Available now:  The Girl from the Paradise Ballroom

***3/5 stars- liked it

Forbidden love and family ties collide among an Italian family in World War II London.

Recommended readers:

• If you’re a fan of World War II romantic fiction,
• and if you’re interested in the Italian perspective outside of Italy, this one is for you.

Here’s my Rankings:

• 3/5 characters
• 3/5 plot
• 3/5 overall

REVIEW FROM BOOKS FOR HER:

For a short novel, the Girl from the Paradise Ballroom is populated with a host of interesting characters, and is as much about the Italian family of the man she meets as the “girl” herself. Olivia is a down-on-her-luck dance hostess; Antonio is a singer with a sprawling Italian family and all that comes with, but the title is a bit misleading in that they are not really the central characters of the book.  The real protagonist here is Filomena, Antonio’s sister, who ties the whole thing together and navigates the war’s perils and her family’s disagreements over Mussolini in her own way.  A swift and enjoyable read!

The Girl from the Paradise Ballroom is available now