The Echoes of War an Historical Fiction set in Italy which tells the story about Giulia Tallariti, her parents, her siblings, nonna, aunt and community along with other people she has come across in her lifetime. The story tells of what life during “Mussolini’s timeline,” rural Italy during times of Italian wars in Abyssinia, Albania and Africa before WW2 began. I was so engrossed and engaged in the story line that I didn’t want to put it down as I was learning new information regarding Italy, Germany and how they changed sides over halfway through WW2. Reading the story I felt Giulia’s roller coaster ride of emotions and was able to understand what she was feeling each time. While reading I wished that I could have had a similar relationship with my own siblings as she had with her own. I’m glad that I didn’t had a trauma experience from reading but I’d like to caution those who has had childhood trauma regarding sibling, parenting or parent relationship issues even are anxious on reading about war conditions: I would suggest that you might need some help after reading. A great Historical Fiction book which is from stories, sufferings and relationships about Tania’s ancestors and I recommend to readers who like to read books about history, Italian history and WW2.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Australia via NetGalley for my honest review of the book The Echoes of War by Tania Blanchard. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own thoughts, feelings and viewpoints of the book.

Review run date 29 September 2021 for Netgalley, today 26 October 2021 posted on NetGalley, WordPress blog, Facebook blog, Instagram, LinkedIn, Amazon.com.au, goodreads, along with the non-linked retail online stores that sell the book is at: iBooks. GoogleBooks

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Bellissimo!

Tania Blanchard's latest novel is a truly beautifully crafted, southern Italian famIly tale, woven from memories and her research of her own Italian family.

It moves us seamlessly and stirringly through the political and geographical landscape, of the times of Mussolini's totalitarian state and wars, culminating in large post World War Two emigration, to new worlds.

The tale begins with the central character of Giulia Tallariti, a sixteen year old, tenacious teenager, in 1936, living in her Calabrian farming family, with her young hopes and dreams, which are finally fulfilled, seventeen years later, in a far distant land.

I feel it very worthy of the term, an Italian Tale, with its helter skelter of emotions, in varied happenings and many surprises. The atmosphere was so wonderfully created, that I now long to do a grand tour of Italy, to personally taste all its sights and scenery, as well as the southern Italian food and wine.

Cin Cin to a bellissimo Italian Tale!

(big thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the book to review)

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Not sure if it's me or there is a glut of WW2 books at the moment. This one didn't do it for me; a really slow read that then jumps around.

Echoes of war is set in pre-war Italy, in a remote farming village where traditional, old school values restrict the freedoms of the young. Giulia is one such young woman who chafes at the traditional path that her family wishes her to tread.

Set against the looming war, Giulia must find a way to support her passions, at the same time maintaining a connection to her family and home as best she can.

The book felt a little jumpy to me, and it took me an extraordinarily long time to read. I can only pin this down to the narration just not grabbing me.

Set in Italy as WWII breaks out, this is a family story which also challenges traditional roles.
I enjoyed this rich tapestry of life in war torn Italy.
I really want this story to continue!
This is the first book I have read by this Australian author but it won't be the last.

I really enjoyed this novel, I liked how it gave the Italian’s side of the war as many books I have read based around this time have been mostly from the English point of view.

Set in Mussolini’s Italy amid great upheaval, this is the story of one woman’s determination to find her place in a world that men are threatening to tear apart.

Giulia Tallariti’s character is that of a strong woman, one who knows what she wants and isn’t wanting to conform to expectations.

There is so much emotion in this story, heartbreak, the devastation of war and what it could do to people was ever so apparent throughout the pages, mixed with natures own fury. And joy, all through the book I was just wanting for Giulia to have the life she wished.

What I also really liked was that this book was inspired by the Authors family, when id finished the book and read the Authors Note I was even more blown away, I love that it had that personal connection.

Dear Echoes of War, It’s not you, it’s me. I was invited to read this historical drama set in WW2 era Italy by the Australian publisher. It’s not my usual preferred genres, and I generally don’t enjoy wartime novels, but I was in the mood for something different and was interested to learn more about Italy’s role in WW2, which I knew very little about, since most fiction focuses on Britain and Germany. Unfortunately this has taken me over ten days to finish (my average is two) - my most putdownable book in quite a while - which has wrecked my ARC schedule, but I was determined to finish it. I do however think other readers would enjoy it much more than I did.

