This book tore my heart apart. Especially, in the first half. Incredibly heart wrenching.
The different perspectives and the writing style was a little choppy at times in the beginning, but quickly became flawless and was super smooth to follow all the way to the end.
The timeline hop work exceptionally well, and it was fast paced from the very first sentence.
Some of this book was based on true events that I wasn’t aware of. I was so interested and invested in Monte Sole that I immediately researched the events after finishing. I love when a book pulls me in so completely and I learn something new at the same time.
I know this is a work of fiction, but it did make me question what was based on truth. I’m not sure why I thought about it so hard. I was a little disappointed in how this book painted Germans. Like they were all animals, celebrating the deaths of women and children. Was not one of them redeemable in these events? Any of them forced against their will to complete these acts or so completely brainwashed by their government at the time? I really loved how this novel made me think so deeply. How governments affect thoughts.
I didn’t love the second half as much as I loved the beginning, but I thought it had a unique twist with a civilian victim and a American soldier taking justice and revenge into their own hands. I also really enjoyed reading about the Germans in Argentina.
And, the very ending touched my soul.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me a chance to read this incredible book. All thoughts are my own.

The Longest Echo by Eoin Dempsey is a riveting historical fiction book which features the real life tragedy that occurred in the cemetery at Casaglia in Monte Sole, Italy in September 1944. It is well researched and brings you into the life the horrors of living under the Nazi regime and highlights the partisan heroes who tried to hold them back. eighteen heroines who Those who love this genre will appreciate that this is a World War II book set in Italy, instead of the more frequently told stories from Germany or France.

I loved every minute of it, and did not want it to end. The heroine of the book is Liliana Nicoletti. The first part of the book is especially harrowing and full of courageous exploits by Liliana and James, a POW who manages to escape from on a train. The book then covers the period of time 1956 and concludes with a wonderful ending in 1984.

We are transported into life on the far outskirts of the Italian mountainous countryside, to parts of Argentina, and then the Northeastern United States. The author is masterful and weaving this passage of time and location to a satisfying conclusion.

I personally was floored again to be reminded that so many Nazi war criminals were not punished. This last half of the book examines the ways the Nazi war criminals escaped, the governments that hid them, and the apathy that allowed them to remain free. We are also cautioned that Nazi’s are not so far removed from our own ideals and “it’s harder to realize that there a little bit of that same monster in all of us, and the only real way to stop that monster is to make sure those with the ideas to destroy that which is good don’t attain power.” In our current political environment this advice is especially timely.

These characters will become real to you, too. You will learn much, but more importantly be inspired by the strength and will to survive. The many who were massacred that day deserve to be honored, and this book is a wonderful tribute to their legacy. Their strength and determination should not be forgotten.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Lake Union Publishing in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

A beautifully written and really captivating read. It was very interesting to read about WWII in Italy. It was very heartbreaking at times especially when you think that peoples lives were like its! I love a good historical novel so I highly recommend this.

I have read many historical fiction novels about WWII, this one is one of the best. Beautiful and heart wrenching. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Longest Echo is a WW2 historical fiction novel that spans a period of 40 years, from 1944 to 1985. The story begins in Monte Sole Italy. The Allies were on the verge of breaking through to Bologna, and the Nazis were on a murder spree, ridding Southern Italy of all Partisans forces, who were putting obstacles in an attempt to halt the fascist Nazis, and permit the allies to advance.

In these very late days of WW2, the people of Monte Sole, and the Nicoletti family, were just barely getting by, surviving day to day, praying to remain unscathed by the war. Sadly, the Nazis invade their peaceful village, including the Nicoletti home, looking for members of the Stella Rosa, the underground resistance. At the same time, the Nicoletti family was hiding an escaped American POW, James Foley. The events that take place in the village of Monte Sole, unite James with Liliana Nicoletti, and alter both of their lives forever.

When the war is over, Liliana Nicoletti dreams of making the Nazi who destroyed her village, confess to his crimes. She just has to find him. And if she does, she is pretty sure, she will kill him. After years of searching, Liliana and James believe they have tracked down the Nazi responsible for the massacre at Monte Sole in Argentina …

When faced with the opportunity of revenge, Liliana thinks of her father’s words: “Don’t let the evil that the SS have inflicted imprison you. You will survive … and when you do, you must liveth most wondrous life … Don’t let their hatred live. Leave it behind and you will have won.”

I do not want to spoil the book … Pick it up and find out what happens to Liliana and James.#thelongestecho by Eoin Dempsey is an excellent read.

