father work together in his gallery in Rome, but unbeknownst to her he is hiding a Jewish artist in their basement. When Marina arrives home one evening to find her father has been killed by a German officer she contacts an old friend of her father's and flees to the hills outside Florence to take refuge in his villa. Berenson, her father's friend, gives her work cataloguing his huge art collection and Marina, determined to avenge her father's death, becomes involved with another local artist, Carlos, and his partisan cause.
Marina risks her life to prevent priceless works of art from falling into the hands of the Nazi's and falls in love with Carlos, but when Carlos disappears her new life and plans are thrown into chaos...
While enjoyable, this was perhaps a little too predictable and tame for my liking.. still recommended though :-)
February 9, 2022
Love can't always be trusted.
Marina Tozzi has lost much during the war. The death of her father lead her to Florence, the home of her father's childhood friend. Here she is able to continue in the work of art and helping the movement in identifying valuable art pieces. Marina develops friendships and falls in love.
I struggled with this one until the very end when Marina is given the opportunity to go South America where many Germans fled after the war. The struggle for me was the depth of character and plot. It was very one dimensional. Sometimes you just don't feel it.
Marina's character did struggle with love and during the war that can be a tricky thing. Who do you trust and how fear plays in those lines. Marina's character was fearless. However, there were others that were driven by other desires. Good desires always leads to strong courage. I did appreciate the history of art and the fight to stop the Germans. Always something to learn from that time in history.
A special thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
Marina Tozzi has lost much during the war. The death of her father lead her to Florence, the home of her father's childhood friend. Here she is able to continue in the work of art and helping the movement in identifying valuable art pieces. Marina develops friendships and falls in love.
I struggled with this one until the very end when Marina is given the opportunity to go South America where many Germans fled after the war. The struggle for me was the depth of character and plot. It was very one dimensional. Sometimes you just don't feel it.
Marina's character did struggle with love and during the war that can be a tricky thing. Who do you trust and how fear plays in those lines. Marina's character was fearless. However, there were others that were driven by other desires. Good desires always leads to strong courage. I did appreciate the history of art and the fight to stop the Germans. Always something to learn from that time in history.
A special thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
June 23, 2023
I know, another historical novel about Europe during World War II. However this one takes place in Italy and is peppered with references to amazing art, architecture and museums.
There are partisans, Germans, lovers and ordinary people. Marina, an art expert, uses her expertise to protect Italian art. She is skilled at helping those around her, even as her personal life in imploding.
(Warning, it is not always a wise choice to fall in love with a handsome dashing man.)
However, the art making the reading worthwhile.
There are partisans, Germans, lovers and ordinary people. Marina, an art expert, uses her expertise to protect Italian art. She is skilled at helping those around her, even as her personal life in imploding.
(Warning, it is not always a wise choice to fall in love with a handsome dashing man.)
However, the art making the reading worthwhile.
April 25, 2024
This book followed the life of a young girl during WWII whose father was killed by Nazis for helping Jews. It gives you a peek into how life would have been in the midst of all the conflict in Italy. The book os well-written and describes Italy during the war, but it was not so exceptional that I would want to read it again. It reminded me of a paperback romance novel.
April 23, 2022
The book was very interesting, but if it wasn't for the narrator, i would've been able to finish it.
May 13, 2023
A quick and easy read but a bit light. I did like the switch to South America.
December 19, 2023
I've been reading WWII historical fiction from different cities / countries (London, Paris, etc) so this one checked box for Florence.
February 22, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and looking forward to reading more books by Anita Abriel.
April 23, 2025
Sweet young adult novel about WWII-light.
April 6, 2022
Read this book!
Seriously, if you are into Historical Fiction this is a wonderful new one that just hit shelves in March.
Marina barely misses being murdered buy Nazis and goes to live with her late fathers good friend. Here she begins to catalog his library and help to save art from the Nazis who say they are "moving it to ensure its safety".
This young lady goes through so much throughout this book and you are taken along beautifully for the ride. Heartache, friendship, love, betrayal, and growth in general. There is so much depth to this book it is hard to put it down. I cannot wait to read more from this author!
I received this book through a good reads giveaway and this is my honest review.
June 6, 2022
Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from Atria Books via NetGalley.
Rome, 1943: University student Marina Tozzi is on her way home when she finds out that her father has been killed for harboring a Jewish artist in their home. Fearful of the consequences, Marina flees to Villa I Tatti, the Florence villa of her father’s American friend Bernard Berenson and his partner Belle da Costa Greene, the famed librarian who once curated J.P. Morgan’s library.
Florence is a hotbed of activity as partisans and Germans fight for control of the city. Marina, an art expert, begins helping Bernard catalog his library as he makes the difficult trek to neutral Switzerland, helping to hide precious cultural artifacts from the Germans. Adding to the tension, their young neighbor Carlos, a partisan, seeks out Marina for both her art expertise and her charm. Marina, swept up in the romance, dreams of a life together after the war.
But when Carlos disappears, all of Marina’s assumptions about her life in Florence are thrown into doubt, and she’ll have to travel halfway around the world to unravel what really happened during the war.
I liked this book until about half way through. It went the way I was expecting the story to go, however, I was disappointed with how things turned out. I really liked Marina and I thought she was dumbed down at some points in the book.
Rome, 1943: University student Marina Tozzi is on her way home when she finds out that her father has been killed for harboring a Jewish artist in their home. Fearful of the consequences, Marina flees to Villa I Tatti, the Florence villa of her father’s American friend Bernard Berenson and his partner Belle da Costa Greene, the famed librarian who once curated J.P. Morgan’s library.
Florence is a hotbed of activity as partisans and Germans fight for control of the city. Marina, an art expert, begins helping Bernard catalog his library as he makes the difficult trek to neutral Switzerland, helping to hide precious cultural artifacts from the Germans. Adding to the tension, their young neighbor Carlos, a partisan, seeks out Marina for both her art expertise and her charm. Marina, swept up in the romance, dreams of a life together after the war.
But when Carlos disappears, all of Marina’s assumptions about her life in Florence are thrown into doubt, and she’ll have to travel halfway around the world to unravel what really happened during the war.
I liked this book until about half way through. It went the way I was expecting the story to go, however, I was disappointed with how things turned out. I really liked Marina and I thought she was dumbed down at some points in the book.
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