What do you think?
Rate this book
Port of No Return
Contessa and Ettore Saforo awake to a normal day in war-stricken, occupied Italy.
By the end of the day, their house is in ruins and they must seek shelter and protection wherever they can. But the turbulent politics of 1944 refuses to let them be.
As Tito and his Yugoslav Army threaten their German-held town of Fiume, Ettore finds himself on a list for execution and running for his life. His wife and children must also flee.
Ettore and Contessa’s battle to find each other, and the struggle of their family and friends to rebuild their lives, provide a rich and varied account of displaced people in war-torn Europe.
What can you do when you have nowhere left to call home? Port of No Return considers this question and more in a novel that is full of action, pain and laughter -- a journey you will want to see through to the very end.
By the end of the day, their house is in ruins and they must seek shelter and protection wherever they can. But the turbulent politics of 1944 refuses to let them be.
As Tito and his Yugoslav Army threaten their German-held town of Fiume, Ettore finds himself on a list for execution and running for his life. His wife and children must also flee.
Ettore and Contessa’s battle to find each other, and the struggle of their family and friends to rebuild their lives, provide a rich and varied account of displaced people in war-torn Europe.
What can you do when you have nowhere left to call home? Port of No Return considers this question and more in a novel that is full of action, pain and laughter -- a journey you will want to see through to the very end.
238 pages, Paperback
First published June 21, 2004
3 people are currently reading
1582 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Saftich
3 books120 followersMichelle Saftich is an Australian author who enjoys writing historical fiction and science fiction. She writes about migration, people's ability to adapt to changing environments and in her latest novel, The Hatch, she explores the pros and cons of having a sixth sense.
Michelle holds a Bachelor of Business/Communications Degree, majoring in journalism, from the Queensland University of Technology. For more than 20 years, she has worked in communications, including print journalism, sub-editing, communications management and media relations. She spent 10 years living in Sydney and two years in Osaka, Japan, where she taught English. She is married with two sons, and has a dog and a cat who both like sitting with her while she's writing.
Michelle holds a Bachelor of Business/Communications Degree, majoring in journalism, from the Queensland University of Technology. For more than 20 years, she has worked in communications, including print journalism, sub-editing, communications management and media relations. She spent 10 years living in Sydney and two years in Osaka, Japan, where she taught English. She is married with two sons, and has a dog and a cat who both like sitting with her while she's writing.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
May 12, 2018
I’m always drawn to novels set during World War II. This one begins in occupied Italy in 1944. I thought I’d sit down and read a few chapters and ended up reading over half the book and finished it the next day.
The story focuses on a family that struggles to rebuild their lives after the war. The author created characters that felt authentic and she made me care about them. Contessa and Ettore have young children and when their apartment is bombed, they find themselves displaced. I could feel their worry, anxiety, and fear as the Yugoslav Army invaded their town of Fiume, Italy.
Rich in detail, I had a vision of what daily life had become for this family. A story full of heartfelt moments, painful events, and love. I also learned about the Italian immigration to Australia after the war.
I thought it was fascinating and memorable. I would recommend to fans of the genre. Book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2015
Powerful story of little known ethnic cleansing of Italians at the end of World War 2.
Michelle Saftich has put together a moving story of a family uprooted and torn apart by the convulsions that Europe experienced at the end of World War 2. The book is set in Istria which had an approximately 40% Italian population and was given to the Italy after World War 1. Based on her father’s recollections she portrays a little known part of the war whereby Italians were forcibly removed by the Yugoslavs.
The story starts under the German occupation of Istria following the Italian surrender in 1943 and mainly follows the experiences of two families. Saftich has done her research well and the period detail is immaculate. She also makes you care about the characters and their extended families.
Whilst I did find one of the situations contrived, I enjoyed this compelling family saga set against the looming shadow of Tito’s partisans and the end of a way of life.
Michelle Saftich has put together a moving story of a family uprooted and torn apart by the convulsions that Europe experienced at the end of World War 2. The book is set in Istria which had an approximately 40% Italian population and was given to the Italy after World War 1. Based on her father’s recollections she portrays a little known part of the war whereby Italians were forcibly removed by the Yugoslavs.
The story starts under the German occupation of Istria following the Italian surrender in 1943 and mainly follows the experiences of two families. Saftich has done her research well and the period detail is immaculate. She also makes you care about the characters and their extended families.
Whilst I did find one of the situations contrived, I enjoyed this compelling family saga set against the looming shadow of Tito’s partisans and the end of a way of life.
September 3, 2015
**I was provided with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review**
Port of No Return opens in January, 1944 in Fiume, Italy. At this time Fiume sits on the border with Yugoslavia. The Germans are still in Fiume, but the Yugoslavs under Tito are on their way. (There have been long territorial disputes over Fiume throughout history.) The taking of Fiume by the Yugoslavs was the result of days of heavy fighting. Reprisals under the occupying forces were savage.
Initially we meet Contessa and Ettore, a young couple with two children and their indomitable Nonna. Ettore, a mechanic, must work for the Germans in their submarine base in order to support his family. When Tito’s forces invade he is automatically targeted , not only because he is Italian, but because he works for the Germans. Such is the fate of many Italians in Fiume.
The story follows their hardships during wartime, separation and subsequent escape from Fiume. It is a survival story filled with courage, heartache, fear, yet ultimately happiness tinged with loss and grief.
Port of No Return was a real surprise for me as I wasn’t sure how much I was going to enjoy it. This is historic fiction that “rings true” on many levels. Saftich writes well. There is a clear narrator’s voice throughout, something I usually don’t enjoy, however stylistically the tone of narration is easy going – at times, thanks to numerous colloquialisms, conversational . This narration informs the reader of historical events and tells the situation of the characters, but is interspersed with fictionalised vignettes between characters. This it what got me over my initial misgivings. It works brilliantly to give a feel of historical accuracy mixed with immersive storytelling to create a subtly addictive story.
As I read I wondered why certain plot points were not expanded to aid the storytelling. However, the more I read, the more I realised Saftich was showing a delicate restraint and by resisting the urge to sensationalise Port of No Return I suspect she was honouring the memories of family and the others she has interviewed in researching her novel - kudos to her.
Port of No Return lured me into its world. I became attached to the characters and their struggles. I found myself asking “What would I have done?” More importantly it made me think on history, its human toll and its repetition. That is part of the magic of books.
Four Stars
Port of No Return opens in January, 1944 in Fiume, Italy. At this time Fiume sits on the border with Yugoslavia. The Germans are still in Fiume, but the Yugoslavs under Tito are on their way. (There have been long territorial disputes over Fiume throughout history.) The taking of Fiume by the Yugoslavs was the result of days of heavy fighting. Reprisals under the occupying forces were savage.
