IMAGINE ELIZABETH BETTINA’S SURPRISE when she discovered that her grandmother’s village had a secret: over a half century ago, many of Campagna’s residents defied the Nazis and risked their lives to shelter and save hundreds of Jews during the Holocaust. What followed her discovery became an adventure as she uncovered fascinating untold stories of Jews in Italy during World War II and the many … and the many Italians who risked everything to save them.
“Finally, somebody made known the courage and the empathy of the majority of the Italian people toward us Jews at a time of great danger.” –Nino Asocoli
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A great read and validates others books on the kindness and compassion of the Italian people during WWII. One gained a huge respect for unknown people in small mountain towns who took such risks to help the Jewish people and other facing Nazi atrocities.
At times it dragged, but the little known subject matter: about ordinary Italians saving the lives of so many Jews during World War II was a revelation. It made me love Italians even more.
Loved the book and all the new information (to me), that you researched so thoroughly. Thank you for following through with these victims and sharing the story of them and “The Righteous Ones.” They are aptly named!
A great, informative read. Loved hearing these stories, i had never heard of the great deeds of these wonderful Italian people. So heartwarming.
Learned a fact about Italy in WW11 I was not aware of
Interesting to find out how different the Italians treated Jews in WW 2 from their allies the Germans.
It was great to know that during the holocaust there really were some very good caring people, and sounds like a great many were in Italy. Glad the author was motivated to write about the Italians that saved so many Jews.
This book tells the story of how many Jewish people were protected in Italy during World War II. Very interesting reading with the stories told by survivors. Photos and documents are provided in the book, along with lists of names. I have read many books about the Holocaust and mass execution in other parts of Europe, but this is a story I had …
Interesting and informative read, but lacking in emotion.
Never heard these stories before . How sad that this is not more well known.
I never knew all of this information about how the Italians treated the Jews during World War II. It was quite an inspiring book about how there were those who were willing to help out Jews to the detriment of their own lives.
I am Italian and I did not realize that many Italians hid and protected the Jewish people in the Second World War. It is an informative book and I was very proud of the Italians who saved these Jewish people. The subject of this book horrifies me but we cannot bury our heads and act like it didn’t happen! I so wish it never did happen!
The story needs to be told and history classes should teach it.
The b ook proves there are still good people in the world even in the worst of times..
The author’s grandparents lived in a little village called Campagna. She was brought up Catholic but she discovers that during WWII Italy and the Italians saved many Jews, even the police would warn them if there was going to be a raid. While they were put in Detention Camps in 1943, it was nothing like the horrors of the other concentration …
The book was very informational and I learned much I did not know about the role of Italy during WWII. It was put forth in a fairly dry and factual form, relating the events experienced by the author in her search for Jewish survivors and their tales of interment in Italy.
In the midst of all the books about the Holocaust, it described something that I did not know. That while 80% of the Jews from most European countries invaded by Nazis perished, 80% of the Jews in Italy sent to Italian detention camps survived.
Since I know little about Jews sheltered in Italy during the war, I was eager to read this book. However, after about 6 chapters, I quit. I thought, “If she had put all this information about herself, her own personality, how that led her to cfonnecty the right people, etc., into an appendix, I might have actually chosen to read it after reading …
I tried, I really did try to read this book. I love stories of inspiration in the lives of Halocost victims. But the author wouldn’t get on with their story. She kept regaling the reader with her coincedences as she tried to write the story she stated she was writing. I couldn’t keep waiting to read THEIR story.
found it rather boring and slow moving. I was interested nat first then lost interest and just skimmed it.