There has been a plethora of World War II historical novels in recent years and most of them have similar covers, titles and settings – often featuring England, France or Germany. Unless there is something unusual about the story it can be difficult to remember one from the other, so when I read the synopsis of this one, that it was set in Italy, I looked forward to learning something about one of the less-written-about battle fronts.

Giulia is one of five children, the daughter of a Calabrian farmer, but has ambitions to do something more with her life other than become a wife and mother and work on farms. She yearns to be a herbalist and healer like her grandmother, but her father is set against what he considers to be witch’s work and it is only through the encouragement and connivance of other women that she gets the chance to study at a monastery when she learns about herbs and medicine. Her father, however, is furious and remains determined to marry her off to a suitable husband.

Meanwhile, the clouds of war are forming over Italy as the fascist leader Mussolini seeks to build an empire and aligns himself with Hitler. Giulia’s brother and his friends become soldiers and when her father is also called up, the farm is run by the women left behind. In increasingly dangerous circumstances and struggling with personal loss and tragedy, Giulia is finally able to practise her skills and find true love in the process.

The history is well-researched and presented, but there are over-written and tedious passages that can slow the pace. The novel is partly based on the author’s own family background which is detailed in the notes at the end. Giulia’s temperamental and antagonistic behaviour towards those who love her is a bit of a puzzle at times and doesn't always present her in the best light. In fact, some of the lesser characters have more warmth than she does, but that doesn’t detract from a mostly entertaining read that should have a wide appeal for readers looking for a WW2 novel with a different setting.

With many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

Within the first few pages, I was walking along side Giulia Tallariti as read every page with expectation. She was strong character with a strength and determination that surpassed the expectancies of women in her era. She was meant to submit to her father, then be handed over to marriage to do the same with her husband. This may seem like a rigid thing in the world we live now, but it was a normality in 1935. We cannot judge what was normal in the 30's with what is normal today, there will be many things from or 'normal' that will be judged in 90 years as wrong too. In the first chapters Giulia's father made me so angry, but when he's examined with the rest of the story, I see he was playing his part, not only as a character but as a historical figure.
Once I got past the expectations of historical literature and the characters, I journey along side Giulia as she determined to live her destiny. I know this book is fictional but there were many times that I put the book down and thought about the lives we live today, in comparison to Guilia and her family...
An ever evolving world war
Arranged marriages
Arranged/acceptable occupations
Family expectations
The dynamics of the medical system
No internet - they used written correspondence
Physically the same world that I live in, but the dynamics are extremely different today. In some ways we have travelled very little and in other ways we have travels in extremities! I couldn't help but be placed in Guilia's shoes as I became so absorbed into the book. She was strong and determined and in many ways I am too, but when I look at the road she travelled I realise the difference. Her hurdles were caused by the people around her, mine are often self-inflicted hurdles. The world offers women way more opportunities than they did in 1935 but do we always take them? Guilia was could have portrayed as a victim yet she walked every day fighting for what she believed and endeavoured to help as many people as she could. She didn't live in a victim mentality, rather she lived her 'best life' all the way. This is where I found her character's greatest strength. I know I was probable meant to see the world around Guilia, but I found myself seeing the quiet battles inside her the strength in which she took on the world with grace and dignity.

Guilia wasn't the only character that surprised me. Her first husband was a gentleman and I appreciated him being written into as such a character. I liked that after seeing her father, I could transition to seeing the men in the story were going to be given conflicting characteristics. You have to read it to see all the different characters and what they bring to the story. They all have their unique part to play in telling and showing of what this time in history was like, not just people like Guilia but also people like her father, mother, sisters, brothers, all the men and all the women. They all played their part in bring this piece of historical literature together.

Brilliantly writing piece of writing.

From 1936 to 1953, 'Echoes of War follows Giulia from adolescence to woman, living in Southern Italy. Her life is intertwined with the lead up to WW2, and her desire to be an independent woman. The book follows the struggles of Giulia wanting to be her own person at a time when "papa knew best". She was stripped of her rights (so progressive for the time and place in history) and fought again and again to make her mark. She lived through an arranged marriage and being a widow to finding love with someone who was willing to be an equal in her life and let her excel in her own career.  Initially I thought this was going to be much more historically focused but I found that the author cleverly blended what was happening in Italy and the world, pre World War 2, with the daily goings-on in the village and in Giulia's family.  A lot of research and family history forms the basis of this book, which contributes to its more factual facades than a rose coloured view of the war and women in that time period.  It was rather a quaint and wholesome read.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story takes place from 1936 to 1953, and you feel every moment as I found this book to be overly long. The use of Australian terminology (eg: capsicum, rugged up, pitta with the double t, braces, etc) were a mild distraction; I'm surprised the editors didn't catch these little things.

