A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell

A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Thread of Grace was a fascinating read for me because of the time period it covers. I knew almost nothing about Italy during World War 2 when southern Italy fought with the allies and northern Italy fought with Germany. Italy from Rome up was governed by a puppet government with Mussolini as a figure head, but with Germany actually in charge. Southern Italy was under allied control and their forces were pushing north. This novel looks at the resistance in Northern Italy, specifically how the fighters risked their lives to help Jews fleeing the Nazis.

It took me a while to get into Russell's characters, but once I did I found them all interesting and a few fascinating. Even during the most barbarous of times, people still act foolish, fall in love, behave with strength or with terrible weaknesses that leave them overwhelmed with guilt. There were some sections where I felt the author lost the story and instead was teaching the readers, but most of the time the plot captured me, especially in the second half.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and would like to learn more about Italy during World War 2.


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We Shall See the Sky Sparkling by Susana Aikin

We Shall See the Sky Sparkling by Susana Aikin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Susana Aikin’s novel, We Shall See the Sky Sparkling, starts out as a story of Lilly, a young woman born in 1880, who chose to leave her family in Manchester, England, to take her chances as an actress in the London theater scene. She was seventeen when she left home and she did NOT have her father’s approval.

The book takes a major turn when Lilly decides to leave England for an opportunity in St. Petersburg. She had achieved major professional success in London, but her personal life was in turmoil. Lilly was excited about what was going on with Russian theater and hoped to meet people such as the actor and producer Konstantin Stanislavski and the playwright Anton Chekhov, but she didn’t count on the political problems in Russia.

I loved the details in this fine historical fiction, especially the descriptions of the London theater scene, but what I found most interesting were the problems faced by a strong willed woman living in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The men in Lilly’s life had power over her and most of them did not treat her fairly. I liked the way Aikin approached their personalities. They ranged from brutal to loving and kind, but also included men who were caring, yet self absorbed. Minor characters often treated Lilly as if she were a child, sometimes with the best of intentions yet without the respect she deserved.

Overall, I found We Shall See the Sky Sparkling to be an outstanding read. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Steve Lindahl – author of Motherless Soul, White Horse Regressions, Hopatcong Vision Quest, Under a Warped Cross, and Living in a Star’s Light.


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