“She kept their secrets. But someone was about to betray her”

  • Book: The Italian Girls
  • Location: Italy
  • Author: Debbie Rix

Review Author: Yvonne@FictionBooks

Location

Content

I have read so many World War II books recently, each managing to keep me engaged and intrigued to varying degrees, with some imaginative and emotional storylines and excellent characterisations. The Italian Girls lifted just about every element of its storytelling up a notch to that next level, with the additional connection that the events were genuine and the characters were based on real people.

Author Debbie Rix, had obviously undertaken some meticulous research before putting pen to paper, where she then set about the process of fictionalising this important episode of world and social history, in such a sympathetic and empathetic way, that I became completely immersed and engaged, as if I had been transported back in time and had established a personal and tangible connection with the terrible unfolding events and the reluctant cast of heroes.

There was a real sense of theatre as Debbie set the backdrop and timeline for the story, with her characters bringing the scenes and action to life. Invaded, war torn Italy was described vividly and in great detail, whilst still offering that human connection around the physical and emotional needs of the people to maintain some continuity in everyday life, which made for a page turning story. The sense of a people pushed to desperation, a horrifying yet richly crafted atmosphere of fear, tension and impending doom. Keeping true to the facts, there was a gripping depth and range to the visually descriptive narrative and dialogue, as a beleaguered population chose their sides; fascist or communist, partisan or collaborator, hunter or hunted! Friends, neighbours, colleagues and family divided in the direction their aspirations for a better future for their country should take them. The aura of mistrust hanging heavy in the air, the unseen enemy of everyone. Desperately tragic, yet intensely compelling scenes of brutality, not only from the invading forces, but also between rival partisan factions, which evoked scenes of raw passion and pitted  countrymen against one another, were masterfully written with total authority, confidence and emotional perception, which rather than stall the story as they might so easily have done, kept the pace and fluidity of events at just the right level, effortlessly moving the action along towards its profoundly touching and heady climax.

Debbie had obviously studied her characters well and had a clear development plan for them, before committing their complex personalities and behaviours to paper, casting them into the storyline, then allowing them the freedom of narrative and dialogue to morph and transform to full maturity at their own pace, as the unfolding and ever evolving events and relationships dictated. This developed into a tangible division in this diverse character cast. There were those from the Moretti family and their ‘grounded’ community of friends and associates, whose genuine depth of feelings, deep seated and unshakeable beliefs, and profound integrity, made them so easy to invest in. The Bellucci family and their extended cast of film and media colleagues, liked to believe that the world thought they were doing the right thing, however so much of their rhetoric and so many of their actions, were openly superficial and false, that I found myself disconnected from them for most of the time.

There was a great supporting cast of characters, who were well portrayed and defined, arguably the most important of whom was Livia Moretti’s father, Giacomo, a lawyer and steadfast, stalwart supporter of the Resistance. However, the primary focus of the story, were for me personally, the two female protagonists Livia and Isabella. One survived the war and occupation by using her wits, guile and intelligence, the other by means of her beauty, naivety and acting skills. One of them I could connect with, the other barely registered on my scale of importance, only as a nuisance. I guess that their different merits and traits countered one another to some degree, although they were destined to only meet once, and then not under very auspicious circumstances.

Livia is her father’s daughter through and through. She is confident in her abilities and self-sufficiency; tenacious when she has a role or task to fulfil; loyal to her friends, family and everyone she is asked to help; honest to the cause of the Resistance, no matter the pain and suffering she is forced to endure at the hands of the enemy; and deeply devoted to the man she loves. Isabella could not be any more different in her approach to surviving the war. She has an occupation she selfishly doesn’t want to give up because of the benefits it offers, even if that means sucking up to her Fascist backers; she is clearly very insecure and searching for a sense of belonging, which makes many of her actions appear superficial and half-hearted; she has an unhealthy obsession for her director, Vicenzo Lucchese, even when he has made it perfectly clear to her that his interests lie elsewhere; she is so very driven by her emotions and the need for revenge, that she puts many people in danger with her thoughtless words and actions.

However, not all the enemy are bad and not all friends are good and true, as the girls find out for themselves. To reveal the very satisfying end to this story, would be to give too much away. Let’s just say that Debbie Rix has treated this with the same unhurried honesty and compassion she had shown throughout.

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