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A Thread Of Grace

by Mary Doria Russell (Goodreads Author)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 5,959 ratings · 868 reviews

8th September 1943, and Claudette Blum and her father are among thousands of Jewish refugees fleeing over the Alps towards Italy. For the Italians have broken with Hitler and sued for peace, and here the Blums hope to find safety at last. But overnight the Nazis seize control and the country becomes a battleground - for the occupying German forces, the advancing allies, pa...more

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Published March 1st 2006 by Black Swan (first published December 6th 2004)

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Jun 29, 2010 Ellen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, novels

Some of the best scenes in literature:

1. The Idiot - ~~mock~~ execution

2. Macbeth - Act 5; Scene 5 - Macbeth's world is crashing around
him when he hears of his wife's death. He remarks, laconically, "She
should have died hereafter," and then delivers what might be the most perfect lines in literature:

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, bri

...more

Some of the best scenes in literature:

1. The Idiot - ~~mock~~ execution

2. Macbeth - Act 5; Scene 5 - Macbeth's world is crashing around
him when he hears of his wife's death. He remarks, laconically, "She
should have died hereafter," and then delivers what might be the most perfect lines in literature:

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

...Nowhere in literature is despair and futility communicated better.

3. Invisible Man - Liberty Paints Factory or battle royal

4. Flannery O'Connor - too many to list

5. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Janie telling Joe Starks, "When
you pull down yo' britches, you look lak de change uh
life."

The few examples above come from "Tier One" literature. While this sounds hierarchical, I guess I do view books in general categories. For example, though Mary Doria Russell is an excellent writer, she doesn't make my Tier One list. And, I'm no elitist, but I'd be willing to bet most of us have some sort of invisible line that separates truly great literature from the rest. Then, there is schlocky literature and those books - like Glenn Beck's recent foray into literature (and I'd rather check out Hell for a few days or rip my face off than read The Overton Window) - that are beneath contempt.

However, in Tier Two literature (very good but not great), Russell's scene between Werner Schramm, an SS deserter, and Father Osvaldo Tomitz, an Italian priest, is absolutely unforgettable. Schramm has been dogging Osvaldo for some time, hoping to have him hear his confession. [If you consider this excerpt a spoiler, don't read it.:] Osvaldo wants nothing to do with Schramm, but Schramm persists and starts by asking Osvaldo a number of questions concerning faith, and then begins his confession:

"A priest's office is to instruct the faithful!" Schramm shouts. [Osvaldo is disgusted but resigns himself to hearing the confession.:] ...

"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned, he says when he can speak again. "I have murdered 91,867 people."

Osvaldo laughs. You're joking, this laugh says. You can't be serious! "Ninety-one thousand," he repeats. "Eight hundred..."

"And sixty-seven. Yes."

The number is absurd, but Schramm does not laugh. [Schramm tries to makes excuses, to clarify the situation, but Osvaldo cannot comprehend; it is beyond belief.:]

Osvaldo looks at Schramm, at the goat, at the diamond studded-sea in the distance. Mind racing, he tries to imagine what he can possibly say to this...this demon. His mouth opens. No words emerge. He lifts his hands, drops them, and begins to walk over.

"Wait!" Schramm calls. "You must-- What is my penance?"

Osvaldo turns and stares. "Mein Gott, Schramm, what did you expect? Rosaries?" Bending suddenly, leaning hard on hands that clutch his knees, Osvaldo chokes back vomit. Trembling, he lifts his eyes. "Shoot yourself."

I've eliminated both parts of this scene and its ending. It has to be read in its entirety.

The book's title is perfect, for grace does thread its way through this book. Though the plight of the Italian resistance, Jewish refugees and many others in this book prompt situations that are wrenching, the book is uplifting as well.

A poignant and memorable read.(less)

24 likes · like · see review

Feb 28, 2012 Lewis Weinstein rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-historical, ch-research, ch-reviews

A fantastic story of Italian resistance during WWII, including the incredibly brave efforts of Italian Catholics to save Jews. Beautifully written. Emotional. Well researched.

