Unique and touching:
This was a lovely book and whilst it broke my heart, it was wonderful how it then worked to inspire and put all the pieces back together again. It did take me a bit to get into it but then I got drawn into the various stories and was intrigued as to how they would all coalesce.
There were multiple timelines which was nice but unfortunately I found that I was just getting into the story and then it would switch again. The timelines also jumped around and weren't chronological so it sometimes took a while to figure things out. Unfortunately overall it just wasn't as polished as this author's other works have been. It was saved however by being a unique take on a WWII story and its plot was both interesting and complex. I also liked that it showed both the good and bad; that the characters had flaws and yet despite all that it wasn't overly dark or depressing. Even though the faith element was light, I also enjoyed seeing some of the characters renew their faiths in Christ.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

The author and the beautiful cover first caught my attention. I am a fan of Kristy Cambron, and her historical novels. She is a gifted writer. I loved how she brought readers to the ballet through Julia Bradbury’s eyes in Rome, 1943. It was fascinating to learn what Julia did to help rescue Jewish Italians.

Then there was the present-day story of Delaney Coleman, while grieving the loss of her grandfather, is confronted by a mysterious Italian woman demanding some items of her grandfathers are hers; specifically a small traveling case. Delaney heads to Italy to settle the confusion. There, she finds things she hadn't counted on discovering, and her heart does a flip or two when she meets her tour guide.

I love this author's extensive research and how she came upon a true account of the Syndrome K virus, and how it impacted the lives of Jewish people trying to escape the horrors of the Gestapo. It’s mind-blowing. You don’t want to miss this breathtaking story of trust, sacrifice, loyalty, honor, and love. It’s a fascinating escape and one your book club will love.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher/NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

I'm a fan of WWII historical fiction. This is a dual timeline POV set in Italy, England, and the US switching between the war years and the present day. I had a bit of trouble with the timeline as the chapters set in the past didn't tell the story in any kind of chronological order, which I found a bit tedious and confusing - it took me awhile to get things straight. The book was very descriptive with the setting and had great character development. I really enjoyed Kristy Cambron's writing style and look forward to reading more from her. For me, everything was great, I just got hung up on the timeline. 4 stars rounded down to 3 ONLY because of the confusing timeline.

It has been a while since I read a historical novel // and I am so glad that I picked this one // 🩰

from 1940’s Europe and Indiana to present day Rome, Italy // this story tells of two army medics, a ballerina, and a little girl and how their lives and choices have impacted those in present day // It’s a story told from multiple prospectives and throughout the past and present // 🧳

I loved this book // I loved the different perspectives // I loved the love stories // I loved it all // and my review is just that simple // ♥️

If you love history, learning and reading about WW 2, a sweet romance, then you should read this book // it’s beautiful // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my first book by Kristy Cambron. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the free Advanced Reader’s Copy. The gorgeous cover intrigued me when I saw it on the NetGalley site. The novel is told in dual timelines. We follow the main three characters in pre-WWII and during the war. In the present day, we have the granddaughter of one of the past characters trying to understand his legacy.
Of all of the books I have read on WWII, I have read the least from the Italian perspective. The fact that Italian doctors associated with the Fatebenefratelli hospital were able to save so many Italian Jews by using Syndrome K is incredible. Syndrome K was invented by an Italian doctor to fool the German Gestapo. The Gestapo officials were so terrified by the coughing and other faked symptoms of the quarantine ward that the Resistance were able to save hundreds of Jews.
As I stated previously, this is my first book by this author. It will not, however, be the last book.I am giving this book 4.5 stars, which I am rounding up to 5 on Goodreads. I could have done without the romance in the secondary timeline. It just seemed a bit much. That is my personal preference but I will not hesitate to recommend this novel to anyone.

Author, Kristy Cambron, writes at the conclusion of her novel: In this way history is powerful. To remember. To learn. To see and understand the human experience through another’s lens. And we hope to give empathy a foothold to grow in our own hearts. Let us be changed. I love this and found her latest book, The Italian Ballerina, to be a wonderful piece of historical fiction full of empathy and hope.

‘A voice inside told Court as sure as anything he’d known in his entire life - he was there for a reason. The reason was her.’

There is a little girl with a battered suitcase, memories she has locked safely away from the invading soldiers. Two kind soldiers who go to incredible lengths to save her and a ballerina who learns what it really means to give and succeed in life. In the contemporary timeline, there is a soccer star who seeks to protect those he loves and a young American searching for answers surrounding a battered suitcase she has inherited from her grandfather. This is an exquisitely written tale that delightfully comes full circle.

“What does a ballerina have to give? Truly?” Julia tipped her shoulders in a delicate shrug. “I’d dreamed all my life of dancing on the grandest stages in the world. I thought to achieve that would bring me happiness. Or purpose. And it did, for a time. But I stand here with you and find what we’re doing in this one moment matters more to me than all the years of dancing that have come before it. I’m not even certain how I know that, except that I’ve found the most beautiful things in this life to be not of my own hand. And I can see a plan in all of that.”