It’s 1936 and headstrong Calabrian teenager Giulia Tallarita longs to escape the confines of her loving but patriarchal family to become a healer, but her father is determined to get her married off. The wily women of the family arrange for her to be placed in a convent where she can study the use of traditional herbal medicines in secret, but it only postpones the inevitable and Giulia must submit to an arranged marriage. Luckily her new husband is kind and more progressive, and is happy to let her work helping the poor, who have limited access to medical care. When Italy enters the war, her skills will be needed more than ever. Over a decade, Giulia’s family will struggle with hardship as their men go off to fight, rejoice with new lives, suffer heartbreaking losses and survive terrible privations as a war started by madmen dominates their lives.

I’m always interested in historical fiction about female medics ahead of their time. This did explore the way herbal treatments are used first in place of, and then alongside conventional medicine, but much less than I was hoping for. Instead the focus is on Giulia’s coming of age, family and romantic relationships, and dissatisfaction with the constraints of her life. I didn’t like her much as a character - she’s petulant, arrogant and rather a drama queen. Her dogged insistence on following her calling despite the risk to herself is admirable, but she takes it too far and falls out with people who care about her because they want her to be safe - she behaves like a stroppy adolescent well into her twenties.

The writing was okay - it’s all told from Giulia’s first person past perspective - but peppered with stupid lines like “My eyes widened in amazement.” It failed to bring the colours, scents and vibrancy of Southern Italy to life as I had hoped. Conversely, the horrors of war were muted by all being related second-hand, a positive for me. The middle part got pretty repetitive, while more interesting plot-lines, like the role of the Ndrangheta (Calabrian mafia), petered out. The other characters are not very well developed, probably because Giulia is too self-absorbed to be bothered describing them. While I generally don’t mind first person narrative, I think this would’ve worked better in third person with other character perspectives. The afterword explains that the story was inspired by the author’s grandparents, and includes various family names, positions and anecdotes, but the main story is fiction. I did learn a bit about the relevant history of Mussolini’s Italy, but it’s very much in the background and the switch in sides to join the Allies was glossed over.

Overall this was a good book, but just not for me - I suggest reading other reviews and giving it a go if you are enthused rather than annoyed by feisty female leads and enjoy romance, angst and family drama rather, while I’ll follow my instincts and avoid historical war stories for a few years. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review and apologies that it is late.

Loved this historical romance and it reminded me of how much good there is in people.

I have always loved history and I loved the story of how Giulia wanted to be a healer and help out they people of her country.

I loved the pacing of the book and will definitely be rereading this book.

I am partial to war stories but this novel, Echoes of War, isn't really a war story but a story of womanhood but set within a time of war. This is not to say that the protagonist wasn't affected by war but just that she was not directly involved in it. All in all, it did not detract from the story of passion, resilience, and strength of this girl's journey into womanhood.

Giulia Tallariti, our protagonist, is a passionate young woman who has a very clear vision of her future. A vision which was not shared by her father who has his own preconception and therefore resulted in a number of clashes between daughter and father. While fighting for her future, the country itself is turmoil. From wars, natural disasters, and poverty, Giulia and her family stuck together through thick & thin as she sought and found her place in her family & society.

I'm not afraid to confess that I cried a number of times; as you'd expect from such stories. Echoes of War is a novel full of anxiety, heartbreaks, family, sisterhood, and love. What fascinated me most was author's notes as she described her own family history and how it influenced her writing especially with some of her own family stories woven into this telling; utterly captivating.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts

“Echoes of War” is a historical fiction set in Europe, but with links to Australia through some non-fictional aspects. It’s a novel that will appeal to plenty of readers, but which failed to connect with me. It’s frustrating to read a novel that you’re just not enjoying, but which has all the hallmarks of a novel you should be enjoying.

In rural Italy, the rumblings of war seem very distant. Guilia is more concerned with her father’s intention to marry her to a much older man in order to tame her “wild ways”. And most of her family and friends are more concerned about surviving in a pretty hardscrabble rural area than about political machinations or world events.