Giulia is bright, headstrong, and wants to buck to tradition. I didn't always understand her temper, though. Of course, she was right to be angry in certain situations, but she seemed to jump straight to blinding fury and filled with spite. At the end of the story when she asks her mother and aunt "How can I trust him after this?" was inordinately childish; had she not grown emotionally at all?

The writing is simplistic, which is absolutely fine if you're looking for a quicker-than-normal read.

I really wanted to like this book, as I enjoyed the Girl from Munich. I haven’t read any books set in WWII Italy, and admittedly didn’t know much about Fascist Italy’s role in the war so this book was quite educational in that regard. It begins in pre WWII and finishes roughly 8 years after the war, giving a good outline of what life was like before and after the war. What was good about the book was that it gave a good overview of historical events and descriptions of Southern Italy. Some of the characters were well done, and relatively believable.
Now for the downside: I found the dialogue really unbelievable and unrealistic, and at time it had me cringing. This book was also about 100 pages too long, and the second half really dragged. I struggled to finish and strongly considered DNFing it, but hoped the story would improve.
For fans of historical fiction, or Blanchard’s other books you may enjoy this one, but it was too long and drawn out for me. 3/5 (for the descriptions of Southern Italy which were spot on, and the historical facts about WWII)!

Tania Blanchard has done a fabulous job of showing us how Italy was impacted by the second world war.

It was a time of women being subversive to the men in their lives. Guilia and her sisters hoped for more for their lives than being married off to men of their fathers choice and becoming subservient wives and mothers.

Guila's dream is to become a healer.

We follow her path and learn the difficulties that Italy faced before, during and after the war.

It presents a timely reminder of tough times that have faced the world in the past and presents the question of the Covid situation. Do we need to ask ourselves if we could be coping better and complaining less?
We aren't facing food and fuel rationing or sending our young folk off to face their deaths at war.

Well done Tania on a thought provoking and emotion stirring read.

I enjoyed this story set in Calabria, Italy from the 1930s until the 1950s. Giulia starts off as a 17 year old rebelling against her family because she wants to be independent and train as a healer like her Nonna and clashes with her father. She manages to get some time training in using herbal medicine at a convent before she returns home and into an arranged marriage. Her husband is sympathetic to Giulia and she is able to continue working as a healer. The reader experiences what life was like in this area of rural Italy which was under the control of the local mafia. Calabria experiences natural disasters like earthquakes, tidal waves and floods. We learn about the effects of Mussolini’s fascist regime on the family when Giulia’s father and brothers go off to fight in the war and the destruction of Italy when war arrives on its doorstep. Giulia experiences tragedy but her healing skills are put to good use when she travels to wartime Naples and Rome which have suffered destruction. Finally after the war we see the problems encountered by the people of Southern Italy which made many emigrate to America and Australia- Giulia’s family included. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity of reading this story.

My rating:

Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Character development: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Historical Fiction


Review:

This book tells the story of Guila a strong resilient young woman who is determined to forge her own place in a world dominated by men. It tells of her struggles with what she wants out of life and what is expected from her by her family and the community. The story is set in Calabria in southern Italy during the late 1930’s and the war years.

Overall:

This book is beautifully written. It was extra interesting as it gave an historical insight about Italy during the Second World War as well as general live in Southern Italy during that period. The writing was very vivid, which made it difficult to put the book down. The characters are depicted in great detail, they have realistic traits such as strength, determination, but they also show suffering, despair and stubbornness this gave them an authentic feel and made them interesting.
In general a nice book with interesting strong characters, set in a beautiful place during a turbulent time in history. The book is very captivating and heartwarming.