Initially we meet Contessa and Ettore, a young couple with two children and their indomitable Nonna. Ettore, a mechanic, must work for the Germans in their submarine base in order to support his family. When Tito’s forces invade he is automatically targeted , not only because he is Italian, but because he works for the Germans. Such is the fate of many Italians in Fiume.
The story follows their hardships during wartime, separation and subsequent escape from Fiume. It is a survival story filled with courage, heartache, fear, yet ultimately happiness tinged with loss and grief.
Port of No Return was a real surprise for me as I wasn’t sure how much I was going to enjoy it. This is historic fiction that “rings true” on many levels. Saftich writes well. There is a clear narrator’s voice throughout, something I usually don’t enjoy, however stylistically the tone of narration is easy going – at times, thanks to numerous colloquialisms, conversational . This narration informs the reader of historical events and tells the situation of the characters, but is interspersed with fictionalised vignettes between characters. This it what got me over my initial misgivings. It works brilliantly to give a feel of historical accuracy mixed with immersive storytelling to create a subtly addictive story.
As I read I wondered why certain plot points were not expanded to aid the storytelling. However, the more I read, the more I realised Saftich was showing a delicate restraint and by resisting the urge to sensationalise Port of No Return I suspect she was honouring the memories of family and the others she has interviewed in researching her novel - kudos to her.
Port of No Return lured me into its world. I became attached to the characters and their struggles. I found myself asking “What would I have done?” More importantly it made me think on history, its human toll and its repetition. That is part of the magic of books.
Four Stars
May 11, 2018
“Port of No Return” is one of those novels that keeps you reading into the small hours, worrying over the fate of characters. There are moments of terror and of grace. There is inhumanity and bravery and friendship, and much to contemplate. It made me think about people who were on the “wrong” side of WWII. It prompted me to look up information about the migration and expulsion of Italians from Yugoslav territory around WWII. It is both a war story and a prelude to an immigration story. And it certainly makes me think about people displaced by war and strife in our world today.
I thought I knew a fair bit about Italy in WWII. My Italian-Canadian parents-in-law grew into young adulthood in the Friuli region of northern Italy – not very far from the towns or cities in “Port of No Return.” My father-in-law remembers being told to run along home by a German soldier when he was a small boy. I’ve visited war memorials in Italy and have been to Trieste, a city featured in Saftich’s novel. I wrote a research paper about Mussolini as a university student, have watched documentaries and movies set in WII-time Italy, and have read other books on about it. Still, the storytelling of “Point of No Return” has left me with a far better grasp of the particular WWII-time circumstances of Italian-identifying people from the port city of Fiume on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea and of that region.
Author Michelle Saftich has a personal connection to the story she tells. Her father’s family emigrated from Italy more than 65 years ago, and “Port of No Return” is loosely based on their experiences. Through the compelling WWII-time story of the fictional Saforo family and their friends, Saftich succeeds in empathetically presenting a piece of Fiume/Rijeka’s and northeastern Italy/Yugoslavia/Croatia’s history.
Fiume no longer exists; it is now Rijeka in Croatia. For the purposes of discussing the novel, please allow me to try to condense part of Fiume’s complicated, contested history: After WWI, there was controversy between bordering Italy and Yugoslavia over control of Fiume. In 1924, the Treaty of Rome annexed Fiume to Italy and granted Yugoslavia part of the harbour. In 1925, the Treaty of Nettuno between Italy and Yugoslavia permitted Italians to freely immigrate into the coastal Yugoslavian region known as Dalmatia, including Fiume. When Italy declared war on Yugoslavia in 1941 during WWII, Fiume became a war zone. After the surrender of Italy to the Allies early in the fall of 1943, Fiume and surrounding territories were occupied by Germany. The port was subject to air-bombing by the Allies and there was partisan activity in the area. After heavy fighting, Tito’s Yugoslav Partisan troops entered Fiume in May of 1945. Post-WWII, all of Fiume became part of Yugoslavia though 1947’s Treaty of Paris.
Ettore Saforo had been a mechanic with his own workshop before being conscripted into the Italian war effort. When “Port of No Return” opens in January of 1944, Ettore works in Fiume’s harbour at pressure testing submarines for the Germans. The Allies have been bombing the port. Now Yugoslav troops are bearing down on Fiume, with sure reprisals for anyone deemed a German collaborator. Ettore must hurry from his home city, separately from his mother-in-law and his wife, young children and infant.
“Port of No Return” achieves what I expect of good historical fiction. It engages; it teaches you something about history; it makes you want to know more about the time, places, events and people featured; and it gives you something to think about.
A version of this review also appears at The Bletchley Circle Watchers posted on May 11, 2018 as part of a "Port of No Return" blog tour organized by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. Direct post link: https://www.facebook.com/TheBletchley...
I thought I knew a fair bit about Italy in WWII. My Italian-Canadian parents-in-law grew into young adulthood in the Friuli region of northern Italy – not very far from the towns or cities in “Port of No Return.” My father-in-law remembers being told to run along home by a German soldier when he was a small boy. I’ve visited war memorials in Italy and have been to Trieste, a city featured in Saftich’s novel. I wrote a research paper about Mussolini as a university student, have watched documentaries and movies set in WII-time Italy, and have read other books on about it. Still, the storytelling of “Point of No Return” has left me with a far better grasp of the particular WWII-time circumstances of Italian-identifying people from the port city of Fiume on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea and of that region.
Author Michelle Saftich has a personal connection to the story she tells. Her father’s family emigrated from Italy more than 65 years ago, and “Port of No Return” is loosely based on their experiences. Through the compelling WWII-time story of the fictional Saforo family and their friends, Saftich succeeds in empathetically presenting a piece of Fiume/Rijeka’s and northeastern Italy/Yugoslavia/Croatia’s history.
Fiume no longer exists; it is now Rijeka in Croatia. For the purposes of discussing the novel, please allow me to try to condense part of Fiume’s complicated, contested history: After WWI, there was controversy between bordering Italy and Yugoslavia over control of Fiume. In 1924, the Treaty of Rome annexed Fiume to Italy and granted Yugoslavia part of the harbour. In 1925, the Treaty of Nettuno between Italy and Yugoslavia permitted Italians to freely immigrate into the coastal Yugoslavian region known as Dalmatia, including Fiume. When Italy declared war on Yugoslavia in 1941 during WWII, Fiume became a war zone. After the surrender of Italy to the Allies early in the fall of 1943, Fiume and surrounding territories were occupied by Germany. The port was subject to air-bombing by the Allies and there was partisan activity in the area. After heavy fighting, Tito’s Yugoslav Partisan troops entered Fiume in May of 1945. Post-WWII, all of Fiume became part of Yugoslavia though 1947’s Treaty of Paris.
