Wednesday, June 10, 2009

It Happened In Italy - A Review

"It Happened In Italy"
By- Elizabeth Bettina
384 Pages
Publisher- Thomas Nelson

When I think of the Holocaust, I think of torture and death, Dachau and Auschwitz.

Having been born near the end of World War II, I have heard of the horrible Nazi labor camps; the separation of families; the beatings; the starvation; the genocide of millions of Jewish people. But I had not heard of the humane internment camps in Italy.

The book’s author, Elizabeth Bettina, spent many of her childhood summers in Campagna, Italy, but never knew the important story that lay buried within the tiny, intimate community. She had never heard of the dramatic years of the Nazi regime and how it touched the lives of her relatives and friends. As an adult, she finds an intriguing photo of Jewish prisoners who are well-dressed and relativity happy, standing among a group of smiling people, a Catholic Bishop, and a police officer. The picture becomes the catalyst of the book.

This is a surprising and intriguing story that at times gave me “goose bumps” and made me smile. It is a story the author feels she was meant to write, one that had to be told. She has gone to a great effort to document the courage and friendship of the unheralded people of Italy, a people who risk their lives to protect the lives of their fellow man.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

well now I have to read it!

Barb Davis said...

Nancy- I thought the book was excellent.

Sandy aka Doris the Great said...

I'll be on the lookout for that one. Thank you.

Barb Davis said...

Sandy- Great read.

Melissa Amateis said...

Oh! I love WW2 stories! (No big surprise there!) I'm going to check out this book. Thanks for the tip!

Barb Davis said...

Melissa- It certainly opened my eyes. It's a beautiful story of good people in WWII.

Carol Murdock said...

I visited Dachau when I lived in Germany. It was hot summer and the smell was still very evident!
I think this would be an interesting read!

Barb Davis said...

Carol- What a terrible place! And that the smells still lingered!!

Barb Davis said...

Karen- Thanks for dropping by. Please come back often.