I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

This novel is set in Italy in 1938
This is such an emotional book and the writing is so beautiful
It is very informative
A great book for fans of historical fiction

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This is a different view on the WWII novel - rather than being in war-torn France where many of these stories are set, it is instead set in Mussolini‘s Italy where brother and sister, Pippo and Clara, get separated and brought up by two very different families. I learnt, therefore, about the almost civil war that was generated there between the two different factions.

If you liked Hannah‘s The Nightingale I think you‘d like this, but be warned; just when you think it can‘t get any more traumatic, it does. And again…. And again… and (spoiler alert!) there's no happy ending to this one.

3.5 stars

I loved this book. It will make ya cry but omg its a must read. I would highly recommend this book and if it doesn't move ya i will be amazed. Such a fab read but do so with no make up on if reading it out in public.

Pippo and Clara begins in 1938, in Italy. Mussolini is in power and WW2 is imminent. The Fascists have control of the country, but not necessarily the people, and the Italian Communists are fighting back.
Pippo and Clara arrive in the city with their mother after their Romany father is murdered. One morning their mother gets up early to buy food and doesn’t return. Clara goes to look for her, turning right at the entrance to their building; later Pippo awakens and goes to look for his mother and Clara, turning left at the entrance. This change in direction means the children don’t see one another for a long time.
Luckily, they are each adopted into families (unofficially) who love and care for them - Clara’s family are Fascists, Pippo’s are Communists.
This was such an emotional story. It wasn’t just what happened to these children, it was the bigger picture as well. When the inevitable happens and the Germans occupy Italy, Jews are rounded up and taken away, people fear for their freedom and their lives.
It was fascinating to read about the Freedom Fighters (Partisans) and their acts of espionage, as well as how they fought back. This included even those who had been fascists under Mussolini’s regime.
There’s so much to talk about in this book (perfect for a book club, I should think!), but I won’t spoil it. Needless to say, I really enjoyed it and was thoroughly heartbroken by the end. Any book about war is going to have tragic elements, but this is about hope as well, and the fact that good can, and did, overcome evil.
Another recommendation for the historical fiction fans. It’s a fabulous novel.

A moving and fateful story about the impact of chance, the futility of war and the bond of family.

In 1938 Italy, siblings Clara and Pippo arrive with their Mama in the middle of the night at a small apartment in a strange city, which she promises they will make their new home. Mama then heads out to find work but is gone when the morning comes. When Clara wakes up, she heads out to search for her, deciding spontaneously to turn right when she steps out of their apartment. Pippo then wakes up later to find both his mother and sister gone, and he also decides to go out and look for them - but he turns left. Both children’s seemingly small decision leads them down drastically different paths, and they end up on opposite sides of a developing conflict – Clara with a family who fully support the rise of Mussolini and fascism, and Pippo with secret communist rebels. As the years' pass and war comes to Italy, Pippo and Clara face a struggle to survive, all the while never giving up hope that they might one day find each other again.

This was a beautiful and compelling story about how one small choice can change life drastically, but also about the powerful and unbreakable bond of a family that can withstand all kinds of terrible circumstances. Whilst the premise of two children being separated during a difficult time is not particularly original, the richly developed and likeable characters and the engaging and smooth writing style combine to make this a hugely enjoyable and poignant book that is easy to read and grips onto you emotionally from the first few pages, then stays in your mind long after it is put down. Pippo and Clara’s relationship and their love for each other and their missing Mama was beautifully portrayed, and their indestructible hope that they might find each other again was truly touching. The ending of the novel packs a huge emotional punch which bought a tear to my eye and tied up all the loose ends in a way that was both heart-rending and satisfying.

