Book review : Secrets on the Cote d'Azur by Neil Richards

Secrets on the Cote d'Azur by Neil Richards
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

A nice cozy mystery for those looking for pure entertainment.

The authors are an American and an Englishman, both are used to writing for cinema and TV and we see it here, in fact, both the plot and the dialogues, and the scenes are typical of brilliant detective comedies, where action, humor and great feeling between 2 partners mix in a well balanced way.

Harry and Kat, spouses very much in love and with a past as spies during the First World War, are traveling on the Train Blue that will take them on a mission-holiday on the French Riviera, the renowned Côte d'Azur.
Once they arrive, Harry's aunt asks them to help an old friend of her who is involved in a nasty and indecorous case of blackmail.

We are in the 30s and of course, as in the best Hollywood couple films of those years, here too we have a husband and wife who are handsome, rich highly intelligent, and smarter than any other villain or operative agent. Of course they are madly in love and practically perfect as a couple.

The compliment of a partner in love and the funny joke (classics of the infallible protagonists) are served with regular cadence without being too many and too few.

So if you have ever seen The Thin Man movies ( starring William Powell and Myrna Loy ) and you were a fan ( and the movies were far better than the books ), you'll be not disappointed by this series ( Mydworth Mysteries).
If you are younger and have never seen the old black and white movies, perhaps you might have seen the '80s TV series " Hart to Hart " where the protagonists are equally 2 handsome, rich and very much in love spouses, naturally smart and intelligent ... this is to give you an idea of the protagonists of this book.

The book is not as long as a novel, but not as short as novellas usually are, therefore it is readable in a short time, but it is more enjoyable than a short story.

The writing is smooth, the atmosphere light and fully describes the sparkling air that reigns in the luxurious vacation spots of the 1930s.

If everything is so perfect, then why have I only gave 3.5 ( necessarily rounded to 4 )?

1)__ Because it's "everything too perfect" and if I liked this as a young girl, now in adulthood this bothers me.
I've probably lost my ability to dream of perfection, which clearly doesn't exist.

2)__ Also the book picks up on the usual clichés and while the first 'obvious suspect' was found to be only half guilty, the second 'obvious suspect' was the real villain behind the blackmail.

---> Recommended for fans of cozy mysteries and for those seeking leisure, light reading with pure entertainment, without strong emotions or important historical references.

( Warning : English is not my mother tongue, I hope you have managed to understand the meaning of what I wanted to express, sorry for form or grammatical errors.)

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Book review : The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley | Contemporary Mystery

The Splendour Falls
by Susanna Kearsley

GENRE: #ContemporaryMystery

My rating: ★★★☆☆

This book 'could have been' a truly beautiful novel ...But something went wrong and I still wonder how I managed to read it until the end.

I admit it: I was captured by the cover, and the elements plot also seemed so captivating:

• a castle,
• a story dating back to Queen Isabella and John Lackland (Richard the Lionheart's brother),
• another tragic story back to World War II,
• a kidnapping,
• a love story at present time,
• a group of friends working on investigations

Wow! It sounded like an incredible, engaging premise.
I didn’t rest until I tracked down a copy of the 1992 edition with the original cover (the new edition’s cover is so gloomy and unappealing). After a month of searching, I finally found it, and I was thrilled.

However, the long prologue—which details characters from the past, specifically Queen Isabella locked in the tower at Chinon, hoping for rescue by her husband, King John, is misleading.
It suggests this history will be central to the plot, but that isn't the case.
Chapter by chapter, the author introduces disparate historical episodes and legends that feel entirely unrelated. None of the characters are truly brought to the foreground—not even the protagonist!

The problem is that the author had too many ideas and struggled to focus on developing any of them with passion. It feels as if she started at least ten different subplots , introducing far too many characters, many of whom were insignificant. While reading I felt like she jumped from one idea to another one and then to another one again, and so on...So much confusing !
Kearsley, the author, naturally tried to find a way to connect all the characters to each other, but she did so ineffectively, and the whole thing felt forced and devoid of passion, with flat characters with whom I was unable to empathize.
Such a pity ! In my opinion if she had eliminated at least 4 characters (better still 5) and had developed the others more thoroughly, making them more vivid and impressive, the book could have been a spellbinding novel.

Nothing of importance happens until halfway through the book. Even then, characters who were essential in the beginning are completely ignored later on.
It’s as if the author changed her mind a thousand times while writing, constantly shifting the path of the plot.
I wonder how an editor could have approved a book that feels like a closet stuffed with items that have nothing to do with one another.

