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ClareR (5841 KP) rated Pippo and Clara in Books

Apr 16, 2021  
Pippo and Clara
Pippo and Clara
Diana Rosie | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Pippo and Clara begins in 1938, in Italy. Mussolini is in power and WW2 is imminent. The Fascists have control of the country, but not necessarily the people, and the Italian Communists are fighting back.
Pippo and Clara arrive in the city with their mother after their Romany father is murdered. One morning their mother gets up early to buy food and doesn’t return. Clara goes to look for her, turning right at the entrance to their building; later Pippo awakens and goes to look for his mother and Clara, turning left at the entrance. This change in direction means the children don’t see one another for a long time.
Luckily, they are each adopted into families (unofficially) who love and care for them - Clara’s family are Fascists, Pippo’s are Communists.
This was such an emotional story. It wasn’t just what happened to these children, it was the bigger picture as well. When the inevitable happens and the Germans occupy Italy, Jews are rounded up and taken away, people fear for their freedom and their lives.
It was fascinating to read about the Freedom Fighters (Partisans) and their acts of espionage, as well as how they fought back. This included even those who had been fascists under Mussolini’s regime.
There’s so much to talk about in this book (perfect for a book club, I should think!), but I won’t spoil it. Needless to say, I really enjoyed it and was thoroughly heartbroken by the end. Any book about war is going to have tragic elements, but this is about hope as well, and the fact that good can, and did, overcome evil.
Another recommendation for the historical fiction fans. It’s a fabulous novel.
  
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Merissa (12552 KP) rated She Sees Ghosts (Adirondack Spirit Series) in Books

Jan 20, 2021 (Updated Aug 7, 2023)  
She Sees Ghosts (Adirondack Spirit Series)
She Sees Ghosts (Adirondack Spirit Series)
David Fitz-Gerald | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
SHE SEES GHOSTS is part of the Adirondack Spirit series that tells you about living in times gone past when life was both easier and a whole lot harder.

Mehitable has the ability to see and talk to ghosts. For a long time, she viewed this as a curse due to how it impacted her life. It is only as the story progresses, and she grows, that she can view it as something special. Mehitable is a strong character, determined to live her life the way she wants, rather than how society expects it. She is fully supported by her best friend, Polly, and her husband, Reuben. Other characters show up for their part, but the main story involves Mehitable, Polly, Reuben, and then Destiny. Although Destiny wasn't in it for long, he certainly had an impact. I would have liked to have had more of him, but he still managed to stake his claim in the book anyway.

This was a fascinating read that also gave insight into some of the living conditions that they contented within the here and now, as well as in their history.

I did feel the ending left me hanging. I am presuming the next book in the series will be about Moses, but I'm not completely sure. I would love to know more about Mehitable and her life though.

A wonderful story with lots of research shining through, making this a fantastic historical novel with paranormal elements. Definitely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 20, 2021