The setting of this story was another reason that this book was a big success for me. I love reading about different countries, cultures and times, and a pre-war Italy, brewing with tension, danger, and political divide, was expertly portrayed in the writing. The story is told from the perspective of two innocent children who don’t fully understand what is happening to them and their country added uniqueness and humanity to the historical setting and highlighted the powerful emotions of fear and hope that must have been resonating through so many people at that time. This story does contain some darkness, with the tragedy and suffering of war a central element, but also contains compassion, kindness from strangers, idealism and bravery which stop it from becoming too bleak. There were several moments in the story where Pippo and Clara’s paths came frustratingly close to the crossing – some may say too close to be realistic – but this added to the fateful nature of the story, and none of the coincidences was too extreme to seem fantastical to me.

In conclusion, this was an outstanding novel that I enjoyed from start to finish. I would highly recommend this book and this author to anyone interested in historical fiction, or simply anyone who is looking for a profoundly moving and enjoyable story.

Daenerys


Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of this book to review.

I came to this book knowing little about this period in Italian history but it has inspired me to find out more. I loved the perspective that it was written from, so appropriate to tell the story of these years through the eyes of children on seemingly opposing sides. It's a book that keeps one saying 'just one more chapter', beautifully written and compelling.

Sometimes a book takes you by surprise and you find a gem that stays with you long after you've finished it - this is one of those books. It's a story that is both sad and uplifting, so at times I cried and at other times I smiled, but throughout the book there is a feeling of optimism in adversity. Pippo and Clare are brother and sister, separated by fate when young, but always aware of the other's presence. Clara in particular is able to know when her brother is near, and when she does finally find him you can feel their intense joy that the search is over, though the circumstances of their reunion lead to tragedy. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

Drawn to the historical aspect of this novel in Mussolini led Italy in 1938 I wasn’t disappointed. Written in an unusual way from each child’s point of view, torn apart from their mother and each other. I struggled a little to believe in the initial storyline and felt almost as if I was reading a YA book. Lives were altered in a heartbeat and they were taken in by two families with opposing political views, yet living in the same city and growing up a stones throw from each other with many near-miss meetings.

Thanks to the author and Mantle publishers for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review

I'm not even sure how to write this review. It has been such a long time since a book caught me off guard and made me sob like I sobbed. About 11 years to be exact. And I've read some sad stories.
This book tells the tragic story of two siblings, Pippo and Clara. Their Romani father is murdered by those supporting the Nazi regime and the idea of cleansing a nation. In fear, their Mother flees with her children in tow. As the children sleep, she goes out to look for a way in which to support her children. Her children wake at separate times and search for their Mother except when turning out of their building, one chose right, the other chose left.

What impacted me straight away was how one simple decision, that normally wouldn't even register, can take people and their lives in such a different direction.

Diana Rosie writes beautifully. I found it to be an easy read in terms of flow and engagement and the chapters were a good length with cliffhanger style ending that made me want to keep reading. Towards the end, Rosie ups the pace by making the chapters a paragraph in length and the suspence is built in me was probably why I crashed at the end! Brilliantly done.

I would recommend this book to everyone. I loved it. Thank you so much to @netgalley for gifting me the book in return for an honest review!

Absolutely riveting. This is such an amazing story, beautifully told and I found it impossible to put down. I haven’t read anything by this author before, but her prose is often haunting and understated. The story centres on two children and their mother who become lost to each other in Italy just before the start of the Second World War. Italy is divided, with Communists and Fascists vying for power and Mussolini in control. Fate splits the small family group and each take a different path in their search for the others.

The plotting is incredible; skilfully crafted I found myself holding my breath at times, wishing that when I turned the page some miracle would happen. It’s complex and outstanding storytelling and a genuinely wonderful tale. I urge you to read it.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

I just can't help myself being drawn to a book set in Europe during WW2. There have been many and I wondered if I have 'read them all'. However I really liked the sound of the premise of #PippoandClara and I wasn't disappointed.
Set in an unspecified city in Italy during the war, the children's story unfolds. We hear from both siblings as they try to find each other and their mother. The children's voices are strong and believable, and to see the horrors through their eyes was refreshing and worthwhile. I warmed to both children and I was genuinely cheering them on in their lives and their search.
An accessible and easy read, that will pull on your heart strings and really make you care.
I loved it and I am so glad that I was able to read and review an early copy thanks to the author, the publishers and #NetGalley.