😔👉 I would not recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a mystery, nor to anyone seeking a romance.
There is practically no romance at all, save for a few lines at the very end.
The dialogue was flat, especially in the first half, which consisted mostly of silly chitchat. It improved slightly in the second half, but not enough to save the experience.

__ ABOUT THE CHARACTERS ___

I can’t even begin to define them. They weren't well-developed; some were only hinted at (even the romantic interest), while others, like the cousin the protagonist is searching for, were totally absent for almost the entire book.

The only TWO INTERESTING CHARACTERS:

The author makes a very frustrating choice regarding the only two characters I actually found interesting. It felt like a missed opportunity that left me more annoyed than surprised.

The protagonist is completely overshadowed by the situations and chatter of those around her; she comes across as an apathetic young woman.
I’m sure the author intended to portray her as sensitive and suffering, but what emerged was just an uninteresting character.

😔👉 I would not recommend this to anyone who loves history and legends.
While there are many historical details included, none are explored in depth or in a fascinating way.
The setting itself is charming, but the author was so eager to fit every historical tidbit into the narrative that she failed to let the reader actually enjoy the atmosphere.

Perhaps she should have written a travel guide to Chinon instead! It would have allowed her to share those facts without creating such a disjointed, messy soup of a story.

👉👉 I truly wish another author would take this basic concept and rewrite it, developing it with more emotion and making the characters feel like real, interacting human beings.

The only thing that shines through is how much the author loved the location. She should have either written a guide to the area or perhaps a saga of several novels, giving each mystery its own room to breathe.



I’m sorry to give this 2.5 stars (rounded to 3, only because I have read worse books and there was clearly potential here), but the author did a poor job of balancing her ideas.
The ending was meant to be sensational, but that too was really ill-conceived.

Thank you all for stopping by and reading my opinion. 🤗


-- Italian Edition: NOT available --

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Giveaway : Free Printable August 2023 Calendar

A freebie for you : August 2023 calendar to download and print

Hello everybody ! :-D

As for last month I have prepared my planning to print for next month: August.

@TizianaFragnerGraphic
August 2023 Calendar
Size 1634 x 1264

I usually print them on sheets of paper to keep on my desk to mark my most important commitments or dates to remember and sometimes I like to print them on cardboard in a smaller format, to use as a postcard-bookmark.

If you like it, you can freely download it and print it in color. Just click on the image to get the bigger one and then download it.

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Book review : The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin

The Winter Queen
Book 1 Erast Fandorin mystery series
by Boris Akunin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I liked it very much !

I chose this book for its setting.
Most of the mysteries I read are set in England or America, the old Europe of the ancient empires exerts a disruptive fascination on me and when I manage to find a mystery that brings me back to that suggestive atmosphere, I can't resist.

___ THE PLOT___ Moscow, 1876: in a crowded park, a young man shoots himself in front of the eyes of a girl, a stranger to him, to whom he had just asked for a kiss.
An inexplicable suicide that leads to other equally inexplicable deaths.
Is there perhaps an international intrigue hatched outside of mother Russia behind those absurd gestures?
Investigating the case is Erast Fandorin, a novice investigator, but full of enthusiasm and keen intelligence.
Although he is only a rookie, from the beginning he decides to investigate further on his own and the clues will lead him to a series of daring adventures through a journey to the capitals of Europe up to England and then back to St. Petersburg.
The truth that will emerge will be shocking and full of always unpredictable events and characters.

The mystery is well thought out and both the protagonist and the characters that revolve around him are captivating, described so well in their ways that I could imagine the scenes as in a movie.

I didn't expect a "cozy mystery" from a Russian author, I approached this reading thinking about a dramatic crime, instead the whole plot and the dialogues are expertly enriched with irony and lightness, without ever being out of place.
The reading was really smooth, I read the book in its English edition and at each chapter I reread it in its Italian edition, to better understand if the feelings given to me by the 2 translations were different or the same (the original book is in Russian and sometimes the translations change the perception of the reader).

Despite the tangled mystery, some villains ( yep ! "some" not "all" ) are known from the beginning, however, each chapter reserves the reader an unexpected surprise and the action and twists follow one another without respite keeping the reader's curiosity alive.

Maybe I was expecting something more in the setting, I would have liked more descriptions of Russian scenarios in the tsarist period, descriptions of the city, palaces and ballrooms, snow and horse-drawn carriages and bells... all that part that makes you dream.
This actually didn't exist and it's for this reason that I don't recommend the book to that part of the female audience that instead seeks dances, palaces and passionate loves.
There is no background romance as is often found in cozy mysteries written by women.
I liked it a lot anyway, because adventure and fast pace are that extra something I look for in an investigative story.