The only drawback to this wonderful novel is the scattered timelines - rather than being a dual tale there are four timelines that sadly, make it difficult to follow at times. This is compounded through erratic switching and streamlining for smoother transitions would have been desirable. If not for these disconnections I would have rated the book more highly. This is a tale certainly worth reading but concentration is required and flicking back and forth is near impossible on a kindle.

The Italian Ballerina is a wonderfully rich take full of despair and courage, loss, love and hope. The time spent in modern day Rome and the wartime hospital learning of Syndrome K was a definite highlight. There is romance, drama and the reader walking away all the richer with a full heart. Recommended to lovers of historical fiction.

“We’re all human, Matt. We all make mistakes and we learn from them. You have to allow for forgiveness in there somewhere. Without grace, none of us would make it a day.”




This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

This novel was a journey from the small family orchard, to war torn Rome, stops on the stage with a prima ballerina and finally in present day Rome. A ballerina, 2 army medics and one small Jewish girl become an unlikely family unit fighting for those unable to fight for themselves. Along the way, they learn about grief, recovery, love and finding the place God has for each them in the world. These lessons extend from Europe during World War II into the present day. By learning the story of a Grandfather and a Nona, Delaney and Matteo also struggle to discover what God has planned for their lives.

At times fast paced and at times a bit slower, the Italian Ballerina was a story that swept me up. I found myself trying to guess what was coming, and then being astounded at what the author wrote. While neither a ballerina, a medic or a little girl, I could totally relate to the characters and what they were experiencing. The characters grew and developed into these whole people that I enjoyed reading about. Some of the questions they asked of themselves mirrored the same questions I ask. By flipping between 3 time frames, you get the entire story one piece at a time. By the end it creates this wonderful view of the story. I find it harder to keep the dates straight at times, but by the time I was 1/3 of the way through the book, it was easy. It was so interesting to see the characters at different points in their lives, to see how they started, then how they were developing, and finally how they were ending. The author, Kristy Camdon, did this so seamlessly that it was very easy to read. I look forward to reading more of her books. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was such a beautiful, haunting story…told in non linear pieces of a puzzle that all work together to create an unforgettable tale. Present day Delaney is on a quest to understand her grandfather, Dr Courtney Coleman. In doing so, she discovers the irrefutable draw of Rome, herself, the extremely attractive Matteo (who is supposed to be her adversary), and an Italian Ballerina—Matteo’s grandmother, Calla. Then we are whisked back in time to WWII, when Court was a medic in the Army, injured and patched back together by his superior officer AJ, another medic who becomes his best mate. They witness some of the worst horrors of the war as the ones who pick up the pieces, but never did they expect any of those pieces to be a little 5 year old Jewish Italian girl, a stunning ballerina turned nurse, or a little white suitcase with cherries on it. The story weaves together all of those pieces, telling a tale of honorable men and courageous women who in effort to thwart the Nazis concoct a brilliant scheme, how they filled their time, and how they underwent a dangerous mission to protect the little girl who stole all of their hearts. I was especially taken with the story of how Court went from a battered soul, untethered by anything bigger than his own reckless self, to a man devoted to God, his unconventional Penn, his family, and to helping others. If you like Sarah Sundin or Kristin Harmel, you’ll absolutely love this book.

What a beautiful written story. I love how this was based off a true event. The event in history was so clever. It saved lives and I’m so glad I know about it now. I found my heart racing a few times while reading the book and it was warmed more than once as well. Sadly, it was war time, so it was sad a few times too and maybe some tears fell. I always gauge a book if I feel that emotion of crying during particular scenes whether happy or sad as very well done and this was one of those times. So I highly recommend this book. The setting of Italy and Indiana are very different however both are written so well, you’d want to see them both in real life because you imagine them with the writing. I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator did an amazing job with all the accents within the book, Italian, British and American. I was impressed. I definitely recommend this book.

I should have known better than to try another dual-timeline story! But the synopsis just looked so good, I couldn't help myself. I think I might actually have been able to enjoy this one if it had stuck to just two timelines, but it, in fact, had at least four going on for much of the book which made it way too disjointed for me to enjoy. Besides the present day and 1943 storylines described in the synopsis, there are also two more backstory storylines from around 1938-1940 for the two main characters in the 1943 storyline. And in all of the storylines, the reader is picking up bits and pieces to put together yet another storyline for the one character who is in all or most of them. All of the stories were really good and very poignant and inspiring, and this author is an excellent storyteller. The fictional characters she created were compelling and relatable and memorable. I did appreciate learning about the heroism behind Syndrome K, and this book is a beautiful tribute to those heroes. I think many readers will absolutely love this book; it just wasn't my cup of tea because of the format in which it was told.

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley.

The premise was great, several of the characters were interesting, but the style unfortunately kept me from getting into it.