Echoes of War tells the story of Giulia and her family who live in Southern Italy under Mussolini’s rule. Giulio is a strong and independent young Italian woman who wants to follow her dream of becoming a healer like her Nonna. This is against her fathers desire that she marry and have children like a good Italian daughter. The family story covers Italy’s involvement in WWII and the heartache and struggle of a family trying to survive in a pre and post war ravaged country over many years.
This is the third Tania Blanchard book that I have read and enjoyed especially as it is inspired by true family events.
It is a sweeping family saga that is full of rich family relationships but there is sadness and heartache as well as hope and the dream of a better life for the next generation.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

What a beautiful novel. Echoes of War tells the story of Giulia, a strong and independent young woman striving to follow her dreams and pursue her dreams regardless of the cultural pressures holing her back. A fierce, yet beautiful story of how juggling passion, love and familial duties can be balanced in a world full of love and war.

I absolutely love history and I really enjoyed the romance that was mixed in. Guilia is passionate about helping people and wants to follow in the footsteps of her Nona. I really liked that it was a story about love, ambition, compassion, heartbreak, and dreams.

Tania Blanchard, Echoes of War, Simon & Schuster, 2021

Thank you, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Tania Blanchard’s story of the Tallariti family is set against the dramatic geographic extremes of mountains and ocean in a Calabrian village. Perhaps it is these surrounds of the villagers’ day to day lives that foster the diversity in the family and the preparedness of the villagers to at once maintain traditional attitudes towards women, while remaining uncommitted to the unification of Italy, preferring to strike their own paths, and later in the novel accepting a range of ideas about their attitudes to their government as the Allies advance in Italy. They are not a static people, rather, some defy conscription and others join the Italian Army; the professionalism of women healers is accepted by some, derided by others, but they have a place in the village society; some women marry, but others remain single as, for example, a restaurant proprietor or a farmer, without wide censor.

In February 1936 Giulia, the second of three daughters, is at a Byzantine monastery studying to become a herbalist. She tells the story, beginning with her sojourn at the monastery, to the widening of her world through marriage, loss, war, and contemplating the possibility of migrating to Australia. Giulia’s early personal reflections include her sorrow at missing the family celebrations of the marriage of Theresa, her older sister, as well as the nightly chats she and her younger sister Paola have in bed away from the control of their father. His traditional values and attempts to impose them upon his two younger daughters, whose aspirations are quite different from those demonstrated by Theresa’s conduct, are an important theme in the novel. The boys, Vincenzo, and Antonio who is only fourteen at the start of the novel, have a freedom only to be aspired to by Giulia and Paola, a source of anger and resentment to Giulia in particular.

Mussolini has been in power for over fourteen years. This together with the ever-present Calabrese equivalent of the Mafia, the ‘Ndrangheta, in its various forms, and economic conditions provide the political framework of the novel. As Italy displays its own power in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), Vincenzo and his village friends become successful soldiers. Later, when Italy must honour the Pact of Steel signed with Germany in 1936, they return to war, with mixed consequences for the three friends.

This novel is in many ways a 'home front' novel prior to, during and after Italy’s involvement in the second world war. However, with the setting a Calabrian village instead of an English town or village, the novel assumes a very different quality to that associated with British ‘home front’ novel. While the personal events affecting the Tallariti family are always the focus, these take place in harsh locations, the mountains that make movement physically arduous, and the sea that provides work and sustenance but can turn upon the villagers and create havoc and death. Marriages, deaths, women’s fight for independence, personal and professional, the value of family and tradition vying with new aspirations are a constant source of competing interests amongst family members. This is a remarkably honest novel, illustrating that universal human dilemmas do not cease because of political upheaval.

However, while these routine dramas play out, the war reaches into the village through government increased demands for produce; the call up of young men, their return or failure to do so leaving widows and children relying on others for survival; characters leaving the village for war related activities, such as Giulia’s commitment to healing taking her from domestic surrounds to the battle fields; and soldiers entering the village. These aspects of the novel are such a marvellous education on Italy’s role in the war, with an emphasis on the aspirations and attitudes of southern Italy. For example, the somewhat subdued acceptance of Mussolini and the fascist government is an interesting aspect of the Tallariti family and their compatriots in the village. Even this support lasts only until the hardships imposed on farmers become too onerous, and some resistance is apparent. Interesting also is the impact on those secretly listening to unapproved radio stations for war news, and how this played into their decisions on whether to commit to their own government and the Germans or the Allies.

