Under the Light of the Italian Moon

This historical fiction novel spans two decades and is based on the lives of the author's extended family and their experiences living in rural Italy during WWII. The bulk of the story focuses on the everyday events of a family life - births, deaths and everything in between. I liked the idea of the author writing about her family's history, but I never felt connected to the characters and despite its war setting, the story was not the emotional, tense or compelling read I had anticipated.

This book felt more like a collection of personal anecdotes that were too loosely woven together with the historical romance genre in mind. I love a good WWII setting and Anton introduces a few interesting elements (midwifery, women's roles in the war, fascism, Italian migration to North America ...) but none of these topics were given enough depth. And the romance element quickly fell on the backburner because it's difficult to have the reader imagine a romantic bond when the couple is apart for 90% of the book. 

It felt like readers were kept at arms length in terms of emotional impact with a story that was dialogue-heavy and excessively long. There was a pivotal moment that could have created conflict and tension (some good 'ol deception), but it was quickly forgotten with the character (and that storyline) disappearing for the remainder of the book.

I'm sure it was a very satisfying and emotional process for the author to write a story that is based on her family during WWII. While I learned more about WWII and the ending was satisfying, this quieter read wasn't the sweeping love story I was expecting and fell flat for me in its pacing, tension and storytelling. 

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Jennifer Anton

Genre: Historical Fiction

Type and Source: eBook, personal copy

Publisher: Amsterdam Publishers

First Published: March 8, 2021

Book Description from GoodReads: A promise keeps them apart until WWII threatens to destroy their love forever

Fonzaso, Italy, between two wars

Nina Argenta doesn’t want the traditional life of a rural Italian woman. The daughter of a strong-willed midwife, she is determined to define her own destiny. But when her brother emigrates to America, she promises her mother to never leave. When childhood friend Pietro Pante briefly returns to their mountain town, passion between them ignites while Mussolini forces political tensions to rise. Just as their romance deepens, Pietro must leave again for work in the coal mines of America. Nina is torn between joining him and her commitment to Italy and her mother. As Mussolini’s fascists throw the country into chaos and Hitler’s Nazis terrorise their town, each day becomes a struggle to survive greater atrocities. A future with Pietro seems impossible when they lose contact and Nina’s dreams of a life together are threatened by Nazi occupation and an enemy she must face alone…

Spanning over two decades, Under the Light of the Italian Moon is an epic, emotional and triumphant tale of one woman’s incredible resilience during the rise of fascism and Italy’s collapse into WWII.

Gripping historical fiction based on a true story and heartbreaking real events.