Eternal by Lisa Scottoline is a real change of pace for this favorite author of mine. She usually writes a standalone thriller or a series book about an agency of female lawyers. This is her first time outing with historical fiction, and like so many before her, she chose World War II as her setting.

Elisabetta, Marco, and Sandro are the main characters. They have grown up together, and both young men are in love with Elisabetta, and she with them. Their country Italy is on the brink of war as Mussolini has become the leader of the country, and he has been making nice with Hitler. While Mussolini had no disregard for the Jewish like Sandro, he would be persuaded otherwise by Hitler.

Before long, Sandro’s family along with all the other families of the Ghetto were under attack. Marco’s family tried helping Sandro’s but found themselves at odds with the secret police. Elisabetta is courted by both, but Sandro must turn her away because the Race Laws that have been put into place prohibit him from marrying outside his Jewish faith.

As with all stories about the war, many losses and heartbreaks occur, but love and family are “eternal.”

Lisa Scottoline has written more than two dozen novels as well as a couple of nonfiction books with her daughter. Historical fiction is outside her normal genres. In the author’s note, she explains she was inspired in a writing class with Philip Roth to write some literature of the Holocaust. She also writes a weekly column for the Philadelphia Inquirer titled “Chick Wit.” She lives in Philadelphia with her numerous pets.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting August 22, 2020.

I would like to thank Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.