Ettore Saforo had been a mechanic with his own workshop before being conscripted into the Italian war effort. When “Port of No Return” opens in January of 1944, Ettore works in Fiume’s harbour at pressure testing submarines for the Germans. The Allies have been bombing the port. Now Yugoslav troops are bearing down on Fiume, with sure reprisals for anyone deemed a German collaborator. Ettore must hurry from his home city, separately from his mother-in-law and his wife, young children and infant.
“Port of No Return” achieves what I expect of good historical fiction. It engages; it teaches you something about history; it makes you want to know more about the time, places, events and people featured; and it gives you something to think about.
A version of this review also appears at The Bletchley Circle Watchers posted on May 11, 2018 as part of a "Port of No Return" blog tour organized by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. Direct post link: https://www.facebook.com/TheBletchley...
July 31, 2015
This heartfelt historical novel recounts events during World War II in the northeastern Italian city of Fiume, which is now part of Croatia. By following the ripples of those events through the members of two extended families and various others across northern Italy and then further north, the reader gets a feeling for what life in a war zone was/is really like.
The book recounts scenes that, sadly, play themselves out every day somewhere in the world in war zones: displacing people from their homes, forcing them to witness and sometimes suffer horrible acts of cruelty, suffering starvation and malnutrition, resorting to emigration hoping other countries will recognize their plight and accept their refugee claims.
Besides human depravity, the author is careful to show us also how valuable simple acts of kindness and courage and solace can be when it seems like the whole world is disintegrating.
The main characters in the book are a loving couple, Ettore and Contessa, Italians from Fiume. As the book progresses, we see the wear and tear the war takes on them and their children. Others don't fair as well as they do, and we are allowed to see many of those scenes too. There is violence in the book, but it is never gratuitous or drawn out for effect. There are a handful of vulgarities.
The husband, Ettore, is a skilled mechanic, which turns out to be the family's salvation.
"For Ettore, it meant having to work for the Germans who had taken over their city in Italy's north-east."
The author tries to lighten the war scenes with the humanity of the family members and their friends, which is indeed touching. There is a strong sentimentality in the book, a touching sweetness that the omniscient narrator spreads across several of the characters. Toward the end of the book, many of those characters are the children who have grown up too quickly in their dire circumstances.
We get glimpses at bombed out cities, bands of bandits, refugee camps for displaced persons, military order amid chaos, evil taking hold in the hearts of the morally weak, traumatized people, survivor's guilt, and mob violence. The latter is shown in Milan when the bodies of Mussolini, his mistress, and their cohorts are on display.
"The country's gone mad...So much anger."
The author has carefully researched her subject, and focused as much as possible on the human level of war. The book, by its nature, is episodic, following the difficult paths of various persons until they finally come to light at the end of the tunnel of war. The war ends, and emigration offers hope for a safe future and peace so they can recover as much as possible from their war wounds, which are both physical and mental.
While the book is about the Italian experience, I had a strong feeling that certain subjects were addressed for certain reasons that had little to do with WWII Italians. The author touches on frequent complaints against refugees and emigrants, certainly hoping to make their road smoother in future. That is an honorable message to send, a reminder to the residents of many countries asked to accept refugees that they are likely descended from refugees and emigrants.
Please visit my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews. I received a review-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. (Beware the book's description! It is full of spoilers!)
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
The book recounts scenes that, sadly, play themselves out every day somewhere in the world in war zones: displacing people from their homes, forcing them to witness and sometimes suffer horrible acts of cruelty, suffering starvation and malnutrition, resorting to emigration hoping other countries will recognize their plight and accept their refugee claims.
Besides human depravity, the author is careful to show us also how valuable simple acts of kindness and courage and solace can be when it seems like the whole world is disintegrating.
The main characters in the book are a loving couple, Ettore and Contessa, Italians from Fiume. As the book progresses, we see the wear and tear the war takes on them and their children. Others don't fair as well as they do, and we are allowed to see many of those scenes too. There is violence in the book, but it is never gratuitous or drawn out for effect. There are a handful of vulgarities.
The husband, Ettore, is a skilled mechanic, which turns out to be the family's salvation.
"For Ettore, it meant having to work for the Germans who had taken over their city in Italy's north-east."
The author tries to lighten the war scenes with the humanity of the family members and their friends, which is indeed touching. There is a strong sentimentality in the book, a touching sweetness that the omniscient narrator spreads across several of the characters. Toward the end of the book, many of those characters are the children who have grown up too quickly in their dire circumstances.
We get glimpses at bombed out cities, bands of bandits, refugee camps for displaced persons, military order amid chaos, evil taking hold in the hearts of the morally weak, traumatized people, survivor's guilt, and mob violence. The latter is shown in Milan when the bodies of Mussolini, his mistress, and their cohorts are on display.
"The country's gone mad...So much anger."
The author has carefully researched her subject, and focused as much as possible on the human level of war. The book, by its nature, is episodic, following the difficult paths of various persons until they finally come to light at the end of the tunnel of war. The war ends, and emigration offers hope for a safe future and peace so they can recover as much as possible from their war wounds, which are both physical and mental.
While the book is about the Italian experience, I had a strong feeling that certain subjects were addressed for certain reasons that had little to do with WWII Italians. The author touches on frequent complaints against refugees and emigrants, certainly hoping to make their road smoother in future. That is an honorable message to send, a reminder to the residents of many countries asked to accept refugees that they are likely descended from refugees and emigrants.
Please visit my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews. I received a review-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. (Beware the book's description! It is full of spoilers!)
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
October 26, 2015
Lately I have been continuing on a quest to read more from Australian authors - there is a talent in that country that doesn't always reach Canada. Thank you to Italy Books Tours for allowing me to be part of this tour and introducing me to Australian author Michelle Saftich.
Port of No Return begins in January 1944 in Fuime, Italy, a small town close to the Yugoslavia border. Told from various pov's the author wrote a gripping story of survival, filled with courage and fear, struggle and heartache. Even after the war ends life doesn't automatically return to what it once was. Those we meet are forever changed, with some no longer present. Many displaced families rebuilt their lives in other countries and even that transition was no easy task.
The author definitely knows her time period, she wrote with clarity and emotion. It wasn't hard to get absorbed into this story, to feel compassion and the injustice this family suffered. The ending left at a place that had me wanting more, my hope that a sequel is in the works so I can read about the next chapter in their lives.
Thank you to Italy Book Tours for providing me with a copy for review purposes as part of this tour.
Port of No Return begins in January 1944 in Fuime, Italy, a small town close to the Yugoslavia border. Told from various pov's the author wrote a gripping story of survival, filled with courage and fear, struggle and heartache. Even after the war ends life doesn't automatically return to what it once was. Those we meet are forever changed, with some no longer present. Many displaced families rebuilt their lives in other countries and even that transition was no easy task.
