Rome, 1943. With the fall of Italy’s Fascist government and the Nazi regime occupying the streets of Rome, British ballerina Julia Bradbury is stranded and forced to take refuge at a hospital on Tiber Island. When she learns of a deadly sickness sweeping through the quarantine wards—a fake disease known only as Syndrome K—she is drawn into one of the greatest cons in history. Alongside hospital staff, friars of the adjoining church, and two Allied medics, Julia risks everything to rescue Jewish Italians from the deadly clutches of the Holocaust. Soon a little girl who dreams of becoming a ballerina arrives at their door, and Julia is determined to reunite the young dancer with her family if only she would reveal her name.
Present Day. Delaney Coleman recently lost her grandfather—a beloved small-town doctor and World War II veteran, so she returns home to help her aging parents. When a mysterious Italian woman reaches out claiming to own one of the family’s precious heirlooms, Delaney is compelled to travel to Italy and uncover the truth of her grandfather’s hidden past. With the help of the woman’s skeptical but charming grandson, Delaney learns of a Roman hospital that saved hundreds of Jewish people during the war. Soon, everything Delaney thought she knew about her grandfather comes into question.

Based on true accounts of the invented Syndrome K sickness, The Italian Ballerina journeys from the Allied storming of the beaches at Salerno to the London ballet stage and the war-torn streets of World War II Rome, exploring choices we must make to find faith and forgiveness, and how saving a single life can impact countless others.

As a lover of history, I had read a brief account somewhere about Syndrome K and how it fooled the Germans. This story brings that to life using some of the real characters and fictional characters based on real characters. The author's notes are worth reading at the end as much of this is explained. It is evident that the author did a lot of research into this time period in Rome and the results of the brave hospital staff willing to risk their lives to see that these Jews survived the war. I have wanted to read this author's books so I thank NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request. I highly recommend this book, especially for fans of historical fiction based on WWII.

The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cameron is a remarkable story told about multiple generations. World War II ties together the present day characters in ways they could never imagine. Filled with tragedy due to Nazi occupation and brutality and heroism of those who stepped up to help, this multiple timeline story ties all together beautifully in the end. This is a brilliant novel by a consistently superb author. What a great read. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

The Italian Ballerina
by Kristy Cambron
Pub Date: July 12, 2022
Thomas Nelson
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
* Historical Fiction * Christian Fiction
Fantastic Book! I learned something today about the author. She's a Christy Award-winning author of historical fiction, including bestselling novels, THE BUTTERFLY AND THE VIOLIN and THE PARIS DRESSMAKER, and nonfiction, including the Verse Mapping Series. She also lives in Indiana which is my home state as well!
The Italian Ballerina is a dual timeline historical fiction story set in England, Rome, and America. Don't start this book unless you have time to devote to it! I was pulled in from the start. It's a beautiful story woven with timeless truths and relatable emotion. I felt this story in a deep, deep way. I highly recommend it and will be purchasing it for our library.
4 stars

Thanks to Thomas Nelson--FICTION, I was provided an ARC of The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

*****Publishing July 12, 2022*****


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A duel time period book that will transport you to Rome, London, and Starlight, Indiana during WWll and Starlight, Indiana and Rome present day. Both time lines include Delaney’s grandfather, Court Coleman, who was a medic in Rome during WWII. After Court dies, Delaney learns about his life during WWII. He was a WWII veteran that would not talk about his experience. Delaney and her parents find out through his will, a family in Rome was demanding some of his heirlooms. This was a shock to Delaney and her parents. Delaney speaks to the Italians on a call and is invited to Rome to further discuss who will get the heirlooms. Will they be able to hold onto these heirlooms or will they be forced to hand them over?

Julia is a Ballerina living in London. When the war begins, many of the ballet companies were shut down, but she is given the opportunity to be a part of a traveling company. What will she encounter during this time of war? Who will she help?

This heartfelt book will have you turning the pages to find out their fates and how Court and Julia are connected. Such a wonderful story that is full of the unexpected. A well researched book perfect for those who like to read Historical Fiction. Be sure to add this to your TBR list. A great book club pick as well!

I should never start a Kristy Cambron novel midweek. My house is half a wreck because I was sucked into this twisting time-slip! What a historical tearjerker. Cambron pulls no punches (and nearly broke and bent genre rules with that ending) in a way only she can get away with. So stunning a story.

Rome, Italy, 1943

The Italian Ballerina is a dual-time story set during WWII, and it starts out by introducing Private Courtney Coleman and Calla Santini on Tiber Island. Courtney Coleman is a medic during the war, and he meets Calla when he and a fellow medic, AJ Nelson are separated from their troop. He watches as Calla is separated from her parents(and murdered) and he is determined to keep her safe.

