Returning to WWII Novels
It’s been quite a while since I’ve picked up a WWII novel. Although I found it slow in the beginning, I came to truly enjoy The Italian Ballerina. Written by Kristy Cambron, it somehow read both similarly and differently from past WWII novels I’ve picked up.
Spanning generations and multiple characters’ perspectives, The Italian Ballerina is full of hope and sacrifice amidst one of the most grievous parts of history.
Fellow Ballerinas?
I was first drawn to this book because of its title. As a former ballet dancer, I love anything that involves ballet. It is one of the most beautiful things in the world to me, and reading about it takes me back to those days where it was a huge part of my life. While ballet is not the focal point of the story, it was a sweet detail this reader.
This novel has a lot going on in its 400 pages, and I don’t think I could provide an adequate recap of the plot. So, instead, I’m going to break down the things I liked and felt were unique to the story and then the parts that I didn’t like as much.
What I Liked:
Interesting Plot
The plot comes together around a true story of how an Italian hospital hid Jews under the guise of a pandemic of a fake disease called Syndrome K. I had never heard this particular story before, and I thought it was really interesting how they managed to do this right under the noses of SS guards.
Engaging Characters
I liked a lot of the characters, although it took me a good number of chapters to keep track of everyone (more on that in a minute). I thought the character development was excellent, as well as the relationships between characters.
Excellent Writing
This is a somewhat complex book structurally, but I thought Cambron’s writing style was excellent. Her narrative was thorough, (mostly) easy to follow, and flowed naturally and smoothly. Her dialogue was realistic, and her descriptions of things were lovely without being over-the-top flowery.
Originality
The characters and their stories really made this book unique to me. It didn’t focus directly on Jews being impacted in WWII – though that definitely had its place in the book – and there were no ghetto or concentration camp plotlines. There was little physical action in terms of actual combat. This, plus the interesting characters and the Syndrome K backdrop, made for a less conventional WWII storytelling.
What I Didn’t Love about The Italian Ballerina
- Slow going
- Alternating timelines
- Various character POVs
Final Thoughts
As a whole, I really liked The Italian Ballerina. It surprised me. There was some action, romance, and historical narrative. I found it moving and thought-provoking. There was an emphasis on hope and figuring out what you’re fighting for, what you stand for, and discovering beauty and joy amidst suffering.
I would recommend this novel and would encourage you to not give up on it if you’re feeling bogged down by the time – and character – jumps early on. It’s got four stars from me.
Content Rating: Mild
subject matter
Copyright Kristy Cambron and Thomas Nelson. Image from Amazon.
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