Ticket to Read Book Challenge 2018 discussion

Yet another WWII book, this time the biography of a real person, Pino Lella, set in Italy. In the introduction, the author, Mark T. Sullivan, tells how he discovered the story, found out that Pino Lella was still alive and had lived for 30 years in California, before returning for at least 30 years more in Italy. Sullivan managed to interview him extensively, as well as others who either knew him or the times. He also wandered around the places Lella told him about and read documents and books about the time. However the Nazis burned most of their documents, and Italians have a "collective amnesia" about World War II, so Sullivan glues together what facts he could learn with scenes and dialogues based on Lellos memory and Sullivan's own imagination. For that reason, he categorizes the book as "a novel of biographical and historical fiction" set in Italy from June 1943 to May 1945.
I found Sullivan's writing very engaging, definitely much more a novel than some biographies history writing I have read, where the author tries to find a way to include every little factum he's discovered. I was brought to tears sometimes, and nearly held my breath through some passages.
As the owner of a Little Free Library, I keep looking for books that would engage the older young people in our neighborhood. I now regret that I read the book on my kindle, because I think it makes an excellent YA book as well.

I considered this title and felt I needed to branch out from this historical period, where I tend to go down the rabbit hole, so initially didn't include it in my "Want to Read." I've remedied that mistake, now. :)

I can't seem to break away from WWII era either - so many things written about this time period right now.

We just saw the film "The Darkest Hour". So can't avoid it in the theater, either!

I have read this book. Fascinating true story. I too, love WWII and force myself to read something else. I too saw the Darkest Hour!

I’m with everyone else. I’m a little over books from this time period. That being said, this isn’t the first good review I’ve read. Maybe later in the year.

I just finished another World War II book, Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay Sarah's Key .
And then I found this list of books about the era for children and young people, which doesn't even include some I know. https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11586

I read Sarah's Key a few years back and really enjoyed it. It was made into a movie, but I don't think the movie did well. Not sure if it was because of the way it was adapted, the acting, the timing, or something else, but it wasn't in the theaters very long. I keep meaning to look for it on Netflix, so this is a good reminder.

Mary Jo wrote: "I read Sarah's Key a few years back and really enjoyed it. It was made into a movie, but I don't think the movie did well. Not sure if it was because of the way it was adapted, the acting, the timi..." Sarah's Key really haunts me to this day. I didn't watch the movie because I didn't think I'd make it through.