Rome 1943- Marina Tozzi comes home to the absolute worst scene, her father has been killed for harboring a Jewish artist. She is heartbroken and distraught as to what to do next and where to hide. She is sure that whomever killed her father. She flees to Villa I Tatti, in Florence and the home of her fathers friend. Bernard Berenson and his partner Belle de Costa Greene, the famous librarian of JP Morgan, take her in and keep her safe. Partisans and Germans are fighting to get control of the city and Marina finds herself very busy in the house. She begins healing catalog their library. It keeps her busy and from asking questions about why Bernard makes so many secret trips to Switzerland. Add a handsome neighbor who takes up as a partisan and things are very difficult. So many things are going on, and she is completely distracted. When Carlos, the neighbor disappears, Marina must get to work about finding the truth out and settling all the questions she has. This was a very good story. It was well written and the characters were very interesting. There were some twists and turns, that kept me reading late into the night. A Girl During the War, by Anita Abriel is a classic tale of how everyone was affected by world war 2, no matter what part of the world they were in. I want to thank Netgalley and the author for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure reading and reviewing this book. It was a four star read for me, I hope you enjoy it as well..

I’m honestly not sure where I stand with this book after reading. It was a decent story line and premise but I found it difficult to connect with the characters in the book. I just felt I missing that connection with Marina. There seemed to be a lot going on at once so I am not sure if that was where my connection fell flat. The writing was good though. Just not the right historical fiction for me.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

I thought this one had glimmers of historical fiction charm, but at the end of the day, it was just okay for me. There were many elements of the story I liked — I loved the art influence. Sadly I didn’t love it and didn’t feel fully invested. But the premise was great and the story was unique in its own way.

I am a long-standing fan of Anita Abriel and I am happy to share that A Girl During the War is another knockout read by this author!

I love historical fiction just about any way that I can get it, whether it be heavy, light, or somewhere in between. This WWII story definitely falls on the lighter side of the scale, and I really appreciated that about it and found it to be well done. The plot, the characters, the setting, all of wound together wonderfully and kept my interest piqued! As an artist, the art-filled storyline and art history throughout were like the icing on the cake. The perfect amount of history and detail illuminated the pages, that intermingled with romance, intrigue, and heartache kept me turning the pages. A compelling story of one woman named Mariana’s resistance work within the art world, this book offered a fresh perspective to HF I hadn’t before read about. Highly recommend to my fellow hist fic lovers, or even somebody looking to delve into the genre (especially with an existing love for art)!

Many thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy!

Anita Abriel is a gift to historical fiction. Her family history lends itself to give her a depth of knowledge that pours into her books. Adore her work.


Watch my amazon interview with her here: https://amazon.com/live/broadcast/ebc09c1e-0fa1-4b5e-b74f-ede6f467a8a5?ref=social&tag=erinmbransco-20&linkCode=ilv

Romance, heartbreak and more during WWII. A story about a woman who saves Italy’s Renaissance art from being plundered by the Nazi’s. The book was okay, nothing that I hadn't read before. Quite honestly, there are so many books out now about WWII that they're all beginning to sound alike.

Finding romance during the heartbreak of war. This was a very good plot and I enjoyed it very much. Rich in historical detail.
Many thanks to Atria and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

<b>Note:</b> I received an advanced copy of this book from Atria Books via NetGalley.

Rome, 1943: University student Marina Tozzi is on her way home when she finds out that her father has been killed for harboring a Jewish artist in their home. Fearful of the consequences, Marina flees to Villa I Tatti, the Florence villa of her father’s American friend Bernard Berenson and his partner Belle da Costa Greene, the famed librarian who once curated J.P. Morgan’s library.

Florence is a hotbed of activity as partisans and Germans fight for control of the city. Marina, an art expert, begins helping Bernard catalog his library as he makes the difficult trek to neutral Switzerland, helping to hide precious cultural artifacts from the Germans. Adding to the tension, their young neighbor Carlos, a partisan, seeks out Marina for both her art expertise and her charm. Marina, swept up in the romance, dreams of a life together after the war.

But when Carlos disappears, all of Marina’s assumptions about her life in Florence are thrown into doubt, and she’ll have to travel halfway around the world to unravel what really happened during the war.

I liked this book until about half way through. It went the way I was expecting the story to go, however, I was disappointed with how things turned out. I really liked Marina and I thought she was dumbed down at some points in the book.

A Girl During the War is a wonderful story of a woman, Marina who has a discerning eye for great works of art. She works to save Italy’s Renaissance art from being plundered by the Nazi’s during WWII.

The story is full of heartbreak, but also intrigue, strength and love. There are not many books I can think of that are written from the perspective of the Italian’s and the partisan’s and those that worked to save their incredible history and works of art. The Nazi’s plundered so much from all the countries they occupied and it makes you wonder how many actually made it back to their rightful owners.

Thank you #netgalley and #atria for allowing me to read this wonderful eARC. All opinions expressed above are my own.

I really quite enjoyed this book. The storyline was fascinating and it was so nice to be a part of Marina’s world for a little bit.

Reading about Italy during the war was intriguing and I loved the elements of art history that the novel explored. I learned much about art through this book.