The story begins when Italy surrenders to the Allies, which is followed immediately by a brutal German occupation, which in turn triggers further Allied ground attacks and bombing. Russell brilliantly presents the grinding unrelenting pressure caused by this series of events, including the fanatical pursuit of Jews by the G...more

10 likes · like · see review

Oct 11, 2008 Lisa Vegan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those who enjoy fine novels, historical fiction novels, World War II history

Shelves: fiction, bookclub, reviewed, historical-fiction, novel, gr-author, altta, holocaust

What I loved:

For once I was able to thoroughly enjoy a historical fiction book without wondering what was real and what was fiction.

This is a character driven story and everyone in the book seemed genuine. I especially enjoyed the poignant sensibilities of the children and adolescents.

I’m a sucker for maps and this book had a map of real places and one of fictional places that were within the real map’s area. There was also a handy characters list at the front of the book. I found myself refe...more

7 likes · like · see review

Sep 04, 2012 bookczuk rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bookcrossing, favorite-author, good-but-made-me-sad, taught-me-something

Mary Doria Russell has enchanted me with several of her books. When I started this, I was hoping to be enchanted. I actually put it aside for a bit, because it wasn't hitting the mark for me. But then, a few days later, the characters kept calling me, so I picked it up again, and was swept into a view of WWII of which I was embarrassingly ignorant. This was a beautifully written story of the plight of those Jews in Italy, either by birth or immigration/escape, and of the patriots who fought agai...more

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Sep 11, 2010 Ben Babcock rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: from-library, 2010-read, historical-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Damn it, Mary Doria Russell made me cry again!

Culture class is once again the culprit, although this time it's Nazi anti-Semitism versus the Italian resistance instead of Jesuits and scientists versus aliens on Alpha Centauri. A Thread of Grace begins with Italy's surrender to the Allies, and from the Jewish perspective of the book, this is one of history's great ironies. It's a relief that Italy has surrendered; to be sure, this is a turning point in the war. Jews in the Italian-occupied territ...more

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 28, 2008 Holli rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, literary-fiction

I stayed up until after midnight last night finishing this. I started out listening to it on tape and got half way finished and it was on hold for someone so I had to turn it in and get the book. The narrator did a great job with the French, German, and Italian accents. Russell is so smart. She weaves the fictitious characters and places with historical fact and makes a beautiful and difficult story. This novel is very character-driven. I wondered about the characters when I wasn’t reading abou...more I stayed up until after midnight last night finishing this. I started out listening to it on tape and got half way finished and it was on hold for someone so I had to turn it in and get the book. The narrator did a great job with the French, German, and Italian accents. Russell is so smart. She weaves the fictitious characters and places with historical fact and makes a beautiful and difficult story. This novel is very character-driven. I wondered about the characters when I wasn’t reading about them. And even though some of them are larger than life, they are believable and human all the same. I can understand how Schramm would embrace Nazism so totally. I love the way Russell uses Schramm in juxtaposition to the priest, Dom Osvaldo Tomitz. How Tomitz refuses Schramm absolution for killing 91,867 people because he feels no remorse. And then Schramm in the end gives Tomitz his last rites and has a conversion/redemption experience at his death. I also love the scene where Mirella presides over the Sabbath with Schramm at her table and he realizes for the first time that she is a Jew, this woman who has been nursing him for months. The novel points out the overall absurdity of war and what defines an enemy—the last battle the partisans engage in, killing the Republicans right and left, finding out the war is over, staying up all night to bury them because they are fellow countrymen. And, of course, there’s the death of Renzo Leoni—masterful and perfect. He risked his life again and again to save Jews, fight with the partisans, bring them supplies, etc. And he is hung as a Fascist/Nazi sympathizer because that was one of his disguises. There are no easy answers in this novel, but Russell certainly helps us live with the questions.
“There’s a saying in Hebrew,” he tells her. “’No matter how dark the tapestry God weaves for us, there’s always a thread of grace.’ After the Yom Kippur roundup in ‘43, people all over Italy helped us. Almost fifty thousand Jews were hidden. Italians, foreigners. And so many of them survived the occupation. I keep asking myself, Why was it so different here? Why did Italians help when so many others turned away?” (p. 421—conversation between Rabbi Iacopo Soncini and Suora (Sister) Corniglia).

