A harrowing historical novel of the extraordinary acts of ordinary people in Nazi-occupied Italy.Italy, 1943. Luca Benedetto has joined the partisans in their fight against the German troops ravaging the shores of his town on Lake Como. While risking his life to free his country, Luca is also struggling to protect Sarah, his Jewish lover who’s hiding in a mountain cabin. As the violent Nazi … violent Nazi occupation intensifies, Luca and Sarah fear for more than their own lives.
In the heart of their village, their mothers have also found themselves vulnerable to the encroaching Nazis. But Luca’s mother, undeterred, is devising her own revenge on the occupiers. With Mussolini deposed and Allied armies fighting their way up the peninsula, the fate of Italy hangs in the balance, and the people of Lake Como must decide how much they’re prepared to sacrifice for family, friends, and the country they love.
The most trying of times will create the most unexpected heroes and incredible acts of courage in this stirring narrative as seen through the eyes of those devastated by war-torn Italy.
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How lucky for me to read Roland Merullo’s mesmerizing historical novel about Sarah Zinsi and Luca Benedetto and their struggle to hold on to love amid the chaos and terror of Nazi-controlled Italy during WWII. Once Night Falls is a story about heroes pitted against pure evil set against the backdrop of both Rome, Milan, and the magnificence of Lake Como. It is a story about unlikely heroes, individuals sucked up into the vortex of war who, in other circumstances, might have lived uneventful lives. A young man with one eye, a priest, a middle-aged mother, and a self-promotor/entrepreneur will each be called upon to do the unimaginable and risk everything, including their lives in resisting the occupation and oppression of the Nazis.
If you love historical fiction, you will love Once Night Falls.
Chock-full of characters that leap off the page, and laced with intrigue, Once Night Falls is a hard book to put down. Set in wartime Italy, it depicts how the war affected everyone, from the peasants trying to get by to the partisans resisting the cruel Nazi regime, to the leader of the Italian fascists — Il Duce himself.
I was immediately captivated by this story. Fictional yes, but based on the very real experiences of people going through the terror of World War II. It portrays the fear of betrayal that lurks behind every smile, and the hopelessness of a people subject to the cruelty of invaders who laugh while murdering the elderly, women, and children. And yet, ordinary people rose up and did what they could to fight for the country and the people they loved. All of these things happened. This is a story of courage, a story of heartbreak, a story of love – but most of all, a cautionary piece of history. We can never forget, and we can never allow this kind of thing to happen again.
An excellent book on the partisan fighters in Northern Italy during WWII. The characters are well developed, and you want them to succeed. A book where you can’t quite figure out how the characters will overlap at the beginning, but once you do it’s even better!
I love his writing style and his ability to bond me with his characters. He makes history a living tale of real people in tragic and heroic circumstances.
I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Amazon First Reads (November 2019) and Netgalley, Roland Merullo and Lake Union Publishing. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to add Roland Merullo to my favorites list and to recommend his works to friends and family. He paints history with delicate attention to detail and shows the general Italian people during WWII in a well researched and a much more equitable way than has been passed down to the 21st century.
I am excited to see more historical novels representing the citizens of overwhelmed European countries during the World Wars. History is written by the victors, or so we are told, but those silent multitudes controlled by fear and hunger have finally gotten a voice.
This novel is peopled with citizens of the small towns around Lake Como in northern Italy. Merullo portrays these people overwhelmed by the German Military Machine in a realistic light – we know the folks who run the bakery, the fishermen and the gardeners and see clearly the pressures they lived under every day. Sarah and Luca are the future, of course, full of courage and hope, but I think my favorite characters were Maria and Father Claudio, those of a generation two removed who see with a clearer focus the world and what it will take to survive there
I loved every page of this book. Although a war story, this book involves more about the people of Italy rather than the Gestapo. When you think about Hitler, you automatically think of all the Jews murdered. The book opens your eyes to the fact that many countries were involved, and the ss wasn’t particular about who they murdered. The common people were wonderful, and I enjoyed reading about their courage, revenge, love, heartbreak, and secrets. Everyone had their own agenda. Great book. 4 1/2 Stars.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its unique cast of characters including Beneto Mussolini. It moved forward at a good steady pace jumping from crisis to crisis. I would have given it 5 stars but the ending left me hanging.
Merullo’s colorful characters are believable, sympathetic, and well developed. The short chapters rotate quickly between characters and scenes and are so tense it’s impossible not to keep reading, whilst leaving an ending that begs a sequel. Kudos to Mr. Merullo for writing this fine book.
A gripping story conveyed through brief yet deeply personal vignettes that shine like the facets of a gem. Merullo’s prose is beautifully refined; the characters interweave in complex and surprising ways. This is one of the most original and fascinating historical novels I’ve read in a long time.
Once Night Falls is a historical fiction account of the fall of Mussolini in WWII Italy. At the heart of the story is a resistance fighter, his family, and his Jewish lover who he is trying to protect. Action-packed, intense, and tragic, this novel will keep you turning the pages right until the end.