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A Thread of Grace - Mary Doria Russell *****
I just realized I never formally reviewed this novel, and so for the record: A Thread of Grace may well be the best novel I read in a long time. I did talk a little about it in an earlier post, here.
The story is set in northern Italy in WWII. It has to do, overall, with the fate of Italian Jews and the non-Jewish Italians who came to their aid, but really it's about a handful of individuals. Characters you come to understand and truly, deeply, like, in spite of their flaws or sometimes, because of them. This is a beautifully written, skillfully told story, and I could hardly recommend it more highly but I can say this: I have already bought copies for a few friends, and I went out and found a signed first edition, which is the biggest compliment I ever pay a novel.
A Thread of Grace is what good historical fiction can be.
April 17, 2005 08:29 AM
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