Discussion date: February 12, 2007

What we thought:
The 4-star rating was pretty much universal. We found this a very moving book, notable for its complex and fascinating characters, and its gripping dramatization of a little-known aspect of World War II in northern Italy. The main criticisms were the difficulty in keeping all the characters straight, and that the intensity of the violence and cruelty in some places made it hard going. But despite the sadness and horrors of the war, the essential goodness and generosity of so many ordinary people helping those in need did indeed represent a beautiful "thread of grace" in the midst of so much senseless evil.

Reading Group Guide