This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Raanan Geberer for Readers' Favorite
Broken Threads by Ingrid Pfeiffer is the story of a post-World War II romance in U.S.-occupied Italy and its consequences. Maria, a young Tuscan woman from a wealthy family, meets and falls in love with Richard, an American officer. Eventually, they get married and are about to have a child. But Maria’s father, Carlo, an unrepentant fascist who still admires Mussolini and Hitler, disapproves. He convinces a doctor from a fascist family to falsely tell Richard that his wife had died. Dejected, Richard leaves Italy. Maria later discovers the ruse, but has no way to track down Richard. They eventually both find new spouses and end up in New York City, unknown to each other. But that’s about to change.
The author of Broken Threads, Ingrid Pfeiffer, is, according to her preface, the real-life daughter of Maria and Richard, although she has changed the names of the characters. It’s obvious that Pfeiffer is very familiar with the Tuscan landscape and the Italian political scene, which in those years was a power struggle between advocates of western-type democracy, communists, and neo-fascists such as Carlo. The later American lives of the characters are also realistic. The New York chapters are highly evocative of the city in the '50s, with the different ethnic groups -- including Italian-Americans -- striving to become Americans but also wishing to retain their distinctive identities. And the depiction of the daughter shows how, in many cases, it's up to the second generation to bring to light family secrets that were previously buried, or forgotten. All in all, Broken Threads will be a great read for lovers of Italy, New York, or both!