Although I appreciated so much of this novel, I cannot be wholehearted about the writing style. I felt that the story telling lacked vitality, at times appearing to become a narrative of events without the emotion and depth of feeling a reader relies upon to be drawn into the lives of the protagonists. However, Tania Blanchard has written a well-researched novel with characters who drive the story forward through their personal dilemmas as well as their public and professional aspirations. Echoes of War is a worthwhile read, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

I'd rate Echoes of War 4.5 stars but enjoyed it enough to round it up to 5. While I'm a big lover of history, this book probably isn't what I'd ordinarily choose (I tend to stick to novels that lean more heavily towards romance) but I'm really glad I picked it up and once I did, I was hooked. The story follows Giulia, a young and idealistic woman, living in Southern Italy and on the cusp of adulthood in the years leading up to World War II. Her internal struggles with being a woman with few rights of her own and living a world where personal choice was often taken away by men is a key focus of the book and portrayed well by the author as I personally felt frustrated by the degree of powerlessness experienced by the main character. Arranged marriages, the lack of career and educational opportunities and a strong culture steeped in traditional family structures are strong features in the story, counteracted with a dependence on women to also help with survival during wartime. In the background of Giulia's desire to strive for more in life rather than settle for being only a wife and mother is the rise to power of Benito Mussolini and his alliance with Nazi Germany. Rather than taking over the story, there was a great balance between the historical aspects as Italy stepped closer to (and eventually jumped into) war across Europe and the main character's personal journey and desire for more control of her life.

There was the right amount of attention to detail in the historical elements of the story, with the plight of many Italians being a focus without it taking over Giulia's own story and commitment to becoming a community healer. With members of her family taking part in the war effort, there was a solid connection to the emotional and economical toll on local communities and the country at large. The author wove a lot of her own family history throughout the plot which also gave the story a more realistic, human touch that sucked me right in. As someone with their own family history of Italian immigration, the small nuances and understated recounts of daily life really brought to life rural Italy in the 1930s and 1940s, including the struggles faced by a country not only at war but losing faith in their government. Underlying all of this was a strong sense of home and family that built a solid foundation that was developed upon throughout the story.

As tensions deepened and the country was forever changed from both inside and outside forces, the strong character of Giulia kept the story grounded. Without any over the top dramatics (or perhaps because of it and the book's rather matter-of-fact approach on how life was at the time), I found the emotional connection between myself and the main character quite poignant at times. I'm not generally a crier in books but I have to admit there were several parts of this story that left me sobbing and it's perhaps because of this that the story had such an impact for me. It wasn't flashy and retained the human element throughout the novel as Giulia tried to overcome the barriers set in her way from being a woman while living through a dark period in both her own and our world's history. Giulia and her family were terrific characters brought to life by the author and while I found she (Giulia) harped on a bit about certain things in a desperate grab for personal independence, she was likeable and a really solid, strong female lead.

The book covered the black and white realities of war without glorifying it nor glossing over any harsh truth it brings. It also gave the reader a distinctly 'Italian' flavour, lightly covering the politics of the time, the local influence of the 'Ndrangheta and the unshakeable love and loyalty that is family, particularly the role of women and their strength during this time. There are questions to reflect on at the end, particularly suited for book clubs. The story highlighted the worst of life, the shining potential and hopeful optimism of the future and how quickly life can go from contentedness to tragedy and back again. The moral to the story? Even with everything we endure, life is a gift. I really enjoyed the story and will be coming back to this author in the future.

An interesting book on the trials of war and fighting for your passion through tradition and blockages. Guilia is passionate about helping people and following in the footsteps of her Nonna, a healer. She is thwarted by her father and other powerful figures in her life. Although I found the historical parts of this novel very well researched and interesting, I found the whole theme of downtrodden women a bit wearing. However, it illustrates well the futility and hideous aspects of war.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Echoes of War follows the life of Giulia, a young woman living in a farming village in Calabria, Italy, from 1936 to the early 50s. She struggles between her love for her close-knit family and her dreams to follow in her nonna's footsteps to become a healer and help those who need it all over Italy and beyond. This book details Mussolini's Italy, the patriarchal society and WWII, creating an incredibly vivid image of what life may have been like during this time.

In the author's note, Tania Blanchard mentions that the story was inspired by her grandparents, and I think it is a beautiful tribute to them.

What drew me to the story in the first place was the fact it was set in Calabria, where my nonna was from. My nonna migrated to Australia during WWII with the help of a sponsor. I didn't ask her a lot about her life in Italy when she was alive, but the few things I do know about are written in this book. Now I'm wishing I asked her more about her life.

