*Editorial Book Review*
Saving Madonna
by Kate Bristow
Is a painting worth dying for?
Inspired by real events, an unforgettable story of love, courage and sacrifice to save a country’s heritage.
Italy 1943. As the Allies bomb Milan, Elena Marchetti reluctantly gives up her coveted job as an art curator in the city to return to her family farm near Urbino. She takes up a new role assisting Pasquale Rotondi, the Superintendent of Arts in the region, in protecting works of art from all over Italy that have been hidden in the relative safety of the countryside.
At a family celebration, Elena reunites with Luca, a close childhood friend. A shattering event instigated by the occupying Germans deepens their relationship, and they start planning a life together.
When rumors surface that Italy’s art is being stolen by the German occupiers, Pasquale hatches an audacious plan to rescue the priceless paintings in his possession. Elena and Luca are forced to make an impossible decision: will they embark on a dangerous mission to save Italy’s cultural heritage?
“Pasquale stood up and took a deep breath as if fortifying himself. Elena waited, sensing that something momentous had happened.
“I was at the palace in Carpegna early this morning and the Germans arrived,” Pasquale said. He paused. “They were conducting a search of the premises and found some of our crates.”
Elena Marchetti’s education has opened doors for her to aspire to more than just being a farmer’s wife, like her mother. Working with Pasquale Rotondi, the Superintendent of Arts, felt like a dream come true.
However, these were perilous times, and no artwork, document or relic was secure. To ensure that her country's heritage never falls into Nazi hands, Elena risked everything.
Together with the Vatican's aid, they formulated a strategy to transfer the paintings from their concealed locations to a relatively safer place in Rome. But this mission is fraught with danger. If they were discovered, it would have long-lasting consequences not only for Italy but for all involved.
The clock is ticking against them. Moving the paintings right away is crucial; otherwise, it may very well be too late...
Saving Madonna by Kate Bristow is one of those books that captivates its readers from the very first sentence and then sweeps them away on a journey of historical discovery. Bristow has crafted a riveting and page-turning story, with a sympathetic appreciation of the era and an empathic understanding of the human condition. Amidst its pages, we come across individuals who exhibit bravery in the face of fear and others whose fascist principles have eroded their capacity for empathy. Bristow's book is a page-turner that is so brilliantly tantalizing that it compels the reader to finish it in one sitting. The emotional toll of reading this book can be exhausting, so I recommend keeping a box of tissues nearby due to the boundless brutality of the Nazis on the local population.
The oppressive darkness of living under the German occupational yolk and the threat that comes from within from the fascist militiamen who were still faithful to Mussolini really set the tone for this novel. This is a dangerous time, and even those who live in the country are in just as much danger as those who are living in the cities. Yet, even in the darkest of times, there are still moments of light – an 80th birthday party, the delight in new love. There is also a strong sense of patriotism in this novel. There are young men like Lorenzo and Alessandro who have put down their farm tools and have joined the partisans in the hope to harass, torment and spread fear in the German ranks, and then there are men like Pasquale Rotondi who considers it his absolute duty to hide Italy's valuable artwork and other precious artefacts from the Nazi treasure hunters. But it is Elena and Luca's story that is the most compelling.
Elena works for Pasquale Rotondi and is as passionate as her boss when it comes to hiding the nation's heritage from the Nazis. Although she is not as brave as her brother and his partisan friends, she believes that hiding the paintings and moving them to a safe location is as equally important as disrupting the invaders day-to-day lives. Elena is a character that is an unlikely heroine, and indeed she does not set out to be. She is a woman who is deeply passionate about her work and is willing to risk her life if necessary. I thought Elena’s portrayal was sublime and she certainly drove the narrative of this story forward. Elena was a character that I admired and enjoyed reading about.
Luca works on his father’s farm and, unlike his brother, tries to stay out of trouble as much as he can. As he is of age there is the risk that he could be taken by Mussolini’s fascist militiamen and forced to fight with them, so he is quite a cautious character by nature. Luca was a character that I came to care about deeply and his story is desperately tragic – make sure you have the tissues ready. Through his characterisation, Bristow demonstrates how war can consume and change the lives of ordinary citizens sometimes for the better, more often for the worse.
Pasquale Rotondi is one of the historical characters in this novel Bristow draws upon, through the diary he kept during this time. I thought his character, although fictional to some extent in the telling, really gave this story authenticity.
There are several antagonists in this story. The most notable is the cold and calculating Major Heinrich. Major Heinrich is a character that I absolutely despised. He revels in the power he holds and he puts fear into the hearts of everyone who meets him – including his own men. He believes that fear is the best way to keep control, but what he does not realise is that his actions make the citizens even more determined to thwart him. I thought Major Heinrich's depiction was carefully drawn, he is not a caricature of an evil man, but he is one who enjoys killing and inflicting terror.
The book includes several distressing and harrowing scenes. The devastating consequences of these actions resonate throughout the novel, impacting many of the main characters. Although some parts of this book - such as the scenes involving execution and gang rape - can be difficult to read, I thought the author approached them with sensitivity and care.
The historical detailing in this novel is praiseworthy and is backed by confident research. Bristow's portrait of a nation under occupation is clear and precise. Additionally, she captured the seemingly unbreakable fortitude of its community which makes this book a compelling read. Bristow exhibits a compassionate comprehension of the human experience, depicting both the positive and negative aspects of human nature. Bristow's extensive research on this historical period is quite evident and it certainly shines through in the crystalline prose. There is no doubt that this era has been vividly brought back to life through Bristow's dazzling portrait and historical knowledge of Italy during World War II. Kudos, Ms Bristow. Kudos indeed.
I thought Saving Madonna by Kate Bristow was marvellous from beginning to end. It is a fabulous debut novel from a very talented author.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde
The Coffee Pot Book Club
Kate Bristow was born in London. She fell in love with reading when she got her first library card at the age of four. Her first attempt at writing and publishing for a wide audience was a local newspaper typed laboriously at home on her mother’s typewriter while at primary (elementary) school in north London. It is surely a loss to cutting-edge journalism that only one issue was ever produced.
Kate divides her time between her small-but-perfectly-formed modern home in Los Angeles and her five-hundred-year-old farmhouse just outside Sassocorvaro in Italy
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