The Liberation

4.5★s

When Caterina Lombardi was only ten years old and her brother Luca was just a baby, their mother abandoned them. She deserted her husband and two children for another man, fleeing for the lights and money of Rome. Now, eleven years later and Caterina was twenty one; Luca eleven. It was 1945 and the war was over; the British and American soldiers were trying to help the locals bring some order back to their lives in Naples and surrounding towns. Caterina lived with her brother and their grandfather in Sorrento, in the home their mother and father had once occupied – their father had been killed during the war when his workshop had been bombed; their grandfather was blind.

The unexpected intrusion into their lives by two of the soldiers was a shock to Caterina. But it was to get much worse. As Caterina found herself in a fight for her life and her freedom, the discovery of secrets in her family’s past had her in denial. She refused to believe what was being said was fact. Her determination to discover the truth would put her and Luca in danger; the violence was out on the street – would she be safe? Would she find the answers she sought and find peace?

The Liberation by Kate Furnivall is an epic tale of love, loss and retribution. Heartbreaking and filled with sorrow, it is also a story of loyalty, trust and hope. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction novel which is set after the war, and shows a different side to the effects that war has on a nation. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.

I have long wished to sample a Kate Furnivall book, and now I know why. It was amazing. ‘The Liberation’ is an epic tale. Long ... over 500 pages ... but gosh! Does it pack a punch! At no stage are you bored or does the story decline - tension and suspense will easily see you through these riveting pages.

“She didn’t recognise her own life any more. It was as if she had fallen into someone else’s and she needed a new map to find her way around it.”

Firstly there is the setting - post war Italy - how they survived one trauma (WWII) to be faced with an ongoing crisis of survival. Here is a tale of tragedy, as people are forced into things, against often insurmountable odds. What an amazing character Caterina is! Out to prove her father’s innocence and protect what remains of her family, you will be floored by her strength. She is a heroine in every sense of the word. In fact, each and every character has real substance, a strength and honour in their convictions and the lengths they will go to in achieving them. This is not a romance, but one cannot help but love the chemistry between Caterina and Jake.

“We think we know the people we love. But what if she were mistaken? What if the father she had loved all those years was not the man behind the bright laughing eyes and the easy way of smiling? What if she had got it all wrong?”

The way Kate Furnivall describes life in Italy, down to the smallest detail, truly captures all the fears and failings, love and compassion. Even though the war was over, its effects were still being felt and the fallout made surviving a struggle. Her writing is at times poetic in the rich descriptions of Naples and Sorrento and you will be lost back in time to this place and culture. You will be crawling over the rubble, running with the street kids and fearing for your life - such are the writing skills of Kate Furnivall.

“But here in the deep shade of old Italy, she could hear the ancient pulse of Naples, feel it vibrating in the smooth black lava slabs beneath her feet. Bombs. Gunfire. Death and starvation. Blood in the streets. Defeat and destruction.”

This is a fabulous book. A story filled with intrigue and violence, set against Italian passions of family and love. I highly recommend you embark on this journey with Caterina, dangerous as it will be, in an effort to both survive and honour all the good that remains in this war torn country.

“ the Allied Army had invaded to save the country from Hitler’s forces, but who would save Naples from itself when the soldiers were gone?”



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release