Thanks to #netgalley and @lakeunion for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #5stars.

The Longest Echo looks at WWII from the Italian perspective, an angle that often goes unexplored. Liliana witnesses her entire family being slaughtered and vows revenge. One of my favorite scenes was her interrogating Brack and giving him the treatment he deserved and more. Some of,the events in the story are based on actual occurrences. I liked reading this historical fiction from a non traditional angle. WWII historical fiction continues to be an ever expanding genre and this story fits right in.

Incredible, heart-breaking, and endearing. I loved reading this book, especially in the first half of it. The emotions were so strong, I felt all the pain of the characters. It was also important to read about what happened in Monte Sole. This book is an homage to everyone from there.
I liked how the characters developed after what they have been through. I just felt that in the second half I couldn't connect as much with them as in the beginning.

This is a heartbreaking and harrowing read in places. The massacre at Monte Sole is horrific and beyond comprehension. The story is a well written account of recent history that should never be forgotten.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

I loved the character development between the two main characters and felt the plot was well formed.
The setting in Italy during the war also worked for me .
Overall she is a must read for me
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review

I really enjoyed reading The Longest Echo by Eoin Dempsey. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of this book. All opinions expressed are my own. I am rating this book 4 stars for its excellent character development of James and Liliana. Their long-standing and arduous story of resilience, courage, hope, and love was very beautifully written. If you enjoy historical fiction set during WWII with an emphasis on events that happened in Italy and the hunt for wanted Nazis after the war, then this is the book for you.

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review
As far as WWII novels go, this was quite remarkable but im afraid the writing style was just not to my taste.

I was hooked on this book right from the start! At times it was so heartbreaking and sad! Highly highly recommend

Let's just say.........You'll be sitting with this one a little longer after the last page.

The Longest Echo is actually inspired by true events that happened in the small town of Monte Sole in Bologna, Italy. during World War II. Whether you like the characters, or the setting, or Eoin Dempsey's writing style, it's merely a sideline to what was visited upon human to human in the clutches of war.

Sergeant James Foley of the U.S. Army escaped from a prisoner train filled with captured Allied forces in September of 1944 outside of Monte Sole. James, exhausted and fearful, comes upon a small farmhouse. The farmer and his family put themselves in danger while hiding James when the Nazis surround their home. Liliana, their twenty year old daughter, is the only one who speaks English in this family. She's made an arrangement with the head of the Stella Rossa, an Italian resistance group, to take James with them.

But savage-hearted Nazis return to Monte Sole to punish the villagers for the deeds of the Stella Rossa. It is here that a solid bond is formed between Liliana and James. The actions of the Nazis will be embedded in Liliana's mind for the rest of her days.

Eoin Dempsey presses the story forward to New York City in 1956 where Liliana and James will meet once more. Liliana is a recent widow having married an American doctor during the war. James is recently divorced from his wife after living in Mexico City. He's currently working as a journalist for a New York magazine.

Liliana has never been able to find peace after Monte Sole. She convinces James to accompany her to Argentina where she believes that Werner Brack and other Nazis like him have taken refuge during the Peron government era. And we as readers follow right behind these unusual Nazi Hunters searching for the truth.

Eoin Dempsey supplies plenty of true historical background information within The Longest Echo. But what can never be explained is how Aryan patriots followed orders in the demise of millions of innocent people. It's like an evil demon worm infiltrated their mind turning them into robotic monsters. Hell is empty and the demons are all here.

A well written historical fiction work that leaps forward from true events. We can never appreciate or value the present fully without knowing the paths that led us to today.

I received a copy of The Longest Echo through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to Eoin Dempsey for the opportunity.

I read White Rose, Black Forest a few years ago and loved it. I was so excited to see this book from the same author! This book was just as fantastic and amazing as White Rose, Black Forest. This book had beautiful writing, perfect pace, great characters, and a wonderful storyline. It was suspenseful and kept me reading when I should have been sleeping. I love stories that are well told and based on true events and this one was told so well! This book has the right amount of big scenes, the right number of characters you can dive into without getting confused, and it spans decades without getting stuck or lagging too much in any of them. I have been reading WW2 fiction since junior high and this book will go on my list of favorites! I am raising a reader with similar tastes and plan to share this with her

"My love, are you still alive?"

A story about the massacre on Monte Sol in Occupied Italy told through the eyes of the sole survivor, Liliana, and an escaped POW, James Foley. Together they must navigate through an environment crawling with Nazis who would shoot them on sight, to get to Allied lines. But years later, Liliana finds herself obsessed with one thing: finding and bringing to justice the man who ordered the massacre.