This is one of my favorite novels of all time. Like Russell's earlier book, The Sparrow, there are a few scenes where the characters wrestle with difficult theological questions. She handles this so well, so authentically, and so truly. No easy answers, but somehow she makes it okay to live with the questions. There is one exchange between Doktor Schramm and Don Osvaldo that I would put in the top 5 literary "scenes" of all time.--HR

Amazon.com
Mary Doria Russell's extraordinary and complex historical novel, A Thread of Grace, is the kind of book that you will find yourself haunted by long after finishing the last page. It opens with a group of Jewish refugees being escorted to safe-keeping by Italian soldiers. After making the arduous journey over a steep mountain pass, they are welcomed into a small village with warm food and clean beds. They have barely laid their heads to rest when news is received that Mussolini has just surrendered Italy to Hitler, putting them in danger yet again. This opening sequence is a grim foreshadowing of the heart-breaking journey these characters will experience in their struggle for survival.
The rich fictional narrative is woven through the factual military maneuvers and political games at the end of WW II, sharing a little-known story of a group of Italian citizens that sheltered more than 40,000 Jews from grueling work camp executions. Rather than the bleak and hopeless feeling that might be expected, the novel has the opposite effect; it reminds us that just as there will always be war, crime, and death, so too will there be good people who selflessly sacrifice themselves to ease the suffering of others. Perhaps best of all, Russell succinctly opens and closes her writing with short pieces that bookend the story with the force of a freight train. Her moving finale wraps up her narrative in the present day, with a death bed scene that's sure to rip the heart out of readers of every faith and ancestry.
On the surface, Russell's third novel may seem quite different from her earlier works. Both The Sparrow and its sequel, Children of God , were futuristic stories about Earth's first contact with alien life forms, but a closer look reveals several similarities. Fans of her earlier books will be pleased to find that Emilio Sandoz, the charismatic Jesuit priest from the first two books, finds new life in Renzo Leoni--A Thread of Grace's charming and haunted chameleon. The two have different circumstances and histories, but both characters are made of the same cloth--tormented by their consciences and plagued by unrequited love. Also similar to her earlier books, the characters in A Thread of Grace don't all enjoy a happy ending. A note in the reader's guide tells us that Russell flipped a coin to determine the fate of some of the characters. This may be upsetting for many readers, particularly those used to Hollywood endings, but it does serve as a frank reminder of the arbitrary nature of war and death. --Victoria Griffith(less)

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Jan 19, 2008 Jeanette rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, europe-and-british-isles, all-fiction, world-war-two-fiction

This is a truly beautiful story about Italian peasants willing to risk their own lives and go hungry in order to shelter and feed Jewish refugees during WWII. It also gives some grim insight about the reality of guerrilla warfare among the Italian partisans during this time.
Heartwarming but also realistically heartbreaking. Not only a good story, but I learned a lot, too.
I would have given this book four stars except that the book is written in the present tense, which makes it a lot harder for...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 30, 2007 Wealhtheow rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, sociology

sobbed through her earlier books, and this is no exception. Set during WWII, with many jewish main characters, Russell nevertheless avoids the obvious tragedies (although there are oblique mentions to the events in other countries) in order to concentrate on hearts, minds, and shattering illusions. She has an obvious love and understanding of her characters, and so even the most horrifying come across as realistic, almost sympathetic. Her plot is complex and interweaves many disparate elements w...more

6 likes · like · see review

May 22, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There was nothing lacking from this book. I hesitate to say it was perfect, because I'm sure it wasn't, but it was excellent.

This is, again, an aspect of WWII that I wasn't aware even existed. I was reading along, thinking, didn't Italy ally with Germany? Wait...they switched sides halfway through the war?! And unlike much of the rest of Europe, Italians, with typical gusto, took not only Italian Jews but a steady stream of incoming European refugees under their wings, into their convents, and...more

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Jan 15, 2009 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, my-favorites, truthiness

I read this book during the holiday season but find myself thinking about various scenes at odd moments. I'll be brushing my teeth, and suddenly, I'll be on the Ligurian coast of Italy while a German deserter confesses to the local priest that he is responsible for over 91,000 deaths. I'll be on the edge of sleep, and as I close my eyes I'll see a toddler learning to walk when suddenly the bombs start to drop. I'll be driving and will be visited by one of the kind visions of an Italian soldier w...more

9 likes · like · see review

Nov 03, 2008 Bobby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

A 4.5 stars effort. A rich and complex (and at times, not so easy to follow) portrayal of both historical and fictional events that take place in northwest Italy (in real and made-up locations) during WWII and the Nazi era. Though it is a little difficult to get into this book initially, those who are able to do it will enjoy a cast of memorable and well-developed characters and powerful ideas about what it is to be a human, especially in a time of crisis. Though not as nearly funny as Catch-22,...more

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May 14, 2008 whichwaydidshego? rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those interested in WW2 &/or who love a good story based in truth.

Shelves: ww2, modernfiction, historicalfiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In the Author's Note, speaking of those that provided their experiences and memories for her novel she says, "What I have written in not real, but I hope they will find it true."

Honestly, that is what grieves me. To know it is true. These people of the resistance that fought and struggled to save a handful of displaced Jews in the bloodlust of revenge in the days following the war's conclusion were killed as supposed devotees to the fascisti. These were the people that saved their murder's lives...more

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Nov 16, 2007 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-faves

I will admit that this is a tough read, and thank goodness for the character list in the front to keep everyone straight.
With that said, this book is amazing. Pure and simple. Of the many books I have read about WWII in Europe, Russell’s book is set apart in subject matter and writing style. I found the setting in Northern Italy fascinating, as we seem to hear very little of this area of German Occupation. Also, the role of the Italian resistance, Catholic Church, and peasant farmers, was new in...more

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May 01, 2007 deanne pearson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

SYNOPSIS: Follow the lives of several Jewish refugees, the Italian Catholics who seek to protect them, and an AWOL German doctor as they struggle to survive in the Italian mountains during the later years of World War II.

COMMENTS: I consider Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow one of the best books I have read in a long time. While I can't say the same of her most current novel, I did enjoy the time I spent with it. Russell artfully weaves together several story lines while painting an emotive por...more

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Apr 11, 2008 Danika rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone

I'll admit this is not an easy read (on several levels). For one, It starts with pages of maps and character descriptions. It's also not the most uplifting topic. It covers roughly the last 18 months of WWII in Northern Italy. Follows the Italians in the region, the Jews many of them were hiding/helping and the German soldiers. Despite the content, I did not find it bleak. It certainly wasn't uplifting, but it was a fascinating look at a specific part of history I didn't know much about. Charact...more

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Sep 17, 2007 Ellis rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: lovers of historical fiction

Shelves: fiction, history

Mary Doria Russell is an absolute favorite of mine. I was enthralled by "The Sparrow" and "Children of God" so you can imagine how thrilled I was to find she had a new book out. I enjoyed it and stuck with it because of her--but it was a dense read that was difficult to follow--a criticism I find ironic b/c it is the complaint many of my friends gave about "The Sparrow" and I "hated" them for it! :)

Most interesting about the book is the glimpse of history Russell provides and with her backgroun...more

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Aug 27, 2008 kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm really enjoying this book... It's about Jewish refugees escaping to Italy through the northern border (think Alps) and the Italians who help them.