I wish that there were more details in the story. Many of the plot elements felt rushed, being summed up in only a sentence or a small paragraph. There were so many parts to this novel and I would have liked a more nuanced account of the happenings versus the quick resolutions that are given.


ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I like this one! Different from other historical fiction books I’ve read. It was about keeping art pieces safe during the war. I give it 3 stars. The storyline was good and I enjoyed the characters, there was just a lot of filler dialogue in it that just made me bored. I skimmed a lot especially towards the end. There was a happy ending, it was just mediocre. It you like art and history this one is for you.

Read if you like: WW2 fiction
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Marina returns home in Rome to find her father killed for hiding a Jewish person. She flees to her fathers friends villa in Tuscany where she hopes she can lay low and stay safe. But there she gets wrapped up in the world of preserving art from the Nazis and the resistance movement.
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I enjoyed reading about Marina’s experience in the art world and her work with the resistance. I also liked reading about Italy under occupation of the Germans. The relationship between Marina and Carlos definitely kept me hooked throughout the book, and even with the end of the war, the story doesn’t end and there’s even more drama, which I wasn’t expecting!
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CW: war, torture, death, betrayal, pregnancy, and anti-Semitism.

A Girl during the War by Anita Abriel is a Historical Fiction set during WW2. Marina lived with her father until he was murdered for hiding a Jew. Marina goes to stay with a family friend Bernard where she helps catalog his art collection. Marina makes some friends and even falls in love.

I really love a good Historical Fiction especially when there’s some love, loss and betrayal. When you have all the emotions wrapped in a storyline it makes it beautiful. That’s what Anita did when writing this book. There were a couple of parts that didn’t flow for me around the art aspect in the book, but it was minor

Thank You Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

Anita Abriel is a new-to-me author, but I found this story of the Italian resistance and partisans quite interesting. Marina Tozzi is a university student in Rome studying art and following in her father's footsteps. But when she returns home one day to find him dead because he was hiding a Jew in their basement, her whole life changes as she heads to the country near Florence to stay with friends of her father. Bernard is an art historian and has a huge library which he asks Marina to help him catalog. But Marina finds herself involved in the resistance and partisan effort to save Italy's great art works.

Abriel's book focuses on a part of World War II history with which I was not familiar and brought it vividly to life. Resisters played many roles and grabbed life and love where they could. The setting spanned countries and continents as they tried to keep famous art works safe from the Nazis who looted at will throughout Italy. Paintings in particular were smuggled as far away as South America. The romance theme showed the twists and turns that life could take as couples were separated, believed their love to be dead, and then found they were alive in another country. Very interesting look at the war through the eyes of those in Italy.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books and Anita Abriel for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Marina lives in Rome with her father. One evening after stopping to buy some anchovies for their dinner, she finds her father has been shot dead, along with another man. A friend of her fathers let's her know that the young man who was found dead in her home was Jewish and her father was hiding him in their basement. Marina had no idea! Her fathers friend tells Marina she needs to leave Rome, so she will be safe and so she travels to Tuscany to be with another friend of her fathers., Bernard. Marina feels welcome in their home and is able to help her fathers friend by cataloging his library and also helping Carlos( a young man that lives near by) with identifying and appraising the art he has. Carlos is a partisan and helps people get out of the country to safety.

A lot happens in this book and though I love Anita Abriels books, this one just didn't flow as well for me. At times it seemed disjointed and felt like things were just added to the story just for the sake of adding them. The ending of the book didn't make me happy either. Again, it was something that was added just because. 3⭐

Another WWII historical fiction book, this time with an art angle. Like the many, many other books of this genre, there is historical fact and historical fiction. This one was interesting however I felt disconnected from Marina, and because of this I really wasn't fully engaged in the story.

Marina Tozzi has helped her father lovingly run their successful art gallery. When she returns to find her father murdered for harboring a Jew, she runs away to safety in the countryside of Florence with a friend of the family, Bernard Berenson. While there, Marina is given the opportunity to catalog his library and value some pieces that are being shipped off to keep away from the hands of the invading Germany army. She finds close friends, a man she falls in love with, and also some intrigue along the way.

Overall a good read, but the story didn't flow as well for me. The story line was good, it just sometimes felt a little fragmented. I only say that as someone who could never put together a coherent story, so fully understand that there is always grace allowed to the author. I will continue to read Ms. Abriel's stories, as I believe she has a gift to find hidden gems in the histories we think we know.

3- 3 1/2 stars for me on this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed learning about Italian art and the quest to save historical pieces from the Nazis during the war. The story was enjoyable but I wanted more depth. After the death of her father, Marina's ability to move to Tuscany to live with a family friend seemed almost too easy. Marina suffered loss and betrayal but had more support than many. I would have liked more about the recovery of art effort in Argentina.

Marina loses her father during WW2, who owned a gallery in Rome, then goes to stay with her father's friend Bernard and helps him catalogue his collection. She gets involved with Carlos, a neighbor who helps move Jews and artwork to safety. Carlos then disappears.

AGirl During the War by Anita Abriel. The story was Romantic, historical, mysterious and sad all in one. Historical fiction I think is probably one of the hardest to write but was amazing reading about all the art.