Like millions of others this week, I have been struggling with COVID. I had managed to avoid it for almost two years to the day of the first UK national lockdown in 2020. But following a theatre trip to watch Les Miserables I began to feel like I had been hit by a bus. The removal of legislation to wear a mask in enclosed spaces meant there were only a small handful of mask wearers in the sold out performance. My mask on its own offered very little protection, and here we are.
Now I mention this only because feeling like death warmed up has a knock on effect of making you forget some things. I say you, but mean me. Like forgetting the date and failing to publish a book review yesterday. I apologise for the lateness of my review of the brilliant book The Interpreter, as part of the blog tour hosted by Love Books Tours. Thank you for my spot on the tour, and for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest (if a little late) review.
My other book reviews and blogs can be viewed here.
Synopsis
Enzo is the child of an Italian family who emigrated to Switzerland. He spends his childhood summers in Sicily, where he immerses himself in the way of life there, learning to love the Italian sense of family. In 1942, he is forced to break off his studies in Germany when he is drafted to Italy to join the war effort. He is deployed as an interpreter in Rome and on the island of Lampedusa. His cousins are caught up in the war too, working as a fighter pilot, a priest in the Vatican who helps refugees, and a partisan. Another of them acts as an intermediary between the mafia and the American secret service, a collaboration that is seldom mentioned in accounts of this period of history. Enzo witnesses the invasion of Sicily by the American and British military and, as the war is drawing to a close, he decides to take matters into his own hands and make his way home
Filled with rich, atmospheric imagery, this novel depicts life in Sicily prior to the Second World War, before Enzo and his cousins, as well as countless others of their generation, are drawn into a terrible conflict that transcends national borders, but which cannot take away their hope for peace and freedom.
The Interpreter is based on true events. Isabella Pallavicini tells the story of her father’s experiences in the war using fictionalised people, places and actions.
My Review
I have become a lot more interested in reading historical fiction recently. The melding of fictional characters to actual events can inspire an interest in history. This book is based on the author’s own father’s experiences.
Once I had picked up this book, I found it difficult to put it down, although I was forced to stop reading once because apparently I need stupid sleep to help with my stupid mental health. I found the story both fascinating and compelling, and the pages almost turned themselves. I already knew something of how the Sicilian Mafia helped the allies invade Sicily and gain a foothold on mainland Italy, but this was an eye opener. The Author could have crammed the pages with even more exciting facts and events surrounding the allied invasion of Sicily, but I think it would have overshadowed the story. To me, the book felt like just the right length.
The characters were very well written and credible. Enzo was such a likeable guy and I was rooting for him all the way through. There were a few characters whose stories remained unresolved at the end, and while this isn’t necessarily important and didn’t affect the outcome of the story, I do like loose ends to be tied up. This includes Principessa Pallavicini who was given safe haven in the Vatican.
Overall, I enjoyed this read, and would unreservedly recommend to to anyone interested in World War II, military history, and historical fiction. I gave The Interpreter, by Isabella Pallavicini, four stars, and look forward to reading more of her work soon.
Meet The Author 
Isabella Pallavicini grew up in Switzerland. After working as a primary school teacher for many years, she retrained as a drama educator and storyteller. Since then, she has been writing and directing plays, as well as running workshops for schoolchildren on storytelling and creative writing. She lives with her family in London.
Please visit the website for more information about the book and the historical events! http://www.isabella-pallavicini.com
About The Book
Publisher : Grosvenor House Publishing Limited (10 Feb. 2022)
Language : English
Paperback : 306 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-1839758744
Dimensions : 12.7 x 1.75 x 20.32 cm
File size : 540 KB
ISBN-10 : 1839758740
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Where To Buy
For print copies, please consider supporting your local bookshops. To Buy online from Amazon, the book is available in the following formats:
John's Bookshelf 
I too enjoy Historical Fiction for the same reason. I hope you feel better soon, John.
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Thank you. I’ve done my second negative test now so I’m in the clear.
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