My favorite line, from chapter 1 that talks about the Italian government's indifference to the Nazi command to round up all the Jewish people in Italy:
"Artistically inefficient, they shuffle papers and announce that another permit, or a letter from Rome, or some new stamp is required before they can process such a request, and no one has been depor...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Beth Cato rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in, 2009, historical, fiction

Russell is the author I admire most for her works The Sparrow and Children of God. Therefore, I had to read this historical fiction that delves into a unique theater of World War II: northern Italy, abounding with Jewish refugees, resistance fighters, conspiring and bold Catholic priests, and far, far too many Nazis.[return][return]First of all, the sheer amount of research is staggering. This novel completely immerses you in the time period and all the horrors that come with it. I found the fir...more

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Jun 12, 2013 Regina Lindsey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell
4.5 Stars

“Since last September half of Italy is hiding the other half. If someone looks scared, you do what you can.” In this ambitious novel, Russell tackles two of the more complex histories of WWII – Italy and the Catholic Church.

Set in northwestern Italy as the country is torn in two after Mussolini is ousted and arrested, and northern Italy is occupied by Nazi-Germany, Italian Catholics are determined to protect not only the native Jews, but foreign J...more A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell
4.5 Stars

“Since last September half of Italy is hiding the other half. If someone looks scared, you do what you can.” In this ambitious novel, Russell tackles two of the more complex histories of WWII – Italy and the Catholic Church.

Set in northwestern Italy as the country is torn in two after Mussolini is ousted and arrested, and northern Italy is occupied by Nazi-Germany, Italian Catholics are determined to protect not only the native Jews, but foreign Jews who have been rooted out of Nazi-occupied France. Pope Pius XII has been criticized repeatedly for his “neutrality” stance. Because of this, often the heroic, individual efforts by local Catholic priests have been obscured. Russell does an exceptional job of showing the conundrum, at least on the surface, Pope Pius XXII faced while also bringing to light how important individual Catholics and priests were to the Italian Resistance. I also really appreciated how Russell laid out the T4 program and other “medical experiments” undertaken by the Nazis without getting bogged down in the details. This is, in my opinion, one of the most atrocious aspects of the Nazi programs and, yet, is rarely discussed. Apart from nailing the history, I found Russell’s writing to be extraordinary. I thought her use of irony brought a bit of wit to the story. I found she was able to bring to life the desperation of the split second decisions Jews were required to make as well as the devastation once they learned the consequences of those choices. I felt she tapped into the exhaustion some of the Jews experienced after the continuous need to relocated from country to country to stay alive. I really appreciated how Russell was able, on more than one occasion, to contrast ideology vs. practicality, “Lidia is convinced the Communists have a better way. From each according to his abilities, to each according to his need. No landlords living off the misery of sharecroppers. Workers sharing equitably in the fruits of their labor. Lidia is thrilled by the courage of factory workers in Milan and Turin. During the fasisti to break their strikes, they mean to starve the Nazi war machine. This much Renzo is willing to commend, but when his mother praised the Soviets’ stupendous military production, he snorted, ‘Do you know how Stalin taught Russian peasants to show up at factory jobs on time? He had the ones who were late shot. So much for the people’s paradise, Mamma” Finally, yea for a brief appearance from an SOE member!

There are some aspects of this work that I found frustrating. First, since Abyssinia is mentioned quite often, I really felt Russell owed it to her reader to explore this in a bit more detail, particularly the Final Declaration of the Stresa Conference. Secondly, I did find the cast of characters to be unnecessarily lengthy. While I did appreciate the list of characters at the beginning, it couldn't make up for the fact that I had a difficult time connecting to most of the characters. The exception to that rule was Schramm and Renzo, both of which I found within their complexity to be incredibly well drawn,. With the large cast, and shifting story lines, it took me quite a while to get into the rhythm of the book.

Some other favorite passages:

“Never underestimate how soothing it is to have someone else to blame.” (pg. 136)

“History will show that Adolf Hitler is not Caesar but Pyrrhus, who won battle after battle but lost so much each time that he lost his war in the end.”

“Has Schramm ever told you why he is became a Nazi?...Ask him sometime. The answer’s instructive. God save us from the idealist…They dream of a world without injustice, and what crime they won’t commit to get it?....I swear to God, Mirella. I’d settle for a world with good manners.”

I did, truly, enjoy the book. For me to say an author is a favorite author I feel I need to have read three works and loved them all. Russell has moved into my favorite list.

I think this is a must read for those who feel the learn more from historical fiction than from non-fiction. (less)

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May 12, 2013 Diane Ferbrache rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: italy, war

It's 1944 and the war is raging all over Europe. in the small villages near the Italian Alps, Jews from Italy and other spots in Europe have sought refuge. As the Germans close in from the north and Il Duce is failing and the Allies are coming from the south, these small villages are struggling to survive. This is the story of Jews and Catholics, Germans and Italians, and the Resistance.

Filled with wonderful characters, Russell traces the last few years of the war. There are heartwarming moments...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Jallioop rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Found the first half of this book frustrating. There were so many characters and they all had difficult Italian names. The place names were also hard to remember and connecting the places to who lived there was hard, especially since the narrative kept moving between locations and people and introducing additional characters. The list of characters in the beginning was absolutely necessary. And the names of the Italian Jews were so similar to the Catholics that I was continually looking people u...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've had this book for years & finally picked it up and read it a while ago. I read The Sparrow & Children of God many years ago and loved them but for some reason never felt the urge to read this one. One of my friends (A.P. I think?) read it & said she really liked it...yet didn't seem totally enthused about it, or at least that's what I thought. I kind of feel that way now that I read it...

This book was a bit hard for me to get into in the beginning. Russell has such a wide array...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Evocative historical novel about the Italian Partisans & Jewish refuges in northern Italy during WWII. Having had family who survived those years in a German occupied Italian village in the shadows of the Alps, I read with great interest the details of life for those living in town and of those living in the country.

The author does not pull her punches. Characters who struggled and who you admire die. Those who survive, aren't whole. There is the whole confusing sub-sects of Italian Fascist...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Katharine Holden rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beautifully written and very believable. The large cast of characters is a bit hard to follow at the end, but, oh, what an ending. Powerful book. I'm glad I read it. It's full of moments I won't forget. The priest who can't make himself give absolution to the German who confesses he's killed 91,867Jews. The Jewish man and his teen daughter who literally scale mountains to escape (and she pisses and moans practically the whole way because, well, she's a teenager). The old Italian women leading Ge...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Books are a relationship between the author and the reader. When a book disappoints, I wonder if it was me, and the timing of when the book came along in my life. I say this disappointed, but it is relative to how much I loved her other books.

I was fascinated by learning about the holocaust in Italy, and how Italian Catholics protected and saved many Jews. Far fewer disappeared in concentration camps compared to other countries during WWII. I loved the characters - but perhaps there were too man...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Rosina Lippi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best-beloved, reviewed-here

A Thread of Grace is what historical fiction can be.

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 bough...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Jon Tupper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Why am I reading this book? I feel sick to my stomach. I'm having terrible feelings and am quite frightened." I asked this more than once while reading this.

Then I started asking "why did M.D. Russell write this book? It's horrifying."

See what happened is that she's a really good writer in many ways: constructing a complex and simple plot that's so real I can see it out my window; describing anything from a kitchen to a bombed out building thoroughly and touchingly; crafting a syntax that flows...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Donna LaValley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“A Thread of Grace” is an excellent book. I planned to give it 5 stars (rare and highest praise!) but the last seventh of the book –and only that part- seemed rushed through, without the exceptional care of character and observant dialogue that all the rest had had.

I had just done some “silly summer reading” (as one does) including supernatural romance- mysteries by Janet Evanovich, and a mixed bag of Christopher Moore’s work (3 dreck, 1 Effort not phoned in). It only took two paragraphs of “A...more “A Thread of Grace” is an excellent book. I planned to give it 5 stars (rare and highest praise!) but the last seventh of the book –and only that part- seemed rushed through, without the exceptional care of character and observant dialogue that all the rest had had.