There's only point I hated in the book : ___WARNING SPOILER[the twists really follow one another up to the last page and I would have much preferred that the author would spare me the last unexpected event ...
the book could have ended really well and given the lightness of the mystery, it was what I expected. The author instead preferred to play a dirty trick on both the protagonist and the reader and this disturbed me a lot! ]_SPOILER END__

As I always write in my reviews: please be understanding of my bad English, it's not my native language.

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** ------------- **
____________ LIBRO DISPONIBILE ANCHE IN ITALIANO !

Titolo: LA REGINA D'INVERNO. recensione in italiano:

La regina d'inverno
I misteri di Erast Fandorin Libro 1
di Boris Akunin

Mi è piaciuto davvero molto !

Ho scelto questo libro per la sua ambientazione.
La maggior parte dei mystery che leggo sono ambientati in Inghilterra o in America, la vecchia Europa degli antichi imperi esercita su di me un fascino dirompente e quando riesco a trovare un mystery che mi riporta a quell'atmosfera così suggestiva, non posso resistere.

___ LA TRAMA ___ Mosca, 1876: in un parco affollato, un giovane si spara davanti agli occhi di una ragazza, a lui estranea, alla quale poco prima aveva chiesto un bacio.
Un suicidio inspiegabile che porta ad altre morti altrettanto inspiegabili.
Dietro quei gesti tanto assurdi si nasconde forse un intrigo internazionale, ordito al di fuori della madre Russia?
A indagare sul caso è Erast Fandorin, un investigatore alle prime armi, ma pieno di entusiasmo e acuta intelligenza.
Sebbene sia solo un novellino, sin dall'inizio decide di investigare più a fondo da solo e gli indizi lo porteranno ad una serie di avventure rocambolesche attraverso un viaggio nelle capitali d'Europa fino in Inghilterra e poi nuovamente a San Pietroburgo.
La verità che soprirà sarà sconvolgente e ricca di avvenimenti e personaggi sempre imprevedibili.

Il mistero è ben congeniato e sia il protagonista che i personaggi che si avvicendano attorno a lui sono accattivanti, descritti così bene nei loro modi di essere ceh riuscivo ad immaginare le scene come in un film.
Non mi sarei aspettata un "cozy mystery" da un autore russo, mi sono approcciata a questa lettura pensando ad in crime drammatico, invece tutta la trama e i dialoghi sono sapientemente arricchiti di ironia e leggerezza, senza mai risultare fuori luogo.
La lettura è stata davvero scorrevole, ho letto il libro nella sua edizione inglese e ad ogni capitolo lo rileggevo in italiano, per capire se le sensazioni date dalle 2 traduzioni erano diverse o le stesse ( il libro originale è in russo e talvolta le traduzioni cambiano la percezione del lettore ).
Mi sono piaciute entrambe le traduzioni, anche se ho trovato quella italiano con un linguaggio più obsoleto, ma forse è dovuto al fatto che è una vecchia edizione, mentre di quella inglese ne avevo una più recente.

Nonostante il mistero intricato, alcuni cattivi li conosciamo già dall'inizio, tuttavia, ogni capitolo riserva al lettore una sorpresa inaspettata e l'azione e i colpi di scena si susseguono senza tregua tenendo viva la curiosità di chi legge.

Forse mi aspettavo qualcosa di più nell'ambientazione, avrei voluto maggiori descrizioni degli scenari russi nel periodo zarista, descrizioni della città, palazzi e sale da balli, neve e carrozze trainate da cavalli e campanellini... tutta quella parte che fa sognare.
Questo a dire il vero non c'è stato ed è per questo motivo che non consiglio il libro a quella parte di pubblico femminile che invece cerca balli , palazzi e amori appassionati.
Non esiste una storia d'amore di sottofondo come spesso si trova nei cozy mystery scritti da donne.

A me è piaciuto molto ugualmente, perchè avventura e ritmo veloce son quel quid in più che io cerco in una storia investigativa.