Guilia goes about her life, worrying about her marriage, her livelihood, and her family and friends.
But soon it becomes clear that war is coming, and that even this remote corner of Italy will be touched. Men will go to war, and eventually the war will come to even this remote area. Guilia will not be left untouched.

The novel didn’t connect with me in large part because it started to feel like a parade of historical events presented one after another, but without enough involvement by the characters we were following. The author has chosen to follow a relatively uneducated woman (Guilia) in a very rural part of Italy, and thus made her both unaware of many parts of the war and distant from it. This could have worked if what Guilia was doing was compelling or interesting, but it didn’t strike a strong chord with me.

The author’s choices were dictated by a decision to reflect her own family history in the novel. She clearly admires Guilia and her strength, justifiably so. But this strength of character seems to have been most evident in later life, a period barely touched on in this novel.

I think your enjoyment of this novel will hinge on how strongly you engage with Guilia. Many readers probably will find her strong and interesting, and in that case this is a good historical novel that looks through a rarely used lens. The historical background is well researched and integrated into the story. However, for me, since Guilia wasn’t involved in many of those events, it did come to feel a bit like “oh, here’s another historical event I need to draw your attention to…”

The setting is vivid and well drawn, and has the ring of truth. Indeed, many of the characters were well drawn and interesting.

Perhaps I just wasn’t the right reader for this book; Guilia simply didn’t rouse an emotional connection in me. As a result, although this isn’t a bad book, I found it rather boring and didn’t enjoy it.

For many fans of historical fiction, this will tick all the boxes. Real events, well woven into the novel; interesting characters; an unusual lens; and a warm conclusion. It didn’t manage to engage me, but I can see that it will entertain many readers.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.

A touching story, following the life of Giulia Tallariti, who lived with her parents and brothers and sisters. Giula's desire to become a healer like her grandmother is frowned upon by her father (which he links to witchcraft), is sent to the monastery (where it was secretly planned for her to further her studies on herbalism and healing. However, upon her return home, her father announces that both her sister and herself are to be married, much to their disappointment.

However, tragedy strikes the family and Giula's world is forever changed. From disaster to war, the peaceful world she once knew is no more.

This is a beautiful read and a really touching story.

I love historical fiction and this one did not disappoint. It tells the story of Giulia a strong willed woman living in a small village called Calabria in the far south of Italy. A time where women did not have a lot of freedom and were expected to marry and have children.

Giulia does not want to get married she wants to study to become a healer. Giulia and her mother tell her Father a little white lie so she can go to a convent and learn all she can about healing. On her return to her village her father learns of the lie and insists Giulia marries a man of his choosing.

Meanwhile Italy is embroiled in WWII and Mussolini has sided with Hitler. As the war continues Giulia’s Father and brother go off to war as well as many young men of the village, some do not return while others a ravaged by what they have seen.

What I loved most about this book was to see the war through Italy’s eyes and how it impacted the every day lives of ordinary people. Growing up I never really knew Italy’s role in WWII and this story gave me more of an understanding.
I did not always like Giulia sometimes I thought she was to head strong for her own good and often made things worse for herself. But I love how she managed to find her own way and do what she loved and that was healing.
This book was beautifully written and often brought a tear to my eye.

This book was outside my usual reading genre but I’m so glad I found it.

It’s a story about a young woman with dreams that definitely don’t fit society’s mould. Set in Italy at the beginning of WWII it tells the story of Guilia’s quest to be a healer.

The storytelling is beautiful and also kind of heartbreaking. It’s obviously set during a very difficult time in Italy’s history. It explores the Italian culture of family, connection to the land sense of obligation. It’s a great read.

Life in Calabria is idyllic for Guilia, surrounded by a loving family and a lifestyle rich in beauty and nature’s gifts. But Guilia has dreams that girls in an Italian family don’t have the right to — fathers and husbands make decisions for women. If only her father would allow her to train as a healer and join the Red Cross.

That was enough to tempt me to read this new release by Tania Blanchard, her fourth novel. This one is written not from the German perspective as she has previously, but from the Italian. Trapped into Mussolini’s Fascist plans and fated alliance with Hitler, it saw Italy switch sides during the war.