How do you keep Italian Jews safe during WWII when right under their noses are the Nazis?

Just make up a contagious disease called Syndrome K.

Julia Bradford is a ballerina who wants to do her part but after a bomb explosion, she ends up at a hospital because she can speak Italian, and she becomes a ‘nurse’ working with the patients in the Syndrome K ward.

In the present time, Delaney Coleman is trying to figure out what her next step is career-wise, dealing with her aging parents, and processing the grief of her grandfather’s recent passing. Matteo Santini contacts Delaney regarding a suitcase. Del has no idea what he is talking about, and why would she want to give it to him and his grandmother? She has never even heard her grandfather speak about being in the hospital, or Matteo’s grandmother, Calla Santini.

To be honest, for most of this novel, I wasn’t really sure about the storylines, did I even like this story? I was kind of confused as to where it was headed. But I kept trodding along because this is Kristy Cambron, and I haven’t ever really been led astray by her writing in the past. Once I passed page 300, things started to fall into place, and all the pieces that had been put into place started to make a lot more sense to me. I started to feel bad for doubting where Ms. Cambron was leading this reader.

I read historical fiction because it takes you places you’ll probably never visit or hear of unless you read, and The Italian Ballerina reminded me of all this but also there are so many stories that go untold that remind us that even though there is suffering, pain, and injustices happening all the time all around us, somehow and somewhere He will redeem them all. It’s not for us to understand at this time.

My gratitude to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley. "I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

I've read quite a few of Kristy Cambron's books over the last few years, and after reading the synopsis for this one, I found myself very much looking forward to diving right into another. Unfortunately, this one ended up not being quite what I was expecting, and while there were still certain components I did end up enjoying, it's definitely not my favorite by this author, and probably won't be one that I'll find myself recommending.

Perhaps my favorite part of the entire story were the historical components connected to "Syndrome K." I read quite a few titles within the World War Two setting, and this was my first time learning anything about this fascinating piece of history. It showcased just how brave the individuals were who inspired this story, and I love getting to learn new to me pieces of history when I pick up these kind of titles.

I also enjoyed how ballet plays a big part of the story, and it was interesting to read about how these type of simple enjoyments still carried on to a certain degree during such a devastating time period in history.

Unfortunately, even with taking into consideration the pieces I did enjoy, this one still didn't end up being the book for me. I found the timeslip format didn't really work with this particular story, and I had an awful time trying to follow the various POV's across differing time periods. None of the characters really had a voice that stood out as distinctive, so it made it even more difficult to differentiate one from the other.

I also had a really hard time getting into this one, and struggled to want to read more than a chapter at a time for the first half of the book. The second half was certainly more interesting than the first, but I still can't say that I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I wasn't invested enough in any of the characters' lives to care that much about how everything was going to wrap up.

Final Rating: 3/5.

An okay read, but not what I was expecting, and not my personal favorite from this author.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this one!

I received a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGally in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 STARS

Kristy Cambron writes some of my favorite WWII stories, and this one didn't disappoint. I didn't know much about WWII Italy before reading this book, and I so enjoyed experiencing that through the story. This novel is a split-time with three POVs and three varying time-frames. Some of my favorite scenes were between Penn and Court in Indiana.

In the beginning, I got a little confused for some reason (could've just been me) with the differing time-periods, but once I got my footing, I loved the story, the historical bits even more than present day.

I'd highly recommend this one to fans of WWII fiction. Kristy Cambron does this genre so well!

*I received a complimentary copy of the novel from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.*

This is a heartwarming story of three people coming together to save Italian Jews. There was a bit of WWII history mentioned that I had never heard of before, Syndrome K. I enjoyed the book but I had to make sure to pay close attention to the dates. This is a dual timeline story but the past portion also happens in multiple years so there may be a chapter from the past and then the next chapter may actually happen several years before that to give the reader the back story to the back story. That caused me some confusion until I settled into that.

A wonderfully written historical novel blending the past and the present. Syndrome K was a made up disease that a hospital used to try and save as many Jewish families and soldiers as they could. This was a history lesson presented in a novel of love, loss, and discovery. I highly recommend The Italian Ballerina if you are a fan of historical novels set during WWII. Kristy Cambron does not disappoint.

This was a lovely historical fiction novel that incorporated some really interesting facts about WWII-era Rome.

There are multiple timelines and POVs interwoven through the story. Truthfully, I found them confusing at first! But once I sort of figured out the main characters and their background stories, the timelines started to fuse and make sense. The main POVs belong to Court, an American medic; Julia, a British prima ballerina; and Delaney, a modern-day American woman seeking family history details in Italy.