I love dual time period stories, WWII settings, and anything I've read by Kristy Cambron, so I had no doubt I'd love this story. It is moving, very unique, believable, and inspiring. A great story to those who like reading war-time stories. The ballet aspect added so much to this book. Loved it!

This was a nice historical fiction story. I enjoyed reading this slow building and paced book. It has a unique story-line following the story of a ballerina who during the war started by entertaining people in bomb shelters and then troops during the start of the war. Then became involved in helping Jewish familys escape. Plus connecting with a small child and helping her learn to dance. I enjoyed the story-line and appreciated the uniqueness of the story line. However, the story failed to excite me and the atmosphere was missing for me to give the higher stars. The characters developed well throughout but I only partially connected with these. They were believable. For me this book is a great read but nothing really to write home about. This book had so much potential aswell which really disappointed me. But remember I am just one person my feelings may not be relatable to you. You may really enjoy this book. It may even be a 5 star read for you. You can always read a sample which is available on most retail websites. If you love slow building relaxed pace historical war stories then give it a go. I still enjoyed reading it.

Many thanks to the author and publishers for creating this nice unique historical fiction story. 

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog today https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/the-italian-ballerina-by-kristy-cambron-thomas-nelson-3-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

This is the first book I’ve read by Kristy Cambron, it is most definitely will not be my last. This is a dual timeline story taking place in WWII and present day. I have to admit, because I once lived in Indiana, I truly loved the character, Court. I also loved Julia, the Italian Ballerina who ends up helping out at a hospital during the war.

The story is beautifully written and you can tell the author did a lot of research to make the story come alive. There were a few subject matters that I personally had a difficult time reading through but was well worth because it definitely made you feel the story.

Thank you to #netgalley and @thomasnelson-fiction for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

#theitalianballerina

Read if you like: WW2 fiction.
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This book goes back and forth between the present day and the past, both before and during the war. Julia is a professional ballerina whose career is disrupted by the war. She finds herself in Italy helping out at a hospital to protect Jewish Italians. Then there is Court, who is a medic and finds himself at said hospital. We also get to read about Court's experiences before the war on an orchard in Indiana. I really liked reading about these characters' experiences interwoven before and during the war. It was a fast-paced way to get to know the characters. I thought this back-and-forth timeline worked well!
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CW: war, violence, death, dementia, anti-Semitism, sexism, sexual harassment, and assault, death of a loved one, pregnancy.

I had mixed feelings about this book. This is a split timeline book taking place in 1941, 1943 and the present. As is often the case with split timelines, one of the three timelines was by far the strongest and most interesting. It felt like it could have been a complete book all on its own and didn't need the 1941 or the present day timelines. It jumped back and forth between three different people's perspectives and three different time frames. It was a little confusing at first as I tend to go back and forth between reading and listening to a story on my kindle. The only other drawback/odd thing for me was that something that was given empty came back full...unless I missed something there.

What was fascinating about this book is the middle section. Court and AJ and Calla find themselves in a hospital under quarantine for Syndrome K which was not a real thing. It was invented to keep the Germans out of that part of the hospital where they were hiding Jews. I have never heard about that before and enjoyed learning more about this bizarre thing that saved many precious lives.

If you like learning more about historical events and a different side of WWII, check this out. If split timeline books aren't your thing, this may not be a favorite. Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was the first of Kristy Cambron's novels I have read, and I was immediately drawn into this intricately woven World War II story. The historical details are fascinating, brought to life by vibrant characters who leap (and dance) off the page. I did find the historical timeline a little hard to follow at first, as it jumped around between several different years, but it all came together and thoroughly captured my attention. Through Delaney's story in the present, we discover the past alongside her, and are reminded how one courageous action can change the course of generations. This beautiful story has put Kristy Cambron on my list of must-read WWII authors! I highly recommend it to fans of Sarah Sundin and Melanie Dobson.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Kristy Cambron skillfully weaves together the separate storylines in this dual timeline novel into a beautiful masterpiece of courage and sacrifice. It tells the story of a young Jewish girl and the ballerina and two American soldiers who come to her rescue. Cambron's vivid descriptions and rich historical detail bring the story to life. As a reader, I felt as if the characters were real people and I very much cared what would happen to them. It is a story filled with raw emotion and timeless truths that will speak to your soul. One for the keeper shelf!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the author/ publisher through Netgalley. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a beautiful book. I love the way the stories started separate and we didn't really know how everyone was connected and then, as time went on, the stories started to braid together. It kept me interested right up to the end. I did want to note that even though this is marked as Christian fiction, it wasn't overwhelmingly religious. As a non-believer, I was ok with the amount presented and didn't feel like it took away from the book at all. I love that the book takes place in German-occupied Italy, and Rome specifically. It's not often an area we see in WWII and I appreciated that and the additional of the Italian language.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of The Italian Ballerina. This book was gorgeous, both the cover and the writing. I thoroughly enjoyed both characters abd their timelines.