Starting in 1914 we meet Nina Argenta, a young girl growing up in the small, rural town of Fonzaso, Italy. Her mother Adelasia is a strong figure in the family and the region’s mid-wife. The family survives WWI and many young men, including her brother, head to America to earn better wages to help their struggling families. Pietro Pante also heads to America after Nina finds herself falling in love with him. The subsequent rise of Mussolini followed by the Nazi occupation, threaten all of Fonzaso.
Nina and Pietro are reunited and marry yet he chooses to remain in America making infrequent visits to Italy. Nina, never knowing if she will ever hear from or see Pietro again, develops into a resilient woman, like her mother, taking charge of her life for the sake of her children and the rest of her family. But the horrors of WWII test her strength and threaten her future.
Author Jennifer Anton has written a sweeping story that, while fiction, is lovingly based on members of her own family. And that love and respect for those who came before her comes through in such a heartfelt way. If you read a lot of historical fiction, especially books that take place during WWII, some of the stories start to feel repetitive. Under the Light of the Italian Moon is a unique story that will grab you from the beginning. I cared about this family throughout every page.
Grazie mille to author Jennifer Anton for reaching out and offering me the opportunity to read this wonderful book in advance of its March 8, 2021 publication (which happens to be International Women’s Day.) I hope it gets the attention it deserves.
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Historical Fiction.
Publication Date: March 8, 2021.
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