The author definitely knows her time period, she wrote with clarity and emotion. It wasn't hard to get absorbed into this story, to feel compassion and the injustice this family suffered. The ending left at a place that had me wanting more, my hope that a sequel is in the works so I can read about the next chapter in their lives.
Thank you to Italy Book Tours for providing me with a copy for review purposes as part of this tour.
August 12, 2016
There are stories that need to be told, stories sidelined, destined to languish on the periphery of our knowledge of history, stories eclipsed by bigger, more sensational stories. Until an author like Michelle Saftich comes along.
Port of No Return is a work of historical fiction, set at the end of WWII, which tracks the stories of four families as they flee their war-ravaged city of Fuime, Northern Italy, for the refugee camps in nearby Trieste, as communist Yugoslavia, under the command of General Tito, claims ownership.
Saftich leads the reader by the hand into the intimate domestic lives of Contessa and Lena and Bianca, and Ettore, Edrico and Roberto, with all of their children, and of course Nonna. Their homes are bombed, their lives under threat. When Fuime was under German occupation, many locals were required to work in the arms factories. The Partisans created lists of the traitors. When they seized control, those men were rounded up and shot, or imprisoned and tortured, and then shot. It’s a familiar story. I’m easily reminded of current times in Syria and Iraq. And to that end alone, this book is an important read.
And as we face a refugee crisis second only to World War II, in Port of No Return Saftich depicts the struggles of millions of refugees displaced across Europe and the challenges they faced finding a place, any place, to live.
The hunger, the awful conditions, and the waiting, endless waiting, are portrayed through the eyes of the characters as they scratch out a day to day existence. It is a story in which hope and despair vie for supremacy.
Saftich portrays her characters with sympathy and sensitivity in confident, down-to-earth prose. The narrative is well-crafted and well-researched. Port of No Return is a story of survival, of hope, of the tenacity of those Italian families determined to have a future. And through it Saftich opens our hearts to compassion, a commendable feat. http://isobelblackthorn.com/my-book-r...
Port of No Return is a work of historical fiction, set at the end of WWII, which tracks the stories of four families as they flee their war-ravaged city of Fuime, Northern Italy, for the refugee camps in nearby Trieste, as communist Yugoslavia, under the command of General Tito, claims ownership.
Saftich leads the reader by the hand into the intimate domestic lives of Contessa and Lena and Bianca, and Ettore, Edrico and Roberto, with all of their children, and of course Nonna. Their homes are bombed, their lives under threat. When Fuime was under German occupation, many locals were required to work in the arms factories. The Partisans created lists of the traitors. When they seized control, those men were rounded up and shot, or imprisoned and tortured, and then shot. It’s a familiar story. I’m easily reminded of current times in Syria and Iraq. And to that end alone, this book is an important read.
And as we face a refugee crisis second only to World War II, in Port of No Return Saftich depicts the struggles of millions of refugees displaced across Europe and the challenges they faced finding a place, any place, to live.
The hunger, the awful conditions, and the waiting, endless waiting, are portrayed through the eyes of the characters as they scratch out a day to day existence. It is a story in which hope and despair vie for supremacy.
Saftich portrays her characters with sympathy and sensitivity in confident, down-to-earth prose. The narrative is well-crafted and well-researched. Port of No Return is a story of survival, of hope, of the tenacity of those Italian families determined to have a future. And through it Saftich opens our hearts to compassion, a commendable feat. http://isobelblackthorn.com/my-book-r...
November 2, 2015
I didn't find this book an easy read but I did find it absorbing. It was an angle of the Second World War that I wasn't aware of and it was shocking to think what people had been through at that time. Having said that, the families were very engaging and I really care about what happened to them.
October 14, 2015
Contessa and Ettore Saforo are a happily married couple with a large family, nice home, and a business. However one day that all changed. During the war, their town is bombed and while they survived the bombing through their refuge of shelter, they find their house in ruins and with nothing but the clothes on their back. They stay with their friend, who greatly welcomes them in. Their happiness is short-lived for it is revealed that Etorre has worked for the Germans causing him to run for life. This fact also causes Contessa and his children to be known as Displaced Persons and they must also leave the home and comfort of their friend’s assistance. Both Contessa and Etorre are on a quest to find each other throughout the years as they face hardships.
I felt sorry for both Contessa and Etorre. It begins with them being happy together until Etorre is being hunted down for working with the Germans and he must flee. Then for most of the novel, they are separate and alternately the chapters tell their side of the story. I loved both of them. Both of them are strong. I loved the struggles and hardships they faced, especially Contessa who has to look out for her children. Yet, they never gave up searching for each other. I found their love really touching as they endured many obstacles.
Overall, this story is about friendship, family, love, choices, survival, and hope. I found this story an emotional read that I could not put down. This is a story that will linger with you even after you read the last page. This is a heart-wrenching tale of a family that had to give up everything they had to be with each other, including their homeland. The message of the book is to never give up. I felt the book to be meticulously-researched for the setting of the aftermath of World War II. The characters were likable and realistic. The story was very fast-paced, and it had plenty of action. I recommend this story to anyone interested in the aftermath of World War II, stories about people searching for their loved ones, and in heroines who find strength throughout hardships.
(Note: This book was given to me as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.)
I felt sorry for both Contessa and Etorre. It begins with them being happy together until Etorre is being hunted down for working with the Germans and he must flee. Then for most of the novel, they are separate and alternately the chapters tell their side of the story. I loved both of them. Both of them are strong. I loved the struggles and hardships they faced, especially Contessa who has to look out for her children. Yet, they never gave up searching for each other. I found their love really touching as they endured many obstacles.
Overall, this story is about friendship, family, love, choices, survival, and hope. I found this story an emotional read that I could not put down. This is a story that will linger with you even after you read the last page. This is a heart-wrenching tale of a family that had to give up everything they had to be with each other, including their homeland. The message of the book is to never give up. I felt the book to be meticulously-researched for the setting of the aftermath of World War II. The characters were likable and realistic. The story was very fast-paced, and it had plenty of action. I recommend this story to anyone interested in the aftermath of World War II, stories about people searching for their loved ones, and in heroines who find strength throughout hardships.
(Note: This book was given to me as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.)
May 4, 2018
You can find more reviews on my blog: Books of a Shy Girl.
Port of No Return by Michelle Saftich is a historical fiction novel set during World War II. The story follows Contessa and Ettore Saforo’s family and friends in their journey to a better place, away from the dangerous city of Fiume.
