I Fiori di Monaco by Carolina Pobla

 I Fiori di Monaco by Carolina Pobla is a romance

sets during the last World War and released by Garzanti. The cover is beauty, fresh, romantic and relaxing.

The story starts when Letta, in a torrid spanish afternoon receives the call that Victor is dead. Victor was his brother, or better, her daughters knew that story: but Letta wil confess them that the story of this beloved brother was different.

And here starts, so, the story of Ilse the mother of Letta. Abused by her husband, this poor girl was more happy when pregnant: life donated her six children, leaving her widow pretty soon.

Ilse was part of a rich family, like also her husband. When the war starts she thinks it would be better to leave the house, in the city for her country house, unfortunately occupied by the Germans. In this book Germans are not seen negatively, because they lived in a little town and they didn't use violence. 

Ilse is worried because she knows she won't live in the town and her life will change forever.

Children are more or less all electrified for the new, tiny wooden house where they will spend the summer-time in company of new friends.

Ilse discovers in a german doctor, Dante, an officer, a new love. Dante is married and Ilse at first is blocked emotionally after the terrible experience with her husband...

 

In the town life tends to goes on well but there will be nasty episodes and in particular some characters will create messes. In other cases because of what some characters saw, they will try to fight against injustices paying a high price.

In this atmosphere the arrival of little Victor a Jewish kid

The end of the war, the arrival of Americans in the town, the research of Victor's parents, will create an unusual fresco for a story that, although treats important thematic, is written with great lightness and positivity.

Highly recommended book.

I thank Garzanti for the physical copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori