Review By Veronica
An Italian Girl in Brooklyn is a beautiful, well-crafted story and a must-have for any historical fiction fan.
Favourite Quote:
“A moment later Ezra appeared from the back, holding a package wrapped in brown paper. Evelina lifted her gaze from the ribbon and glanced at him. They locked eyes for a moment and something grabbed her stomach on the inside and squeezed it hard. Then Evelina felt her cheeks burn in a deep and embarrassing blush. Horrified by this unexpected reaction she swiftly turned her attention back to the ribbon, but she no longer saw it. She didn’t notice either that her fingers were trembling as they settled unsteadily onto the fabric. She was, however, acutely aware of the man with curly brown hair and soft grey eyes who was now talking to Signora Ferraro.”
Goodreads Synopsis:
New York, 1979.
It is Thanksgiving and Evelina has her close family and beloved friends gathered around, her heart weighted with gratitude for what she has and regret for what she has given up. She has lived in America for over thirty years, but she is still Italian in her soul.
Northern Italy, 1934.
Evelina leads a sheltered life with her parents and siblings in a villa of fading grandeur. When her elder sister Benedetta marries a banker, to suit her father’s wishes rather than her own, Evelina swears that she will never marry out of duty. She knows nothing of romantic love, but when she meets Ezra, son of the local dressmaker, her heart recognises it like an old friend.
Evelina wants these carefree days to last forever. She wants to bask in sunshine, beauty and love and pay no heed to the grey clouds gathering on the horizon. But nothing lasts forever. The shadows of war are darkening over Europe and precious lives are under threat…
This book is really, really well written. Santa is a master at creating an emotional and riveting story that stays with you for days. When I started reading this book, I felt like I was instantly transported to the gorgeous countryside of Italy. I could feel the warm breeze on my skin and could smell the rosemary that grew in Evelina’s family’s villa. I really did love spending time there. One of the things that I love about historical fiction books is that I feel like I learn something while reading them. I could tell that Santa did her research on the history of Italy before and during the war. It was interesting seeing what was happening in Italian communities and how they dealt with the horrors of the war.
The story itself is character and relationship driven. The events of the war are present in the book, and they help guide the direction the story goes in, but the characters and their decisions drive the plot along. This makes the story’s pacing slower, and if you are looking for a book with action, you might want to read something else. The story follows Evelina, a young woman trying to figure out what she wants. We watch as she navigates her relationships with family, friends, and love interests. I loved watching her life unfold and her grow into a smart and caring woman. This theme of “what ifs” comes up again and again in the book, and it is something that plagues Evelina. She often thinks about what her life would be like if she had made a different choice or if events had unfolded differently.
Love is another important theme in this book. I would even say that this book is a romance. Evelina fell madly in love with Ezra at 17 years old. It was clear that these two were soulmates. I could feel that connection and their love for each other; it really leapt from the pages. However, the war ripped these two apart, and Evelina thinks Ezra is forever lost to her. Her grief forces her to move to the States, where she struggles to get over losing Ezra. As time passes, Evelina realizes that there are different kinds of love and begins to fall in love with Franklin, who she eventually marries. Evelina’s love life has plenty of unexpected twists and turns, and there is a huge surprise near the end of the book that I didn’t see coming. I enjoyed the romance in this book; Santa does a great job of showing readers how complicated love can be. I love how Evelina had two great loves in her life, and those loves were very different.
Fans of Julia Kelly and Kristin Harmel’s books will love An Italian Girl in Brooklyn.
Thank you, Simon and Schuster Canada, for the book in exchange for an honest review.