Unico punto che ho detestato nel libro ___ ATTENZIONE SPOILER
i colpi di scena si susseguono davvero fino all'ultima pagina e avrei tanto preferito che l'autore mi risparmiasse l'ultimo evento inatteso ...
il libro avrebbe potuto terminare davvero bene e data la leggerezza del mystery, era ciò che mi aspettavo. L'autore invece ha preferito giocare un tiro mancino sia al protagonista che al lettore e questo mi ha disturbato tantissimo !
FINE SPOILER

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Book review : Kurt Seyt and Shura by Nermin Bezmen

Kurt Seyt 'n' Shura
by Nermin Bezmen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to give this book 5 stars, but I have to give it 2!

I read also, at the same time, the 3rd sequel SHURA (the third book completes the scenes of the first, while I avoided reading the 2nd book because it is about Seyit and his life with his wife Murvet and I want to avoid it ) , so I'll write the same review in the 2 books, indeed it'all concerning the same story and characters.

I start by saying that I fell in love with this love story and its protagonists by watching the 2014 TV series, which I have seen several times in the original language with English subtitles and which I am currently watching with Italian dubbing.

(view spoiler)[ The ending isn't at all a happy ending and I won't deny that I was hurt in the past and that I suffer even now for how it ended badly, (hide spoiler)] but while the writers presented a truly romantic, passionate and sincere love story, staged by actors very good, as well as beautiful, the book, from which I expected something even bigger and more profound, completely ruined my pleasure from the TV series.

They say that books are better than movies or TV series, but I have learned never to read books whose characters I love from the series, because everything is different and they have often disappointed me .
This only applies if you first read the book and love it, if instead you first watch stories on the screen and love what you see, the book in 70% of cases will disappoint you because of the many differences about characters and scenes.

Yet this time I was so obsessed with this romance that I longed for more, to know more.
I wanted to have even more descriptions of this beautiful and pure love.... SPOILER:
This is where the disappointment comes in!
(view spoiler)[ I loved the characters on the screen and suffered with them for their misunderstandings (due to characters plotting against them) and their consequent mistakes, but in the book I find myself a very selfish Seyit, the grandfather of the writer from whom she inspired the book), taken by physical attraction to Shura and sex. A boy dedicated to women before Shura, but also during the story with Shura (any occasion is good) and after Shura (even during his marriage to Murvet, grandmother of the author), who expects to be able to betray but that his woman don't look at anyone else, who has never even vaguely thought of marrying Shura and not because his father wanted a Turkish bride, but because he really didn't think about marriage!!

Throughout the book the scenes between Shura and Seyit are great physical attraction and hunger for each other in terms of sex, which is never vulgarly described, but there is nothing else.

If there is devotion, this is from Shura, who truly believed in this love, but was disappointed across the board.
After the discovery of the betrayal, Shura's mistake is to do the same, after which the story that is remembered in the book on Shura is made up of clandestine meetings between the 2 protagonists and continuous betrayals to each other. (hide spoiler)]
It really disgusted me. This is not love.

I'd like to make a more complete review, I've tried, but there's too much to write, and I can't... but I want to say 2 things:
1) I didn't have a book in English or in my own language, I did a Google translation, from Turkish to Italian, but it's neither this nor the author that disappointed me, it was the characters as they are behave meanly in reality.
I have not seen a strong big love, but only physical passion without anything else from Seyit and the first crush and first experience of Shura that turn into dedication, hope and love for a man who will always disappoint her and which then lead to other wrong relationships.

2) I desperately wanted to believe that it had really been a great and true love despite everything and Seyit's letter to Shura (view spoiler)[before committing suicide (never sent but left to a third person_ you'll find the letter in Shura's book ) (hide spoiler)], for an instant made me believe that deep down he too had always regretted her and regretted having sent her away... but after reading so many interviews with the author and finding many contradictions... I wonder if this letter is not just a mere invention.

Forgive my English, I'm Italian and besides the difficulty in writing in a foreign language, I'm too negatively shocked by what I've read... so I probably wrote worse than usual.

Book review : Death of a Bookseller by Bernard J.Farmer

Death of a Bookseller:
The 100th British Library Crime Classic
by Bernard J. Farmer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It wasn't bad, I liked it enough to get to the end, but I wouldn't suggest it to a friend and for certain it will not be among the books I will read a second time.

Sergeant Wigan, escorts a drunk man home one night to keep him out of trouble and the man introduces himself as Michael Fisk and explains that he deals in rare books. He has been out celebrating his last discovery : a John Keats’ personal inscribed copy of Endymion.

The two become friends and the book collector teaches Wigan all the tricks to discovering and collecting rare editions.
But one day Mike Fisk, the collector, is found dead and despite the arrest of a person, Sergeant Wigan wants to find out who, according to him, is the real killer.