I really loved this book. It is about more than just WWII. It's a story about love, ambition, compassion, heartbreak, and dreams. I love the way it's written, the fact it explores so much about the time period and is clearly very well researched.

Echoes of War by Tania Blanchard is a sweeping story of a family during WWII in Calabria, Southern Italy (the Toe). The story centres around Giulia, a strong, intelligent young woman who is trying to find her way in the world. This is made more difficult by the turbulence of the period and the conservative traditions of this part of rural Italy. Calabria is steeped in ancient traditions, in fact, much of these traditions go back thousands of years, even before the time the Greeks inhabited this part of the world – before the emergence of the mighty Roman Empire.

Giulia has a strong calling to help sick people, to this end she wishes to follow in her Nonna’s footsteps and become a healer. Yes, these are very real in Calabria – usually women, using indigenous remedies to cure all sorts of ailments. However, Giulia’s Papa will have nothing to do with this and plans to marry her off to a good local farm boy. Here is a classic clash of the new and the old – without giving the story away, our main character struggles to fight for her own vision of her future, it seems society at that time, in this region didn’t allow this level of discretion – particularly for young women. The journey Giulia traverses is epic, and varied – there are loves, deaths, tragedies and some horrors. It’s genuinely an interesting story, and this author brings it to the reader in a very easy to read style – I found it very engaging.

There is also a concurrent thread here which is equally interesting and that is the political and worldwide upheaval of WWII. Hitler is just commencing his aggressive campaign in Europe; Mussolini is starting to flex his fascist ambitions in Italy, and we get to see the consequences of his alliance with the Nazis to the people of Italy. This historical fiction aspect of the book was my favourite, it is always interesting to see how the general population dealt with their leader forming an alliance with Hitler, and the impact of the Allies eventually winning and taking back Italy after the Germans capitulated. This was very well done, and obviously well researched. We even hear the hackneyed comment:

“There’s talk of us coming home and I hope it’s before Christmas……”

One final aspect I found interesting were the nefarious antics of the ‘Ndrangheta, the Mafia of Calabria. Their actions were often dressed up as being beneficial for the locals, but there’s no denying this mob were (are) ruthlessly brutal.

The ancient healing traditions of Calabria described in this book were interesting enough for me to do some further reading and for anyone interested in the history of this region and the indigenous healers – take a look at this short paper:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290572643_The_Indigenous_Healing_Tradition_in_Calabria_Italy

4 stars

An excellent novel that covers the journey of Susanna Göttmann through the remnants of WW2. A story of love, courage and betrayal involving her adopted family and lover. A powerful novel of Susanna's search for answers during a time of upheaval and the risks of making decisions from the heart. Well written by Tania Blanchard and highly recommended.

This is a fabulous story that had me hooked from the beginning. Tania Blanchard has that amazing ability in bringing the characters to life, and painting a very vivid picture of what life was like for Giulia and her family. I spent many enjoyable hours reading this wonderful book.
Giulia Tallarti dreamed of a much different life than her father had planned for her. Giulia had no desire to end up married with children in the village they lived in, she wanted to get out and live a little. Her father had no idea that she had been learning to become a Herbalist, like Nonna Mariana, who was a folk healer. Giulia jumped at the chance to get away from her father and study at the monastery. While Giulia is missing home, her mind is also preoccupied with the war, and if her loved ones will make it home safely.
The Author has done a great job in creating this special book, and I would certainly recommend it. 5/5 Star Rating.

This is more than a WW2 novel as it explores Giulia’s southern Italian life and her heart. As she rebels against her father to follow her passion of herbs and healing, her reluctant ties with the underworld and and marriage in a fishing village a lot is happening for Giulia before war is really touching her. Once it does, it is a refreshing exploration of WW2 from a different perspective. To have begun the war as a German ally then become an enemy of the Germans by the end is really interesting and I would love that to have been explored with even more detail. Not quite the gritty WW2 gutsy woman story I thought it was going to be, but a compelling historical romance. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

An excellent book about family, love, control, support, conflict, differences, war, peace, death and birth. On top of everything else what I found amazing is the role of women throughout the narrative. They were everywhere - home, farm, healer, mother, sister and wife and friend.

Great book for lovers of history, wars and role of people and leaders in the course of events. Establishes a great connection between world war and migration to far off countries like Australia in search of a better life. Resonates a lot with the life of migrants in Australia even today.

Highly recommended.