I liked the idea of this novel that a brother and sister by taking two different paths lose each other, although the actual way in which this happened once they had moved to the city did strike me as somewhat unbelievable particularly with Pippo being only 6.
The idea of the bracelets linking the siblings was carried through the plot and led to hope and tragedy amongst the growing dangerous political situation which was well described by the author. I could feel both sides of Pippo and Clara's lives well but still wondered why with their circles narrowing they did not meet each other at all until so very late.
Overall it was a well written novel that will appeal to many. There were some excellent characters outside the two siblings, Zia particularly and the librarian Saba could be pictured in detail with their influence on Clara and for Pippo his friends all working on the edges of the resistance against Mussolini and the fascists.
Family is always important in Italian life and the book sought to emphasise this greatly and how respect and loyalty alongside love can bring even a stranger into the folds of a second family to become loved.
The ending was somewhat rushed and perhaps a bit sentimental but it needed to resolve unhappiness and separation in some way.

This book hooked me in from the very start. The tale of a Roma family, ripped apart by the racism in Mussolini’s Italy in the lead up to the Second World War. Newly arrived in an unnamed city, the children, Clara and Pippo are left alone by their mother while she is seeking work, and she never makes it back to their room. Searching separately for her, each child turns in a different direction and meets with the kindness of strangers. Each gets pulled into a different and vastly contrasting world to the other but despite this their paths weave toward and away from each other many times and Clara always senses their proximity. She is convinced that it’s only a matter of time before they will be together again.

This was a quick but very worthwhile read. Wonderful characters in a beautifully poignant story, the threads of narrative bind you tightly till the very end.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I thoroughly recommend it.

A superbly written story about two siblings whose fate takes very different paths. Total page turner, I loved every minute of reading this book, the story is hauntingly beautiful and will stay with you long after you have finished the book

Oh dear, such a sad read for me this was. Very well thought out, cleverly written and full of detail about siblings who lose each other and more. I cried and cheered with Clara, worried and felt scared for Pippo,

Not an easy read, but a meaningful and and accomplished one.

What a heartbreaking story. I loved this book and I am sure it is one that will stay with me for quite a while. Pippo and Clara are separated by circumstance but never stop hoping for a reunion. The setting of war torn Italy during the Second World War is very well described and the tensions added to the story. It's a quick read and I finished it in a day. With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am writing this review with a tear in my eye not least of all because I’ve finished the story. I love Pippo and Clara, the characters and the story, I think my heart might just be a little bit broken now...It was love at first sight with this book, I loved the cover and the name of the book just felt good, and I was right to feel this way as this book is beautiful. When this book is released I will buy a copy just to have it on my bookshelf and to one day read it again. This book is beautiful, charming, sad, full of hope and just perfect. The story is told in such a beautiful way that although it is sad it is so much more, it somehow manages to illustrate the futility of war in a very gentle way and because of this it is so much more poignant. This is a really special historical novel that will remain with me for sometime.

This was an enjoyable and quick read telling the story of two children but also, Italy at war which is a perspective rarely seen in WWII novels. I am torn here because I liked that it was a quick and easy read but a huge part of me while I was reading was looking for greater depth and historical and political context. Well you can’t have it all and this novel has inspired me to read more widely around Italy’s alliance and then occupation by Nazi Germany.
Rosie’s skill lies in her characterisation and her ability to show warmth and love in all circumstances. Pippo and Clara are tragically separated and are ‘adopted’ into families on diametrically opposing political sides as well as vastly different socioeconomic situations but in both homes the love is clear and radiant. Rosie makes us care about her characters so there were quite a few times when reading that I gasped out loud and nearly woke my sleeping husband!
The epilogue was just gorgeous and tied up what I had thought would be left as loose ends.