Library Journal Reviews
Fleeing World War II Rome after his parents die in a U.S. bombing, Massimo is rescued by Pietro Houdini, who proclaims himself an artist and confidante of the Vatican. They repair to a cliff-clinging monastery, but as the front line shifts forward, they flee again, spiriting away three priceless Titians with the help of a renegade nurse, a murderous café owner, a German soldier, and two lovers and their mule. A John Creasey Dagger-winning author, an historical framework, BISACed as literary: something for everyone. Prepub Alert. Copyright 2023 Library Journal
Copyright 2023 Library Journal.
Library Journal Reviews
Miller's (Radio Life) latest unflinchingly illuminates the traumas that World War II inflicted on civilians in Italy and presents the durability of love and the costs of war. In 1943, Pietro Houdini rescues a 14-year-old girl who has been assaulted and orphaned and takes her to an old abbey called Montecassino. The abbey is a "safe haven in a sea of lava" and an important touchstone in the book. The girl adopts a male persona, Massimo, to acquire the strength and courage needed to survive. Pietro becomes like a father to Massimo. He expounds on philosophy and explains paintings featuring Greek mythological figures. He also safeguards three paintings from Nazis plundering the abbey. Afterward, Massimo and Pietro join a motley group who are determined to bring the paintings and themselves to safety. Each person's story illuminates a different aspect of the chaos and harshness of the war. Miller's straightforward and incisive writing and compelling, complex characters make the book worthwhile. Devastatingly sharp descriptions of the landscape augment the narrative. VERDICT Ideal for historical-fiction fans who want insight on Italian civilians surviving World War II.—Leah Shepherd
Copyright 2023 Library Journal.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
A man bent on saving art from Nazi pillagers changes the life of an orphaned Italian teen in the appealing latest from Miller (How to Find Your Way in the Dark). At 14, the unnamed narrator survives the August 1943 American bombing of Rome and is saved from a violent mob by Pietro Houdini, an artist in his late 50s, who names the narrator Massimo. They go to the Abbey of Montecassino, where Pietro's been entrusted to protect the art from the Nazis. He manages to hide three Titian paintings from the Germans, and in the midst of an attack from Allied Moroccans, he instructs the narrator to take the paintings to his professor friend in Naples. The reader learns from a prologue that the narrator's journey is successful. The pleasure is in discovering how the narrator makes it and in coming to know the characters, especially the charismatic Pietro, a man capable of developing a false rapport with the Nazis while hiding artworks from them and also acting fearlessly when trying to protect the narrator. Miller's historical adventure is worth the price of admission. Agent: Simon Lipskar, Writers House. (Jan.)This review has been updated to remove a spoiler.
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly.