I was so thrilled to see that Lisa Scottoline had written a new book and to find out that it was historical fiction really had me intrigued. I had read her legal thrillers and her humorous essays but I was eager to see how she would write historical fiction.
Eternal had me so captivated that I read most of the novel in one setting. The characters are so well written and the pacing of the novel is absolutely spot on. You can tell from the first pages that it is very well researched and while reading, you are truly transported to the streets of Italy. I noticed today that there is a tour of the locations posted on her website that I can't wait to watch.
Eternal is the story of three young friends Elisabetta, Marco and Sandro, who couldn't be more different. Elisabetta dreams of becoming a novelist some day. Marco struggles with school and his father is pushing him to train as a cyclist. Sandro is a Jewish mathematics prodigy with dreams of making big change in the world. They've been friends since they were children but now Marco and Sandro are both hoping to make their romantic feelings known for Elisabetta. Their world is about to change as Mussolini's Fascists become more aligned with Hitler's Nazis, and Italy seems to change overnight.
This novel presented a different side to many of the historical fiction novels I have read over the years. I had not read one that provided a viewpoint of Italy and Mussolini's Fascist government both before World War II started and then once it reached Italy. I appreciated the level of research that went into the novel and felt that it really added to the authenticity of the storyline.
I highly recommend Eternal and I hope you love it as much as I did. I think it would make a marvelous book club selection and there seem to be many resources on her website for both a book club and just a curious reader who wants to know more.
I received this book courtesy of the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Eternal had me so captivated that I read most of the novel in one setting. The characters are so well written and the pacing of the novel is absolutely spot on. You can tell from the first pages that it is very well researched and while reading, you are truly transported to the streets of Italy. I noticed today that there is a tour of the locations posted on her website that I can't wait to watch.
Eternal is the story of three young friends Elisabetta, Marco and Sandro, who couldn't be more different. Elisabetta dreams of becoming a novelist some day. Marco struggles with school and his father is pushing him to train as a cyclist. Sandro is a Jewish mathematics prodigy with dreams of making big change in the world. They've been friends since they were children but now Marco and Sandro are both hoping to make their romantic feelings known for Elisabetta. Their world is about to change as Mussolini's Fascists become more aligned with Hitler's Nazis, and Italy seems to change overnight.
This novel presented a different side to many of the historical fiction novels I have read over the years. I had not read one that provided a viewpoint of Italy and Mussolini's Fascist government both before World War II started and then once it reached Italy. I appreciated the level of research that went into the novel and felt that it really added to the authenticity of the storyline.
I highly recommend Eternal and I hope you love it as much as I did. I think it would make a marvelous book club selection and there seem to be many resources on her website for both a book club and just a curious reader who wants to know more.
I received this book courtesy of the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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