I had just done some “silly summer reading” (as one does) including supernatural romance- mysteries by Janet Evanovich, and a mixed bag of Christopher Moore’s work (3 dreck, 1 Effort not phoned in). It only took two paragraphs of “A Thread of Grace” to know I was once again in the hands of an excellent writer, and 2 pages in, I was excited to know the book was going to be great. In fact, I started telling everyone what I was reading – it’s that kind of book.

The story/ stories take place in Northern Italy at the end of WWII. The Allies are driving the Nazis north, where they continue their methods of domination, intimidation, and the rounding up of anyone Jewish. As hundreds of ethnic or religious Hebrews desperately climb over the Alps from Austria, etc., to the relative safety of Northern Italy, the poor farmers willingly take them in and shelter them. Meanwhile, Italian politics, although united against the Nazis, divide between Communism and Socialism. Factions make war with one another. Against all this turmoil, Catholics help the Jews (their fellow Italians as well as the newly arrived) at great risk. Good people help struggling families stay together, take in the lost orphans, feed the starving. Men and women in the story who are closely followed navigate the perilous conditions to bring about the small victories that eventually result in the Nazi’s defeat. I found it fascinating.

This might seem to be a “man’s book” because the majority of main characters are male, and there are scenes of war’s brutality. However, I recommend this book to any reader who loves Italy, loves a good writer, loves history, loves knowing about the heroic deeds, large and small, of ordinary people, and for readers who enjoy reading about the Resistance. Although there is tragedy, there are noble acts of sacrifice and love. There is a theme of redemption in the story which is unexpectedly compelling.

I wonder if the author suddenly realized she’d written a full-size book but that there was so much more history to cover. It seemed to me that (as I wrote, above) she went into fast-forward and finished it up. It might have taken another 100 pages to end it the way this reader would have wanted it to end! I’d gladly have read each one, and been grateful for them.

This is an author whose other books I’ll be finding and reading!

(less)

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Aug 31, 2012 Booknblues rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell is a story set in Northern Italy after the Italian armistice in World War II in 1943. After the armistice, the Germans invaded Italy and continued their holocaust. But in Italy there was much resistance and the Italians protected the Jews with much success as it had the highest Jewish survival rate of German occupied Europe. Russell spent 6 years researching the stories of Italy during World War II by interviewing survivors both here and and in Italy, so c...more A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell is a story set in Northern Italy after the Italian armistice in World War II in 1943. After the armistice, the Germans invaded Italy and continued their holocaust. But in Italy there was much resistance and the Italians protected the Jews with much success as it had the highest Jewish survival rate of German occupied Europe. Russell spent 6 years researching the stories of Italy during World War II by interviewing survivors both here and and in Italy, so clearly this book is well researched.

One of Russell's great strengths is her ability to develop characters and it is certainly apparent in this book with its large cast of characters, which Russell has kindly provided the reader with character list. The reader comes to care deeply for many of the characters, Renzo Leoni, the conflicted Italian Jewish, Claudette Blum, the young and brave refugee, Santino Cicala, loyal, kind soldier, and Osvaldo Tomitz the young priest who is reluctant to enter the resistance but when confronted by evidence of the horror, joins out of conscience.

As expected of a novel set in World War II their is great grief and loss. During her research she heard so many tales of survival and death that chance was often the ruler of fate. In an interview about the book Russell that because of this she decided who would survive the war by having her son flip a coin and then worked out their stories.

As always in Russell's books her voice shines through and makes the reading of it easy and wonderful. Here is an example:

"For centuries, we Italkim have supported the victims of persecution and expulsion. In the days to come, remember this: when we accept the generosity of others, we are the occasion of the Holy One's blessing ou our benefactors for their kindness. May God guide us all," he concludes, "from war to justice, from justice to mercy and from mercy to peace. "

He taps his pen and taps the paper into a neat stack. His muscles are cramped and his mind seems packed in cotton wool. even so, before he goes to bed he reaches for the small Bible he keeps on his desk for easy reference. Holding it in one palm, he opens his hand and lets the book fall open where it pleases. I cannot go where God is not," he whispers, and draws a finger down the text stopping midway down a column in Psalms.