I highly enjoyed this novel and I have only two things in this book I’d like to point out: a few things seemed too convenient to be passed off as mere coincidences and the ending was a bit anticlimactic. However, the author expertly portrayed the situation Italy was in at the end of the war and her characters are well-rounded.
I loved the family dynamics and how all the people were united in supporting each other. I especially liked how the children protected their siblings.
Contessa and Ettore would do anything to keep their family together and how they faced the hardships of war and trying to go overseas was inspiring. They were strong and intelligent and their love thought-provoking.
The writing style was very good and the historical facts accurately described. The novel moved at a fast pace and I recommend reading Port of No Return if you’re looking for a historical fiction book. I give it 4 out of 5 stars .
Port of No Return by Michelle Saftich is a historical fiction novel set during World War II. The story follows Contessa and Ettore Saforo’s family and friends in their journey to a better place, away from the dangerous city of Fiume.
I highly enjoyed this novel and I have only two things in this book I’d like to point out: a few things seemed too convenient to be passed off as mere coincidences and the ending was a bit anticlimactic. However, the author expertly portrayed the situation Italy was in at the end of the war and her characters are well-rounded.
I loved the family dynamics and how all the people were united in supporting each other. I especially liked how the children protected their siblings.
Contessa and Ettore would do anything to keep their family together and how they faced the hardships of war and trying to go overseas was inspiring. They were strong and intelligent and their love thought-provoking.
The writing style was very good and the historical facts accurately described. The novel moved at a fast pace and I recommend reading Port of No Return if you’re looking for a historical fiction book. I give it 4 out of 5 stars .
October 5, 2018
This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"The author shows considerable skill incorporating a much-needed history lesson on this obscure corner of the war, weaving in her research both in secondary sources and first-hand accounts from her father and others who experienced the purge of the Italian populations from this coastal area after the war. "
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"The author shows considerable skill incorporating a much-needed history lesson on this obscure corner of the war, weaving in her research both in secondary sources and first-hand accounts from her father and others who experienced the purge of the Italian populations from this coastal area after the war. "
October 8, 2015
This is the moving story of several Italian families from Fiume, a port city in the north east of Italy. Set during World War Two, one of the fathers, Ettore Saforo, had been forced to work for the occupying Germans, as were many people at that time. The city had been bombed numerous times and was devastated, both physically and morally. His family was left homeless while he tried to evade arrest by the invading Yugoslavian army.
This was the plight of hundreds of thousands of families across Europe. Many had no where to return home to after the fighting ended. Jobs were few, which meant families couldn't be supported. Author Michelle Saftich explores what these people did have left. They had family and friends to support each other and to rebuild their sense of community. From that came hope of what they could accomplish with each other and with physical and mental effort.
The Port of No Return brought another human component to a long ago war. I'd heard about the blitz of England and the concentration camps, but almost nothing about the other involved countries. I knew that my grandfather and his regiment had served for some time in Italy. All he told me about was that as he and his fellow soldiers had walked through the streets, the Italian women would rush out of doors, were so happy to see them that they offered them whatever fresh fruit they were fortunate enough to have.
This is also a very timely book. As I sat wondering about these Italian families and their quest to immigrate to a welcoming country, my thoughts turned to the million plus refugees who are now flooding into Europe. Where there was despair decades ago, there is now hope and and the prospect of a new and safer future. Michelle, helped to bring every day Italy and Europe to life for me. In my mind it had been a tourist destination, not one in which everyday people lived and loved. Now I can imagine the farmers, the firemen, the students and all those people needed for a community, a country, to thrive. The fictional characters of this book became real to me and I wept for their loses but also for their strength and perserverance.
Port of No Return is an excellent debut novel and I am looking forward to future works by Michelle Saftich.
This was the plight of hundreds of thousands of families across Europe. Many had no where to return home to after the fighting ended. Jobs were few, which meant families couldn't be supported. Author Michelle Saftich explores what these people did have left. They had family and friends to support each other and to rebuild their sense of community. From that came hope of what they could accomplish with each other and with physical and mental effort.
The Port of No Return brought another human component to a long ago war. I'd heard about the blitz of England and the concentration camps, but almost nothing about the other involved countries. I knew that my grandfather and his regiment had served for some time in Italy. All he told me about was that as he and his fellow soldiers had walked through the streets, the Italian women would rush out of doors, were so happy to see them that they offered them whatever fresh fruit they were fortunate enough to have.
This is also a very timely book. As I sat wondering about these Italian families and their quest to immigrate to a welcoming country, my thoughts turned to the million plus refugees who are now flooding into Europe. Where there was despair decades ago, there is now hope and and the prospect of a new and safer future. Michelle, helped to bring every day Italy and Europe to life for me. In my mind it had been a tourist destination, not one in which everyday people lived and loved. Now I can imagine the farmers, the firemen, the students and all those people needed for a community, a country, to thrive. The fictional characters of this book became real to me and I wept for their loses but also for their strength and perserverance.
Port of No Return is an excellent debut novel and I am looking forward to future works by Michelle Saftich.
October 19, 2015
About the Book:
Contessa and Ettore Saforo awake to a normal day in war-stricken, occupied Italy.
By the end of the day, their house is in ruins and they must seek shelter and protection wherever they can. But the turbulent politics of 1944 refuses to let them be.
As Tito and his Yugoslav Army threaten their German-held town of Fiume, Ettore finds himself on a list for execution and running for his life. His wife and children must also flee.
Ettore and Contessa’s battle to find each other, and the struggle of their family and friends to rebuild their lives, provide a rich and varied account of displaced people in war-torn Europe.
What can you do when you have nowhere left to call home? Port of No Return considers this question and more in a novel that is full of action, pain and laughter -- a journey you will want to see through to the very end.
My Review:
It’s 1944 and beautiful Italy is war-torn. Contessa and Ettore Saforo have been trying there best to keep themselves and there family safe. One blistery morning, Ettore and Contessa are beyond tired after staying up all night with their wailing infant son. With a quick kiss, Ettore is off to work and Contessa is busy with her everyday chores. But the day isn’t going to be normal after all. With the cry of sirens, Contessa and her children, along with her mother, are out the door and head for the safe place. They go in terrified and emerge in shock, for everything they own was destroyed by one of the many bombs that fell from the sky.
The Saforo family are without a home, and are quick to get to a dear friends home. But when authorities begin searching for Ettore, Contessa knows it’s time to move on for Fiume, Italy. Venturing out into the unknown, Contessa and Ettore must fight to stay together even though everything is trying to push them apart.
Port of No Return takes you into the war filled World War II. You will see adventure, beauty, and sorrow. Once you read this book you can never turn back. I really enjoyed reading this book. Port of No return was written with perfect precision. I cant wait to see what this author has in store for us next.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.