I found the story interesting, especially learning details about the (real!) hospital on Tiber Island and the plan they came up with to help others during the occupation of Rome. I also found little Calla’s story one that tugged on my heartstrings — found family is my favorite trope in fiction and so this was a big winner for me! Anton’s purpose as a character sort of confused me until the end, where I found his role to actually be super satisfying. Very well done!

The modern-day romance of Matteo and Del is sweet and fun to read, even with a small reveal to his character that I didn’t anticipate. I loved the end scene with the suitcase as well. In all, an engaging read with nicely written characters and details, once you get past the initial confusion or sorting the timelines. It’s worth it!

Thank you to Kristy Cambron, Thomas Nelson, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I absolutely LOVED this book. It was not at all the story I was expecting from the title. Kristy Cambron has written so many excellent book and this story rises to the top of that list. It is “can’t put it down” interesting from the first page with characters in both parts of the time line that I easily came to love. The story is written with beautifully descriptive phrases especially of Del’s visit to Italy. I could see the rooms and landscapes vividly in my minds eye. The book is captivating and lovely; romantic and heartbreaking. It made me smile and it made me cry. The history was so detailed and interesting. The two timelines worked together beautifully. Excellent book!

This could have been a really good story, but the dual time lines are excessive and jumbled together. Besides the current day, there are three historical lines: one for British ballerina Julia Bradbury, and two for Court Coleman, one in 1941 and one in 1943-1944. Court would have been better served in one continuous line instead of jumping back and forth.
The current story about Delaney Coleman and Matteo Santini learning about their grandparents’ wartime lives was probably my favorite, although Court’s wartime experience with Calla kept the pages turning.

@kristycambron does it again and I am now a solid fan! Kristy’s character development reels you in right from the start of the book, coupled with historical facts and heart-rending plots across generations, this book is one that will stay with me in all the good ways, for all the right things. Love, loss, surprises and life-changes made for an excellent read. I am now in search for the next Kristy Cambron book. #TheItalianBallerina #netgalley #historicalfiction #WWII

Whoa, do I have a new favorite Kristy Cambron book?!?! I've loved so many of this author's books. Her attention to detail, vivid writing, historical intrigue, and, of course, romance . . . all of it makes for dependably wonderful stories time after time. The Italian Ballerina, though, might be my new fave! It's a beautiful story woven with timeless truths and relatable emotion. I felt this story in a deep, deep way and know it's one I'll re-read. Oh so highly recommended!

Highly recommend!! My first book to read by this author but definitely not my last!! Uniquely and beautifully written, this story and its characters stay with you long after you finish the book.

This book I was not sure about at first. The time slip confused me a little bit but once I got into the story I was fine. I liked the story, the complex weaving of lives and friendship. The stubborn love of friends not willing to leave a fellow behind but doggedly carry on with them, supporting them and walking through life with them. This was a rather sweet book. Yes, it is about war but also about love of your fellow soldier, love of your fellow man. I would recommend this story to others.

Oh my goodness, what a beautiful story! Author Kristy Cambron hits The Italian Ballerina out of the park and I loved every minute of it. Her talented pen places you in two equally compelling timelines. In the present you meet Delaney and Matt who are trying to piece how their grandparents knew one another in WWII. The WWII timeline goes back and forth during a 5 year period with Julia Bradbury, a prima ballerina, two US medics Court Colemen, and his seargant Andrew James Nelson (AJ) and a young Jewish child. The characters in this powerful, page-turning story are authentic, flawed, and courageous.

"Inside wasn't just a dress....it was Roman Holiday." "This was the dress of every Audrey-Heburn-loving, little girl's fantasy. And the woman had just presented it to her."

"True as I'm standing here. John Steinbeck is working as a war correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune."

"Fighting alongside the boys in his unit for years and watching soldiers die in their hands-it was enought to stir Court to do anything to get back to the front lines. To help. To fight to the death. To do what they'd all come to do and not back down-no matter what."

"Tiber Island, Fatebenefratelli Hospital." "It is Il Morbo di K-Sydrome K"- fascinating true history.

Fans of fabulous, well-written, and compelling dual timeline stories will LOVE The Itallian Ballerina.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own. I plan to purchase a copy for my keeper shelf!

A sweet story that flashes back and forth across a five year time period during WWII and up to the future. So much is happening, and it's woven together intricately. A story that will stay with you as you are swept into one of my favorite cities in this engrossing story.

My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the arc, unfortunately I had difficulty with this and could not finish.

Multiple story arcs on different timeliness which made it difficult to keep up with and rather confusing. The ballerina story would have been a great stand alone. Very heavy, too much stuff crammed in. Had promise but can recommend.