"I hear the whispering of many, terror on every side," He reads. "But I trust in you, O Lord."

This is a book that will stay with me for a long while. I was deeply moved by the story and continue to be impressed by Mary Doria Russell's ability as an author.

An added note an interview with Mary Doria Russell can be found here http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_inte...(less)

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Aug 21, 2012 E.C. Ambrose rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mary Doria Russell is a favorite author of mine, but I hadn't read this one until now. It's a braided narrative about a cross-section of people invested in the Jewish refugee population in Northern Italy during WWII. Russell follows families who fled France as well as native Italians and a few Germans. With a few brief scenes she deftly brings this vast array of characters to life, and makes you care (including an introduction to Hitler himself that makes him chillingly sympathetic).

By using so...more Mary Doria Russell is a favorite author of mine, but I hadn't read this one until now. It's a braided narrative about a cross-section of people invested in the Jewish refugee population in Northern Italy during WWII. Russell follows families who fled France as well as native Italians and a few Germans. With a few brief scenes she deftly brings this vast array of characters to life, and makes you care (including an introduction to Hitler himself that makes him chillingly sympathetic).

By using so many different point of view characters and sliding carefully among them, she heightens tension between the narratives, using what we know that some characters don't to make the reader worry. Sometimes, we can follow a particular thread, a child who is separated from family, for instance, through the book while the family members never know what happened, making the title especially apropos.

The most engaging, and I would say central, character is an Italian Jew named Renzo Leoni, a disillusioned and damaged veteran of the war in Africa. It's a constant delight to travel on his various adventures, with Renzo's mad ingenuity escalating along with the ever-increasing risks he faces. (keep an eye on his aging mother as well!) In spite of the subject matter, I often laughed aloud when I came to a striking passage or moment of delicious irony--another sign of Russell's genius, that she can focus on the gleaming hope of the human heart against a backdrop of terror, torture and misery.

I also had a bit of insider info that added to my interest in the book. I heard that Russell had gotten partway into the writing, establishing this variety of characters, then handed a list and a coin to her son and had him flip a coin for every name to determine who would die. She wanted the pattern of deaths to feel as random as it had seemed during her research. So I knew that her plotting was not necessarily tied to the narrative expectations of a traditional Western story arc--there would be moments when "once upon a time" would not equal "happily ever after" or even "poetically tragic".

I did feel that a few moments in the book (which I won't reveal as they are spoilers) were not handled with Russell's usual strength. Perhaps this was a choice on her part to maintain that sense of randomness and non-traditional climax that she decided to de-emphasize a few key scenes that, to me, warranted a little more weight. If that was a choice, I found it a frustrating one as a reader--after spending so long with these characters, I protested the short shrift some are given toward the end.

But all-in-all, this work carried through with exceptional skill, a dedication to character development and transformation that I can only dream of emulating.(less)

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About Mary Doria Russell

Mary Doria Russell is an American author. She was born in 1950 in the suburbs of Chicago. Her parents were both in the military; her father was a Marine Corps drill sergeant, and her mother was a Navy nurse.

She holds a Ph.D. in Paleoanthropology from the University of Michigan, and has also studied cultural anthropology at the University of Illinois, and social anthropology at Northeastern Univer...more

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Quotes from A Thread Of Grace

“When the preponderance of human beings choose to act with justice and generosity and kindness, then learning and love and decency prevail. When the preponderance of human beings choose power, greed, and indifference to suffering, the world is filled with war, poverty, and cruelty.” — 17 people liked it

“Shall I tell you why young men love war? . . . In peace, there are a hundred questions with a thousand answers! In war, there is only one question with one right answer. . . . Going to war makes you a man. It is emotionally exciting and morally restful.” — 7 people liked it

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