The first half of the book flowed well, but it wasn't totally engaging for me, I didn't feel the unbridled desire to resume reading every time I had to interrupt.

In the second half of the book the mystery thickens and becomes more engaging, however I must admit that there are some rather absurd contradictions :
________ WARNING : SPOILER ! __
1) a good and nice man who however wants to summon the devil... well, for me it is a contradiction that is not acceptable.
2) a psychopathic person who often tries to kill his brother and who hides sadomasochistic books, but then in the end after having hosted an old lady, she burns all those horrendous books.. has she suddenly become normal and sane? Come on !
3) a villain who confesses to a murder because if he doesn't confess the devil will be summoned and the devil will turn his mother into a rat ... hey come on ! The book is set in the 50's and not in the middle ages, who can believe such threats?
4) a collaborator of the detective, suddenly disappears and Wigan doesn't care too much about what might have happened to him ... not seeing him, he thinks he will wait a few more days to look for him, even though he knows that the situation could be dangerous ... and then in reality he doesn't even look for the man!
Wigan learns of the collaborator's death only when in the end the killer confesses to the second crime (which he does spontaneously, in fact Wigan only investigates the first murder), inconceivable!
________ END OF THE SPOILER __

Also, though it is nice that the detective in question finds external collaborators...well, there are some chapters where the protagonist does nothing or almost nothing and it is the others who carry out the real detective work.
Even in the finale, the most decisive work is done by another character.

In any case, the reading is smooth and the book can be read in two or three days.

I gave 3 stars because Wigan is a pleasant main role character and the mystery, overall, is interesting since there are several suspicious characters and until the end you can't guess who really could be the murderer.

I apologize for my English, it's not my native language :-)

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____________ LIBRO ORA DISPONIBILE ANCHE IN ITALIANO !

Ecco la mia opinione:
Non è stato male, mi è piaciuto abbastanza per arrivare alla fine, ma NON lo consiglierei ad un amico e di certo non sarà tra i libri che rileggerò una seconda volta.

Il sergente Wigan, una notte accompagna a casa un uomo ubriaco per tenerlo fuori dai guai e l'uomo si presenta come Michael Fisk e spiega che si occupa di libri rari. È uscito per celebrare la sua ultima scoperta: una copia personale di John Keats del suo Endymion ( poema del 1817) con tanto di iscrizione dell'autore.

I due diventano amici e il collezionista di libri insegna a Wigan tutti i trucchi per scoprire e collezionare edizioni rare. Ma un giorno Mike Fisk, l'esattore, viene trovato morto e nonostante l'arresto di una persona, il sergente Wigan vuole scoprire chi, secondo lui, sia il vero assassino.

La prima metà del libro scorre bene, ma per me non è stato molto coinvolgente, non sentivo la voglia sfrenata di riprendere la lettura del libro ogni volta che dovevo interrompere...mentre quando un libro ti prende, non vedi l'ora di rituffarti nella lettura.

Nella seconda metà del libro il mistero si infittisce e si fa più avvincente, tuttavia devo ammettere che ci sono delle CONTRADDIZIONI piuttosto ASSURDE:
________ ATTENZIONE : SPOILER ! __
1) la vittima viene descritta come un uomo buono e simpatico, che però vuole evocare il diavolo... beh, scusate, ma per me è una contraddizione INACCETTABILE. Ma quale persona buona d'animo vorrebbe evocare il diavolo?
Se come il protagonista, facessi amicizia con una persona che "sembra" buona, ma che mi dice che adora i libri dell'occulto e di magia nera e sta cercando di evocare il diavolo, quella persona non mi vedrebbe più.
2) uno dei personaggi è una psicopatica, che spesso cerca di uccidere il fratello e che nasconde libri sado-masochisti, ma poi alla fine dopo aver ospitato un'anziana brava signora, brucia finalmente tutti quei libri orrendi.. è improvvisamente diventata normale e sana di mente? Ma dai !
3) il cattivo che confessa un omicidio perché sotto minaccia...si ma la minaccia è :se non confessa verrà convocato il diavolo e il diavolo trasformerà sua madre in un topo... ehi andiamo! Il libro è ambientato negli anni '50 e non nel Medioevo, quale assassino avrebbe confessato sotto tali minacce?
4) un collaboratore del detective, improvvisamente scompare e a Wigan non importa molto di quello che gli può essere successo... non vedendolo, pensa che aspetterà ancora qualche giorno per cercarlo, anche se sa benissimo che la situazione è pericolosa per chi sta indagando... e poi in realtà non cerca nemmeno l'uomo!
Wigan viene a sapere della morte del collaboratore solo quando alla fine l'assassino confessa il secondo delitto (cosa che fa spontaneamente, Wigan infatti indaga solo sul primo omicidio e della scomparsa del suo collaboratore non gliene importa poi tanto, nessuna preoccupazione in proposito) e dopo aver saputo della morte del collaboratore, il Sergente Wigan non fa una piega... inconcepibile!