I love Italy, and the chance to see it on the page is always a delight. But reading Echoes of War has opened me to a part of Italy’s history that I was relatively uninformed about. To read of Italy just before WWII and to imagine life in the villages before war changed everything, was an eye-opener. And Guilia’s family are delightful.

Guilia is a wonderful well-rounded character. While measured and sure of what she wants, she is also headstrong and passionate — wanting to learn healing from her maternal Nonna. But her father opposes her resistance and controls her at every opportunity. He decides the only way to curb his wild daughter’s ways is to marry her off – then her husband will make decisions for her future. There is much to love about the way Guilia responds to the life chosen for her and forges ahead to make the best of it.

The relationships within the family are beautiful. At the head, Guilia's father holds the power, but he is no violent dictator; ultimately he is a benevolent man who is loving and tender with his wife and family. Guilia’s siblings are supportive and caring, and the women in the family are strong. Life in the village is beautiful. But then nature has a way in southern Italy of making things difficult.

Inevitably war arrives on Guiilia’s doorstep. As the male members of her family are drawn into the conflict, we see the politics of Il Duce and Italy through Guilia’s open and intelligent eyes. Her relationship with Zia Francesca and her friend Don Silvio, introduce us to the darker side of Calabria– the ‘Ndrangheta – and their influence over the Calabrese. I was interested in the part Don Silvio played to save Italy from the grip of fascism, as the tide turned against the fury and devastation of Hitler’s demands.

This is a beautiful story of love, family and sacrifice. While death, betrayal and hurt form part of the story too, what I love most about a narrative is when it prompts me to learn more about a place or time. So as a result, it's off to the history books I wander to investigate Calabria further, and discover more.

Being a huge fan of historical fiction, I was very excited to read this book and I just LOVED it!!

Echoes of War was written beautifully and made me cry during the tragic moments. It was written with such depth that it had me imagining the scenarios with a vividness that pulled at my heartstrings. What spectacular writing!! I also found the healing aspects of the work that Giulia does with her Nonna to help the sick and injured fascinating! What a wonderful read.

Something I also enjoyed about this book was the perspective of the storyline and how much it taught me. Many books I’ve read about the Second World War have mostly been about the cities under occupation and their experiences with the Nazi’s but this was set in Italy and I really liked reading about their perspective. I didn’t realise until now the dilemma the Italian’s found themselves in during that time so it was eye opening to learn about it.

Overall this strong, gorgeous book is well researched and beautifully written. It’s an absolute must read for all historical fiction lovers!! 😍

‘I followed the nun in a haze of exhaustion.’

Calabria, Italy, 1936. Guilia Tallariti lives with her family (parents and four siblings) in a remote farming village. She dreams of being a healer, like her grandmother, but her father is determined to see each of his three daughters married. Guilia spends some time at a monastery where, unknown to her father, she learns some of the skills of healing with a famous herbalist. But after she returns to the village, she is married at seventeen and then widowed two years later.

Beyond Calabria, Mussolini and his National Fascist Party are in power in Italy and the world is edging towards World War II. Calabria is no longer safe from the fascist agenda of northern Italy and Guilia’s family will be torn apart. Guilia remarries: her husband, father and brother are called up to serve in the armed forces. By now, Guilia is a trusted healer: even her father has accepted her skills.

And after the war, many of those who have survived can no longer make a living on their farms. Many will emigrate.

Ms Blanchard has drawn on her grandfather’s life in writing this novel: deftly drawing history into fiction and enabling the reader to experience the customs of Calabria and the challenges faced. I enjoyed this novel and learned more about the impact of Mussolini and of World War II in this part of Italy. The characters and story held my attention from beginning to end.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

A very simple and easy read but a lovely story nonetheless. Perhaps too light on some areas of the story, especially in the beginning but it’s a very interesting perspective being an Italian during Mussolini and how women have to navigate society, balancing between achieving their dreams and goals but still fitting within the expectations of them from fathers and males in society.