August 18, 2015
When it comes to stories set during World War II, I am always more interested in those that focus on the plight of the civilians rather than the military experience. This is why I was drawn to this novel as it reflects some of what my own family experienced before my parents immigrated to Canada. The story is set in the north east area of Italy in a city named Fiume which became part of Yugoslavia, or today's Croatia. Through the experiences of two families, the author does a great job of introducing the hardships the civilians faced living under the auspices of danger and war and occupation. The loss of home, displaced refugees, unbearable acts of terror and cruelty, and the severe hunger caused by enemy seizures. It is how many Italians of that era found themselves contemplating relocation as refugees to safer havens such as Australia, Canada, or the U.S. In this novel, it is Australia they seek.
Through the eyes of the protagonists, Ettore and Contessa, we experience the danger, the many kindnesses, the poignanat and painful moments of war. These characters represent thousands of Italians forced to flee their beloved homeland. The author did a wonderful job of describing the effects of the war, along with the history of how that area of Italy was affected.
This novel is definitely a worth reading, especially for those whose roots are deeply embedded in Italy, like me! Recommended!
Through the eyes of the protagonists, Ettore and Contessa, we experience the danger, the many kindnesses, the poignanat and painful moments of war. These characters represent thousands of Italians forced to flee their beloved homeland. The author did a wonderful job of describing the effects of the war, along with the history of how that area of Italy was affected.
This novel is definitely a worth reading, especially for those whose roots are deeply embedded in Italy, like me! Recommended!
October 6, 2015
Port of No Return is the author's father's story about their family's struggle to flee their beloved city of Fiume, Italy. Historical in nature, Michelle's book acknowledges the hundreds of thousands of people who were displaced throughout Europe during WWII, and that many Italians were forcibily removed by the Yugoslavs.
Ettore and Contessa, along with Nonna and their young children must survive hardships and food rationing during the German occupation of their town, Fiume. Partisan rebels add violence and uncertainty into their already tenuous living situation. Forced to find refuge when their home is bombed, they seek help from friends outside the city. The sequence of events that follows affects both Ettore and Contessa as well as the family that takes them in. The chaos and violence of war is balanced with the kindness and and courage of both friends and strangers they meet as they struggle to keep alive. Families and couples are separated as they flee for their lives, never knowing when or where they will meet up again.
Apart from a few modern expressions which didn't seem to fit the writing style of this historical story, the storytelling flowed pretty easily, despite the fact that there were so many characters. There were several plot twists and tense moments which kept me on the edge of my seat.
This book is a good match for those who are interested in Italian history.
Ettore and Contessa, along with Nonna and their young children must survive hardships and food rationing during the German occupation of their town, Fiume. Partisan rebels add violence and uncertainty into their already tenuous living situation. Forced to find refuge when their home is bombed, they seek help from friends outside the city. The sequence of events that follows affects both Ettore and Contessa as well as the family that takes them in. The chaos and violence of war is balanced with the kindness and and courage of both friends and strangers they meet as they struggle to keep alive. Families and couples are separated as they flee for their lives, never knowing when or where they will meet up again.
Apart from a few modern expressions which didn't seem to fit the writing style of this historical story, the storytelling flowed pretty easily, despite the fact that there were so many characters. There were several plot twists and tense moments which kept me on the edge of my seat.
This book is a good match for those who are interested in Italian history.
August 31, 2015
Port of No Return is the story of a family on the run during the war-torn years of WWII. Contessa and Ettore Saforo have a young family and the comforts of home are quickly destroyed during a bombing in their town of Fiume (now Rijeka, Croatia). There home is destroyed but with their family intact they flee to Trieste, Italy. They are not able to stay together for long when Ettore must run for his life and Contessa must run with her children in hopes of reuniting with her beloved husband again.
Port of No Return tells the very raw story of survival during war. Readers are drawn in quickly and as events unfold it is hard not to feel the pain and sorrow that this family goes through. The Saforo family seeks refuge not only with friends and family but must also seek assistance in refuge camps. With little space, heat, food and clothing, this very large family must endure the full impact of the war, always looking over their shoulder and hoping peace and a place to call home is soon to come.
Overall I do recommend this book and feel that my fellow historical readers will enjoy reading Port of No Return and the strong connection to family it holds. There is much to take away through the experiences of those who lived during WWII and this novel highlights how many innocent lives were impacted during the political turmoil of war in the 1940's.
Port of No Return tells the very raw story of survival during war. Readers are drawn in quickly and as events unfold it is hard not to feel the pain and sorrow that this family goes through. The Saforo family seeks refuge not only with friends and family but must also seek assistance in refuge camps. With little space, heat, food and clothing, this very large family must endure the full impact of the war, always looking over their shoulder and hoping peace and a place to call home is soon to come.
Overall I do recommend this book and feel that my fellow historical readers will enjoy reading Port of No Return and the strong connection to family it holds. There is much to take away through the experiences of those who lived during WWII and this novel highlights how many innocent lives were impacted during the political turmoil of war in the 1940's.
November 14, 2015
This is an excellent and very topical novel. It details the extreme hardships that people living in North Eastern Italy endured, not only during WWII, but in the immediate aftermath of that tragedy. It is well written in graphic, but compassionate expression and excellent style - simple and descriptive without being verbose.
Michelle develops the characters with obvious compassion and self-evident intimate knowledge of the history which descended on this region. She paints the scene well and explains how the hapless civilians of the area were victims first of the Italian Fascisti, then of the German Nazis and finally of the Yugoslav Communists under Tito. Their desperate circumstances and their courage under such oppression is portrayed to the reader in a way which cannot fail to evoke sympathy. Eventually their plight is alleviated by their being accepted as refugees for resettlement in safer parts of the world. This leads to more upheaval for them but also to salvation eventually.
I believe the plight of the millions of refugees today makes this novel a relevant work and should serve to remind us that acting humanely toward sufferers in jeopardy repays tenfold in long term. Our current leaders could learn from this book.
Well written, Michelle.
Michelle develops the characters with obvious compassion and self-evident intimate knowledge of the history which descended on this region. She paints the scene well and explains how the hapless civilians of the area were victims first of the Italian Fascisti, then of the German Nazis and finally of the Yugoslav Communists under Tito. Their desperate circumstances and their courage under such oppression is portrayed to the reader in a way which cannot fail to evoke sympathy. Eventually their plight is alleviated by their being accepted as refugees for resettlement in safer parts of the world. This leads to more upheaval for them but also to salvation eventually.
I believe the plight of the millions of refugees today makes this novel a relevant work and should serve to remind us that acting humanely toward sufferers in jeopardy repays tenfold in long term. Our current leaders could learn from this book.
Well written, Michelle.