________ FINE DELLO SPOILER __

Inoltre, per quanto sia piacevole che il l'investigazione sia svolta non da un solo personaggio, il detective in questione, ma altri personaggi da lui coinvolti nelal caccia al vero assasino... beh, ci sono dei capitoli in cui il protagonista, che fa parte delal polizia, non fa assolutamente nulla o quasi nulla e sono gli altri personaggi a svolgere il vero lavoro investigativo.

Anche nel finale, il lavoro decisivo ( scoprire e far confessare il colpevole ) viene svolto da un altro personaggio...ma che senso ha ? In ogni caso la lettura è scorrevole e il libro si legge in due o tre giorni.

Ho dato 3 stelle perché Wigan, tutto sommato, è un personaggio principale piacevole e il mistero, nel complesso, è interessante poiché ci sono diversi personaggi sospetti e fino alla fine non puoi davvero indovinare chi potrebbe essere davvero l'assassino.

Per quanto mi riguarda , comunque, Bernard J. Farmer è un autore che non leggerò più.

Giveaway : Free Printable July 2023 Calendar

A cutie things to download and print: next month calendar planning

Hello everybody ! :-D

Since graphic design is one of my passions and hobbies ( and I also was a graphic designer and web designer for 10 years ), I thought it would be nice to give you some little gift from time to time.

Here is a free printable July 2023 calendar to help you keep track of the days passing by and your deadlines, appointments, your family and friends birthdays, projects and more!

@TizianaFragnerGraphic
July 2023 Calendar
Size 1634 x 1264

You see it here in a medium/little size but the original jpg size ( in pixels ) is 1634 x 1264, so you can click on the image to enlarge and then download it.
You can save it on your computer and upload it as you screen desktop or print it and keep it on your work desk or hang it on the wall.

I wish you can enjoy it and if you have some suggestion about size, please tell me.

I'm asking you only a little favore : before downloading it, please leave me a little greeting in the comments, saying your name and which country do you come from :-)
If I see that at least 5 people have downloaded the freebie, I will gladly prepare another one for the month of August and for the next few months.

Thanks for stopping by, wishing you a good day and a Happy July!!!

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Book review : City of Silence by Kim Wright

City of Silence
by Kim Wright

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

NOTE : _ I'm Italian, I hope I managed to explain everything clearly even if not in correct English _

4 stars, it means that I liked it, it caught my attention, but it's not among those I would read again in the future (as often happens with those I adore and I rate 5 stars).

WHAT I LIKED:

1_) I liked that although there were many characters on the line ( not only the detective group but many others ) that develop their own story, it's very easy to get involved in each character's life and events.

Some of those characters are pure invention, some other are real existed characters ( such as Queen Victoria, her granddaughters Ella and Alix, the oldest Tsar's son Nicky ( future Nicholas II ), a young revolutionary that will be known as Lenin ).
All stories and character's thoughts alternate from chapter to chapter, but I repeat:
it's very easy to follow everything, indeed the writing is flowing the events are reported in an orderly manner and with a certain suspense that makes you want to know more.

I also had a lot of fun searching Pinterest for photos of the Romanovs, lots of personal photos of their family, taken by themselves, since they loved photography and had their own cameras.
This took me longer to read the book, but also shows that the subject was captivating.

Queen Victoria with Alix of Hesse, i.e. Alexandra Feodorovna, last Russian Tsarina, when she was a child

Young Alix as a teen-ager

2_) Of course, in addition to the mystery of a double homicide, initially cataloged as a double suicide, plus a third homicide later on, we find ourselves in a novel full of historical notions and it pleased me a lot, while I was reading the novel, to investigate the pages of Wikipedia and between newspaper articles on the true facts told in the book ( and of course discover also what wasn't at all true )

3_) The whole story takes place in St. Petersburg, when the young Alix goes to visit her sister Elizabeth (married to a Russian Grand Duke, the brother of the tzar Alexander III _ true facts) accompanied by her grandmother Queen Victoria (false).
Although there are no striking descriptions of the city in the book, you can breathe the imperial air of those times and the ferment of the revolution that was already peeping out.

Young Alexandra and Nicholas already married

Nowadays Winter Palace reflecting on Neva

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

1_) As I told before some facts are true and some others not. Of course, after all it's a fiction, but I find that the author perhaps exaggerated a little with author's license ( Queen Victoria in Russia ??? It never happened, she disliked them, as it also is said in the book. I just can't even imagine her
at Romanovs court, bowing to the Tsar ).

There are two or three things that in my opinion are too exaggerated inventions, one of which I don't mention because it would be a spoiler, which even remains unexplained at the end, a fact that the true story tells us didn't happen, but which in the book, concerning one of the main characters, it should be clarified and should ended differently, instead it has an epilogue contrary to the true story and that I didn't like.

2_) I liked the whole book except two chapter ( the second one and one towards the end ) in which the group of detectives discuss the old cases and the boss comes up with all his theories about how to investigate ( not THIS CASE, but in general )... HEY ! HOW BORING ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, I can accept a couple of pages about that, but a WHOLE ? ( 2 whole chapters )
If it doesn't concern the case of the book I'm reading: WHO CARES ?! )
Of course all opinions are subjective.
____

To conclude, I can say that I liked it quite enough. I was happy to have read a mystery with a different scenario than the usual, set during a fascinating and also so profoundly unfair and therefore dangerous at the same, time historical time.
I recommend it ( even if from other reviews I saw that people preferred the first and the second one in the series ).

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Book review : The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer | A Measured Look at a Wartime Tale

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer

GENRE: #HistoricalFiction #EpistolaryNovel
My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3.5 of 5 stars

I recently finished reading this epistolary novel, which is set in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War.
The story follows a young writer who begins a correspondence with the residents of Guernsey Island, eventually collecting a series of testimonies regarding their experiences during the German occupation.

It is a collection of unique, colorful voices, and reading it felt a bit like being invited over for tea, listening to a group of friends share their anecdotes.

Some of these stories were genuinely funny, while others were deeply moving.
However, I must admit there were moments when the descriptions leaned a little too far into the visceral. From details about scabby heads to the grim realities of wartime hunger—like the roasted pig or the unfortunate fate of a neighborhood cat—there were passages that frankly made me a bit squeamish.

While I fully appreciate that these horrors were the reality of the era, I can’t help but feel the author could have spared us some of those grittier, stomach-turning details.

The heart of the book is undoubtedly the figure of Elizabeth McKenna.
Although she is not a living presence in the narrative, she looms large over every conversation. Through the letters, we learn of her exuberance, her vitality, and her fierce, unwavering intolerance for injustice. She is a character who leaves an indelible mark on those around her, for better or for worse.

I have decided to round my rating up to four stars. The reason is simple: you can tell that behind this fiction lies a tremendous amount of research. It is clear the author spent years diving into archives and truly listening to historical accounts, and I consider the time spent learning about the island’s history an enrichment.

However, I have to be honest—there was a significant "but" for me.

Something was missing that kept me from feeling truly tethered to the pages.
I found that I only kept reading because I had a stubborn desire to finish it, always hoping that I would eventually stumble upon that one spark that would make the story truly shine. Yet, every time I put the book down to attend to daily life, I never felt a sense of longing to get back to it. In fact, during my downtime, I often found myself daydreaming about which book I would pick up next instead. For me, that is the ultimate litmus test for a story: it was a PLEASENT READ, but it simply WASN'T ADDICTIVE!

Within the novel, the protagonist—the writer—struggles to find a common thread for her book until her publisher suggests centering the story around Elizabeth.
I couldn't help but wonder if the author herself faced a similar challenge. She found a clever way to weave these testimonies together, but the narrative tension that keeps a reader in suspense felt absent.
The author seems to attempt to build that momentum through a romantic subplot, but for me, there was a lack of pathos. I didn't feel the weight of that romance, nor did I feel the emotional gravity regarding the fate of the central character that the rest of the cast seemed to feel.

By the time I hit the halfway mark, I was genuinely tempted to abandon the book entirely. After looking at other reviews online, I’ve seen everything from glowing praise to harsh, biting criticism. My take sits firmly in the middle. I find the truly contemptuous reviews to be quite unfair and disrespectful to the research involved, but at the same time, I can't quite bring myself to label this a "hidden gem."

Ultimately, it is a lovely, well-researched project that offers a window into a fascinating time in history, even if it didn't quite capture my heart the way I’d hoped.