It was 1936 in Calabria, Italy and the farm where Giulia Tallariti lived with her Mamma, Papa, two brothers and two sisters, was a happy home filled with love. Nonna Mariana and Giulia’s aunt weren’t far away, and Giulia’s desire was to become a healer like her Nonna, to care for those who needed it with the herbs and remedies that had been handed down for generations. But Giulia’s Papa was against herbal medicines, declaring it to be witchcraft, and was preparing to find a suitable man for Giulia to marry. When the violent argument ended with Giulia entering the monastery to learn with the nuns and a well-known herbalist, Giulia, although homesick, was content.

When Giulia’s oldest brother Vincenzo headed off to war, then Papa was called up, the peace the family had known slowly shattered. Giulia’s sister, Theresa was married with children, Vincenzo married his sweetheart Rosa when he was home on leave, and Giulia was forced to marry an older man. But the future was uncertain and happiness fleeting. Northern Italy was in trouble, and while Vincenzo and his two friends came home to visit when they could, as well as Papa, they could see things were worsening.

Would Giulia be able to continue her healing? Would their village be safe? And would war come closer to their rural area before it ended?

Echoes of War by Aussie author Tania Blanchard is based on the true story of the author’s grandfather, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fascinating, intriguing, I learned a lot I didn’t know through reading this book. Mussolini was great friends with Hitler – that was a recipe for disaster! I have an Italian daughter-in-law and I was wondering all the way through if she would know the various places, foods etc that were so much a part of the lives of Giulia and her family. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautifully told story set in Calabria, Italy starting in 1936 where we meet a young Giulia Tallariti and move through life with her and her family as she grows to a woman and we share what she goes through during some very hard times Mussolini’s rein, World War 11 and the aftermath of war, this story pulled me in with the descriptions of the setting and life.

Giulia lives in a small village amongst the mountains and close to the Ionian Sea with her parents Andrea and Gabriella, her sisters Teresa and Paola and brothers Vincenzo and Antonio, she dreams of being a healer like her Nonna but her father has other ideas, these were the days of arranged marriages and Giulia is determined to not have that happen to her, after a stand-off with her father Giulia is sent to a monastery to learn the art of being a healer under a famous herbalist, here Giulia learns more than being a good healer and makes true friends. It is not long before Giulia is being pushed again by her father on her return home.

Family life on the farm is not always easy especially as they are ruled by a fascist government and when family members her father Andrea and brother Vincenzo are called up to fight for Italy, this leaves the females of the family to run the farm and Paola does this really well the woman stand together and strong as they do what has to be done.

When World War 11 erupts throughout Europe and Italy is fighting with the Nazis people are torn with what is right, there are tragedies that devastate the family but still the woman keep going with what has to be done and Giulia stands tall and proud as she continues to help people.

I loved this story from page one, I have read many stories set in World War 11 and most have been set around Paris so being in Italy and seeing it from the Italians’ point of view was fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable, getting to know Giulia and seeing her grow in strength and find love through such hard times was fabulous. I found this story heart-wrenching at times and yes there tears from me, I couldn’t help but cheer Giulia on throughout her journey from Italy 1936 to Australia 1953.

To think that this story come from a photo of Tania Blanchard’s grandfather was awesome, this is one that I would highly recommend the history and settings of the times were just wonderful, but above all it shows the courage and strength that the woman showed when times were tough.

My thanks to Netgelly and the publisher for my copy to read and review

I was tempted into reading this because it tells a story set in Italy during the second world war and therefore shows the plight of the Italian people rather than the customary German or British. It was interesting to be reminded about Mussolini and his relationship with Hitler, and the way the Italian people were affected by this.

Echoes of War is set in Calabria, a rural area of Southern Italy. The people lived a traditional life and struggled with poverty. Our main character, Giulia, has her own struggles against a very paternalistic father who can only see one way of life for her, as a wife and mother. Giulia wants much more and envisions herself working as a healer and travelling beyond her limited borders. As the war takes hold we follow the ups and downs of Giulia's family as various members go off to fight, and some of course do not return.

I liked the historical parts of this book more than I did the fictional aspects. I did not find Giulia to be a very sympathetic character, and could therefore not be as concerned about her as I needed to be to enter fully into the tale. Still an enjoyable read and I recommend it to lovers of historical fiction.