This is a part of WWII history I am not familiar with and know nothing about, I appreciated how this book opened my eyes to such an event. Some parts I read with a lump in my throat, and it pulled on my heartstrings when Liliana's desperation for justice seeped through. It was a quick, interesting, thought-provoking read. However, I felt like some things happened too quickly- I asked myself if it were to happen now, would it have been that quick and easy, like it was no trouble at all? I think not- and I didn't like how repetitive a few conversations became. I'd say the writing could have some improvements but I did like this book, I just don't think that in the long run, I'd find myself recommending this book like it was on the top of my head.

When resistance forces ambush German officers, German military responded by murdering the entire village of Monte Sole in Italy. Nineteen year old Liliana escapes with the help of James, a former American POW. Twelve years later, a Liliana and James reconnect and track down the Nazi leader who killed her family.

I love reading historical fiction to learn about my “historical blindspots”. The Longest Echo is fictionalized account of the Marzabotto massacre, an event I knew nothing about. While I knew that many Nazis fled Germany at the end of the war, I grasp the extensive network or political climate that necessary for the large-scale exodus.

Knowing that this book is based on real events, I can't hide the fact that I expected something more and something deeper, better.

I love historical fiction, and although authors use WWII themes too often, these stories never get boring.

But, the storytelling is key. It's that one special spice that can change the whole book.

And here, I didn't get the sparks of joy.
I didn't root for any of the characters, I wasn't feeling their pain, anything.

The historical part was great. I always love reading about different countries than the USA, France, or the UK. The WWII period didn't affect just these three, and it's nice to read something new for a change.

But unfortunately, that was all.

The whole book was just plain (and endless) conversations between the characters and detailed narration of the things that happened on the front line.


Many thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC, in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

A couple of years ago I found myself in a WWII historical fiction kick. As one of the greatest tragedies of the last century it's no surprise that many historical fiction books take place in this era and I truly enjoy the genre. As someone who is not a fan of history but loves to learn, I enjoy picking up historical facts while reading an entertaining story. All this to say, I came across White Rose, Black Forest by Eoin Dempsey and absolutely loved it. It remains one of my favorite books set during WWII.

After loving my first read I decided to read Dempsey's earlier novel, Finding Rebecca, but it did not live up to its successor. Later, I read his new book Toward the Midnight Sun and this time really disliked it. So when I saw this new book, The Longest Echo, I was skeptical. But I wanted to give it a shot hoping it could land somewhere in the realm of my love for White Rose, Black Forest.

I definitely was not disappointed as I had been with his other books. This book is also set during WWII but this time in a small town in Italy. We follow the Italian Liliana and an American soldier, James as they escape the Nazis who have invaded the town toward the end of the war. This book is split into sections that include after the war, when Liliana and James reunite in search of justice to hunt down the Nazi officer from the massacre.

I will warn you, this book gets very dark, very quick. It was quite jarring and hard to read. And the worst part is it was based on a true story. It was very heavy but it was compelling as the characters escape danger over and over.

It was very interesting to read about the German town in Argentina and try to imagine the mix of these two cultures. I really did enjoy the content and premise of this storyline.

My only complaint was how disjointed the writing felt. It often switched from point of views without warning and the sections sort of slammed into each other without smooth transitions. I feel like I would have liked this better if it started with their search for the SS Officer and we got flash backs about what happened to them during the war. The layout and flow just bothered me even though I did enjoy the story.

This was still no White Rose, Black Forest as I'm not sure anything will ever be, but I do recommend if you are a fan of this genre to pick this one up. I'm fascinated by this forgotten piece of history and am glad Dempsey decided to bring it to focus.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book.

Based on true events, this is an interesting and fast read about WWII Italy and what is known as the Massacre of Marzabotto. The first part was very engrossing but the remainder of the story, after the war, dragged a bit. I felt that there was more for us to know both about the characters as well as events so it fell short of my expectations.

I would still recommend this book based on the historical events. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to review this advance copy.

"Against the backdrop of WWII-ravaged Italy comes a powerful and emotional novel of love, survival, justice, and second chances by the bestselling author of White Rose, Black Forest."
It told the story of the attack on Monte Sole, a part of WWII history that I knew nothing about. It was a quick read, with some very interesting parts. The narrative is driven by suspense and the desire for the characters to be successful in their quest. I enjoyed reading it.