December 10, 2016
I was provided with a copy in exchange for a honest review. I rate it 4.5 stars
This historical fiction depicts one of the end and post WWII little known tragedy in the north east Italy - Yugoslavia border.
Like most people during WWII, Ettore and Contessa try to survive in Fiume, a town occupied by Germans and work wherever necessary to feed their growing family. One day their house is bombed and they have to leave their hometown and seek shelter at friends. This is the beginning of their ordeal as displaced people that will last for years. We follow Ettore and Contessa's turbulent journey that involves fleeing and fighting the yugoslavs, living in refugee camps...this is the story of the suffering of hundred of thousands of people in Europe who lost everything, were still in war zones and lived in refugee camps, years after the end of WWII.
This is a story of pain, and hope extremely well written with no exaggerated drama or sentimentalism that puts us in the shoes of this Italian family. It makes the reader understand what life as a war refugee is...in these times when refugees are left to die in war zones or at sea, this book reminds us that anyone of us could be refugees and that it isn't out of choice but for survival.
This historical fiction depicts one of the end and post WWII little known tragedy in the north east Italy - Yugoslavia border.
Like most people during WWII, Ettore and Contessa try to survive in Fiume, a town occupied by Germans and work wherever necessary to feed their growing family. One day their house is bombed and they have to leave their hometown and seek shelter at friends. This is the beginning of their ordeal as displaced people that will last for years. We follow Ettore and Contessa's turbulent journey that involves fleeing and fighting the yugoslavs, living in refugee camps...this is the story of the suffering of hundred of thousands of people in Europe who lost everything, were still in war zones and lived in refugee camps, years after the end of WWII.
This is a story of pain, and hope extremely well written with no exaggerated drama or sentimentalism that puts us in the shoes of this Italian family. It makes the reader understand what life as a war refugee is...in these times when refugees are left to die in war zones or at sea, this book reminds us that anyone of us could be refugees and that it isn't out of choice but for survival.
August 20, 2015
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
World-changing events in World War II Italy form the basis of this sensitively-written novel. Even when the war ends, northern Italy is threatened by Tito and the Yugoslavs wanting the territory, which forces Ettore and Contessa to consider leaving their beloved country. This story of displaced persons and the countries who would or would not take them in is based on Ms. Saftich's personal history and her attention to detail is acute and historically accurate. Historical fiction at its best, and I would recommend this book.
World-changing events in World War II Italy form the basis of this sensitively-written novel. Even when the war ends, northern Italy is threatened by Tito and the Yugoslavs wanting the territory, which forces Ettore and Contessa to consider leaving their beloved country. This story of displaced persons and the countries who would or would not take them in is based on Ms. Saftich's personal history and her attention to detail is acute and historically accurate. Historical fiction at its best, and I would recommend this book.
September 6, 2015
A story of families living in a German occupied village in Northern Italy in 1944.
It is overrun with partisans from neighbouring Yugoslavia who are hunting for German soldiers and anyone who is deemed to be collaborating with them.
One family in particular. Contessa and Ettore Saforo are split up when Ettore runs away in fear of his life as he is working for the army as a mechanic.
His wife also escapes along with their children and they becomes displaced persons.
The story centres on the attempts by the couple to reunite and the eventual resettling in a far off country.
It is overrun with partisans from neighbouring Yugoslavia who are hunting for German soldiers and anyone who is deemed to be collaborating with them.
One family in particular. Contessa and Ettore Saforo are split up when Ettore runs away in fear of his life as he is working for the army as a mechanic.
His wife also escapes along with their children and they becomes displaced persons.
The story centres on the attempts by the couple to reunite and the eventual resettling in a far off country.
August 8, 2015
This story takes place in Italy during the end of WWII. You follow 3 families thru a journey to reclaim their lives. They have lost everything including family members. The story holds your interest and keeps you turning page to find out how each family member will do and what the outcome will be for them.
This is a book worth reading..
This is a book worth reading..
December 14, 2015
Good story about Italians at the end of World War II and after.Running away from the Yugoslav army ready to kill them for helping the Germans.At last after many years staying in refugee camps with very minimum food and other necessities they finally board the ship going to Australia ,full of hope for better life.Great book to read...really liked it.
September 5, 2015
what a well done saga of world war II! I enjoyed this novel and its characters. Thanks NETGALLEY for the chance to read it!
December 15, 2018
Fiume, now Rijeka in Croatia, was once a port city in north east Italy and was occupied by the Germans during World War II. Many of the locals were forced to work for the Germans, something that was not looked upon favourably by the Yugoslav Army when they took back the city. Reprisals were brutal forcing many of the inhabitants to flee for their lives. The Saforos are one such family, and we follow them as they make their escape and become refugees while the war rages around them. It’s a compelling and dramatic story. The narrative style is plain and unadorned, and relies rather too heavily on plot contrivances and coincidences. Characters are not explored in any depth and the author tells rather than shows. But nevertheless it’s a detailed and well-researched portrayal of ordinary people caught up in events beyond their control. Based on the author’s own family’s experiences, it all felt true to life and authentic, and I was particularly interested to read about a part of Europe not often explored in war literature. A well-told and sympathetic story about families uprooted by war, and one which I enjoyed.
April 2, 2019
I liked this book about after the war is over and what follows. Port of No Return, by Michelle Saftich. It was bad in Europe, a lot of damage from bombs, peoples homes simply disappeared when a bomb dropped from the sky. These people were called DP's, Displaced People. There were places where these people could go for shelter and be fed. How would you like to share space with only a blanket hung up giving you some privacy. This is the way it was in this real life story for many. Just enough food to survive on, a mattress on the floor, cold in winter and hot in summer.
Many friendships were made during this time, friends helped, just as now in time of trouble we need family and friends to get through tough times.
Many friendships were made during this time, friends helped, just as now in time of trouble we need family and friends to get through tough times.
April 12, 2021
Very quick read, set in an area of Northern Italy I was not to familiar with, although I have heard of the Port to Trieste,
A story regarding displaced people but seemed more focused on the Italian family aspects and feelings for their home country, rather than the history of the time or the story of migration.
Writing style very simplistic, hence a quick read for me - but nothing really pulled me in.
A story regarding displaced people but seemed more focused on the Italian family aspects and feelings for their home country, rather than the history of the time or the story of migration.
Writing style very simplistic, hence a quick read for me - but nothing really pulled me in.
May 3, 2018
A very good accurate historical novel that will break your heart and hold it until the end.
