Maria-Luisa would not conform to 1930's Italian culture. Despite suffering irreplaceable losses, she and her daughter survived World War II, murder, and broken relationships. This is a story of the persistence and resilience of these astounding, complicated and talented women.
My Story
As a co-founder of a healthcare start-up, I don't often have a lot of free time on my hands. However, I had the chance to meet a woman, Clara, whose life was so inspiring it made me want to explore, read and research events and times to better understand her life.
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Before I knew it, I began to see the formation of this story unfolding before me. Each item I researched gave me fresh ideas and new angles to explore. The dramatic events and emotional upheaval during the book's timeline were a challenge to comprehend. In the end I found myself humbled, inspired, awed, and grateful. I have been blessed with the support and encouragement of friends and family to turn my research into this novel. I hope you enjoy it.
A historical fiction novel about surviving World War II and the Cold War, murder, earthquakes, and abuse.
An excerpt:
"The Russian soldiers put guns to the foreheads of both Chiara and Maria-Luisa. Max was forced to prove his musical profession by an audition. Chiara watched, frozen, sniffling, unable to cry anymore at this point, the smell of gunpowder from the muzzle of the gun to her face, burning her nose, the heat singeing her cheek, while her father auditioned for their lives."