A review by henrymarlene
Daughter of Calabria by Tania Blanchard

3.0

From 1936 to 1953, 'Echoes of War follows Giulia from adolescence to woman, living in Southern Italy. Her life is intertwined with the lead up to WW2, and her desire to be an independent woman. The book follows the struggles of Giulia wanting to be her own person at a time when "papa knew best". She was stripped of her rights (so progressive for the time and place in history) and fought again and again to make her mark. She lived through an arranged marriage and being a widow to finding love with someone who was willing to be an equal in her life and let her excel in her own career.  Initially I thought this was going to be much more historically focused but I found that the author cleverly blended what was happening in Italy and the world, pre World War 2, with the daily goings-on in the village and in Giulia's family.  A lot of research and family history forms the basis of this book, which contributes to its more factual facades than a rose coloured view of the war and women in that time period.  It was rather a quaint and wholesome read.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-ARC.