I Received This Book Against An Honest Review
Annie, Teaser Addicts Book Blog
My Own Stars Ratings
1☆- Sorry This Was NOT For Me
2☆- Could Of Been Something Good
3☆- Good Enough For More
4☆- WHAT was THAT
5☆- LOVED- A Masterpiece For Me
I Received This Book Against An Honest Review
Annie, Teaser Addicts Book Blog
My Own Stars Ratings
1☆- Sorry This Was NOT For Me
2☆- Could Of Been Something Good
3☆- Good Enough For More
4☆- WHAT was THAT
5☆- LOVED- A Masterpiece For Me
September 16, 2017
Absorbing read. I previously knew little of this history, although knew many Italians did emigrate to Australia after the WW2. I hope there is a sequel. Feel I know these characters and would like to read more of their story.
October 21, 2015
Historical fiction novels about Italy during World War II always seem to fascinate me – probably because the stories hit pretty close to home since my parents lived through this horrible time in Italy. Neither one of my parents, though, remembers it as being really terrible – I guess they were the lucky ones. But after reading several accounts of the atrocities that occurred in Italy, I am devastated to learn that so many innocent people lost their lives – and if they survived, they lived through some pretty horrible experiences. My parents speak about the poverty, but their stories tend to be more human interest stories rather than accounts of despair and fear. My mother tells a great story of her and her sister going to collect the rationed jam, of which each family was only allowed one jar per month. The two little girls, aged 8 & 7, were sent by their parents to go and pick it up. On the way home, they decided to sample some. One spoonful for one, another spoonful for the other, and by the time they got home, the jam was all gone! My mom says that it tasted so good that they just couldn’t stop!
Michelle Saftich’s novel, Port of No Return, speaks of life in Fiume, a town now a part of Croatia. Back before the war, it was a part of Italy, and during the war, it was occupied by the Germans. Towards the end of the war and even afterwards, it became a hotbed of political tensions between the Yugoslav Communists (or Partisans) and those who worked for the Germans. Families were just trying to eek out a living to support themselves and therefore found work wherever there were jobs. Many of those jobs involved working on German projects.Tensions became so high that the Partisans fought everyone they felt supported the Germans. Families had to split up and flee their homes, taking refuge in refugee camps. This story tells the story of the Sartoro family – mother, father, nonna and 5 children. Ettore, the father, had worked in the naval yards run by the Germans, even though his allegiances were always to Italy. Word got out that the Yugoslav’s were coming to even the score with the Germans, and everyone involved with working for them was fair game. Ettore ran for his life, leaving behind his entire family. Months passed and the family had to escape Fiume as well. They had to leave everything they had ever known.
The story tells of the hardships that both Ettore and his family faced, and their struggle to find each other.Even after the war was over, life was still unbearable – they were living in horrendous conditions in refugee camps – but their spirit remained strong and their commitment to family was beautiful.
They were determined to create a better life, and this meant leaving the world they knew and venture to unknown lands. The end of the book finds the family embarking on a voyage to Australia and to the new life awaiting them there.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I hope that a sequel will follow that tells of their new life in Australia.
Michelle Saftich’s novel, Port of No Return, speaks of life in Fiume, a town now a part of Croatia. Back before the war, it was a part of Italy, and during the war, it was occupied by the Germans. Towards the end of the war and even afterwards, it became a hotbed of political tensions between the Yugoslav Communists (or Partisans) and those who worked for the Germans. Families were just trying to eek out a living to support themselves and therefore found work wherever there were jobs. Many of those jobs involved working on German projects.Tensions became so high that the Partisans fought everyone they felt supported the Germans. Families had to split up and flee their homes, taking refuge in refugee camps. This story tells the story of the Sartoro family – mother, father, nonna and 5 children. Ettore, the father, had worked in the naval yards run by the Germans, even though his allegiances were always to Italy. Word got out that the Yugoslav’s were coming to even the score with the Germans, and everyone involved with working for them was fair game. Ettore ran for his life, leaving behind his entire family. Months passed and the family had to escape Fiume as well. They had to leave everything they had ever known.
The story tells of the hardships that both Ettore and his family faced, and their struggle to find each other.Even after the war was over, life was still unbearable – they were living in horrendous conditions in refugee camps – but their spirit remained strong and their commitment to family was beautiful.
They were determined to create a better life, and this meant leaving the world they knew and venture to unknown lands. The end of the book finds the family embarking on a voyage to Australia and to the new life awaiting them there.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I hope that a sequel will follow that tells of their new life in Australia.
October 15, 2015
In this historical novel, which author Michelle Saftich dedicates to her father Mauro, the memory of his family, her husband Rene, and her sons Louis and Jimi, who inspire her to write about family and love, Contessa and Ettore Saforo live in Italy close to the end of the Second World War, the couple seeking protection from the bloodshed, although the fragile politics of 1944 doesn’t leave them alone. They live in the German-held and Yugoslav-threatened community of Fiume, with Ettore finding himself on the run, given the potential evil of both sides of the conflict in their town. He and his wife struggled to find one another, with their friends and family gradually recovering from the war’s aftermath.
The action begins in January 1944 in Fiume, Italy, with the town Ettore and Contessa siding with the Germans, the two having young children, and quickly finding themselves seeking sanctuary in a farmhouse on the outskirts of their village. They ultimately settle in their new environment by March the same year, with friends marrying and Contessa finding herself pregnant with her fifth child. In April, however, they decide they want to leave, although doing so would require permission from the occupying Germans, although they do eventually settle in with other relatives. Real-life events such as Mussolini’s death that month, the retreat of the Germans, and the coming of the Americans, occur, with Ettore finding himself imprisoned with friends.
Although America ultimately becomes an emigration point of interest for the Saforo family and their friends and relatives, they hold some apathy towards their supposed liberators, going to Germany, once free from the Nazis, for processing and eventual departure for Australia. Overall, this is an enjoyable historical novel that seems well-researched, the writer acknowledging an extensive interview with her father and the many displaced refugees from the Second World War alongside her editors. The story does have some occasional slow portions, although this reviewer would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction.
The action begins in January 1944 in Fiume, Italy, with the town Ettore and Contessa siding with the Germans, the two having young children, and quickly finding themselves seeking sanctuary in a farmhouse on the outskirts of their village. They ultimately settle in their new environment by March the same year, with friends marrying and Contessa finding herself pregnant with her fifth child. In April, however, they decide they want to leave, although doing so would require permission from the occupying Germans, although they do eventually settle in with other relatives. Real-life events such as Mussolini’s death that month, the retreat of the Germans, and the coming of the Americans, occur, with Ettore finding himself imprisoned with friends.
Although America ultimately becomes an emigration point of interest for the Saforo family and their friends and relatives, they hold some apathy towards their supposed liberators, going to Germany, once free from the Nazis, for processing and eventual departure for Australia. Overall, this is an enjoyable historical novel that seems well-researched, the writer acknowledging an extensive interview with her father and the many displaced refugees from the Second World War alongside her editors. The story does have some occasional slow portions, although this reviewer would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews