Courage, My Love by Kristin Beck
Kindle Edition
publication: April 13th 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII, Adult
Fiction, Italy
When the Nazi
occupation of Rome begins, two courageous young women are plunged deep into the
Italian Resistance to fight for their freedom in this captivating debut novel.
Rome, 1943
Lucia Colombo has had her doubts about fascism for years, but as a single
mother in an increasingly unstable country, politics are for other people--she
needs to focus on keeping herself and her son alive. Then the Italian
government falls and the German occupation begins, and suddenly, Lucia finds
that complacency is no longer an option.
Francesca Gallo has always been aware of injustice and suffering. A polio
survivor who lost her father when he was arrested for his anti-fascist
politics, she came to Rome with her fiancé to start a new life. But when the
Germans invade and her fiancé is taken by the Nazis, Francesca decides she has
only one option: to fight back.
As Lucia and Francesca are pulled deeper into the struggle against the Nazi
occupation, both women learn to resist alongside the partisans to drive the
Germans from Rome. But as winter sets in, the occupation tightens its grip on
the city, and the resistance is in constant danger.
In the darkest days, Francesca and Lucia face their pasts, find the courage to
love, and maintain hope for a future that is finally free.
My Thoughts…No one can ever
say that WWII, or any war, is anything but horrific. The ways that people are forced to live, the
lives lost, and the countries destroyed are nothing less that horrific. But out of these wars come some amazing
friendships. In Courage, My Love I
chose to focus on the friendship of Lucia and Francesca. They are two strong, fearless women who
work together with the resistance to fight the Germans. As the war moves on their losses add up and
their strength grows. The Allies are
coming, and they must be ready.
The research
that Kristin Beck put into this book had to be immense. She took a time in life when people were
living in fear of being captured or killed and brought it to life. I could picture the ghetto as the soldiers
rounded up the people living there. The
sounds of artillery being fired and planes flying over headed were sounds that
I heard as I read her book. I could
see the Resistance hiding, running down alleys, and doing their dangerous work
all while trying to keep themselves alive.
Courage, My Love is a book that came alive to me as I read it.
I love WWII and
learning about that era. Kristin Beck
did a wonderful job in telling a story while teaching her reader the history of
the time. I recommend Courage, My Love
to any WWII readers, historical fiction readers, or those interested in losing
themselves in a wonderful story of friendship and strength.
Add to your
MUST-READ list on Goodreads
Meet Kristin
Beck… Kristin Beck first learned about World War II
from her grandmother, who served as a Canadian army nurse, fell in love with an
American soldier in Belgium, and married him shortly after VE Day. Kristin thus
grew up hearing stories about the war, and has been captivated by the often
unsung roles of women in history ever since. A former teacher, she holds a
Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Washington and a Master’s in
Teaching from Western Washington University. Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest
with her husband and children.
