Author: Eoin Dempsey
Started: Feb. 24, 2021
Finished: Feb. 27, 2021
Lilliana Nicoletti is a young girl growing up in the shadow of Monte Sole, a beautiful mountain in Italy. Her area has seen its share of Nazis searching for partisan fighters. One day the Nazis decide killing the fighters is not enough and they round up the elders, women, and children of the area and murder them. Thanks to an American POW she had recently helped, Lilliana escapes and goes on to live life in America. Many years later, she and the POW meet again and decide to hold the man who ordered the killing of her family accountable.
I had never heard of the Monte Sole Massacre prior to reading this book. On that horrible day, over 700 people were murdered by Nazis who said they were "just following orders." Eoin Dempsey obviously did his research as his retelling of a massacre in the town cemetery was detailed and portrayed the gruesome reality of the day. The fictional story that takes place after the massacre is well told and has a comfortable rhythm to it. I was impressed with Dempsey's writing and an obvious understanding of them even. His empathy for the people of the region is also evident and, in my opinion, goes a long way in the writing of this story.
You can read more about the Monte Sole Massacre here.