Thank you for reading my thoughts, I hope they can be useful to you in choosing your next reading.

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Il LIBRO è disponibile anche in EDIZIONE ITALIANA, leggi la mia recensione !

Il club del libro e della torta di bucce di patata di Guernsey
di Mary Ann Shaffer

GENRE: #FictionStorica #RomanzoEpistolare
Il mio punteggio: ★★★★☆
In realtà 3.5 of 5 stelle

Si tratta di un romanzo epistolare, ambientato subito dopo la fine della guerra e la protagonista raccoglie una serie di testimonianze riguardanti l'occupazione dell'isola di Guernsey e la vita dei suoi abitanti. Sono tutti personaggi molto singolari, tra i quali emerge, in particolare, la personalità di Elizabeth McKenna.

Elisabeth non è presente come personaggio, ma tutti, o quasi, raccontano di lei, della sua esuberanza, della sua vitalità, del suo coraggio, della sua insofferenza verso i soprusi e le ingiustizie e di tutto ciò che, bello e brutto, ne deriva.

Le storie degli abitanti sono molto particolari ed è piacevole leggerle, mi è sembrato di avere ospiti per il tè e di sentirli raccontare i loro aneddoti, alcuni divertenti, altri tristi, altri ancora che mi hanno disgustata e sinceramente avrei preferito non avere dettagli in merito (maialino arrosto, gatto ucciso e scuoiato, scabbia sulla testa e qualche altra schifezza... sappiamo che durante la guerra era così, ma l'autrice poteva risparmiarsi questi dettagli che mi facevano venir da vomitare).

La vera protagonista del libro è una giovane autrice che viene contattata da uno degli isolani, il che porta a una fitta corrispondenza tra lei e tutti loro.

Il romanzo, come ho già detto, è stato piacevole e l'ho arrotondato a 4 stelle perché nonostante sia tutta una pura invenzione, dietro a tutto questo ci sono anni di ricerche e testimonianze vere raccolte negli archivi, quindi considero questa lettura un arricchimento.
MA ... c'è un grande "ma" per me:
__________ mancava qualcosa, qualcosa che mi teneva legata al libro.

Ho letto questo libro fino alla fine solo perché "volevo finire di leggere, sperando di trovare qualcosa che lo facesse brillare", ma in realtà ogni volta che dovevo interropmpere la lettura, perché avevo altro da fare... NONB MI TROVAVO DISPIACIUTA ( come accade con un libro che adori ) e ogni volta che avevo tempo libero per riprendere il romanzo, mi ritrovavo a pensare a cosa avrei potuto scegliere come lettura successiva, qualcosa che fosse più coinvolgente. QUESTO DICE MOLTO.CIOè : CARINO, MA NON AVVINCENTE.

Nel romanzo, la protagonista, scrittrice, dopo aver raccolto tante testimonianze, non sa come scrivere un libro che abbia un filo conduttore e il suo editore le consiglia di scriverlo facendo ruotare la storia attorno ad Elizabeth.

Forse nella realtà l'autrice ( non la protagonista del libro, ma la vera autrice ) ha avuto lo stesso problema, ha trovato un buon modo per riportare tanti eventi, ma manca quel "qualcosa" che tiene col fiato sospeso. Forse lei ha pensato di averlo inserito con una storia d'amore, ma in realtà non c'è pathos ne riguardo a questo ne riguardo alla sorte del personaggio di cui tutti parlano.

Quando sono arrivata a metà libro, ho avuto il pensiero di abbandonarlo.
Ho letto qualche recensione : alcune entusiastiche, altre veramente sprezzanti... Ecco ora è arrivata la mia recensione che si trova a metà strada.
Trovo veramente cattive ed irrispettose le recensioni sprezzanti su questo libro, ma non mi sento neppure di inserirlo tra i piccolo gioielli della lettura di quel periodo.

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Book review : The Musician's Daughter by Susanne Dunlap | Music, Murder & Mystery

The Musician's Daughter
by Susanne Dunlap

GENRE: #HistoricalMystery
My rating: 3.8 rounded up to ★★★★☆

This review is a bit of a tough one to write!
I gave it a 3.8-star rating, though honestly, it could’ve been 4.5 or even a full 5 stars, if it hadn't been for some reasons that I will explain later.

The plot is solid and really gripping, probably one of the most original stories I’ve come across in years. It hooked me right from the back cover. However, I have to admit I struggled to get into it during the first half, but I'll share why in a moment.

First, here’s a little about the plot:

___THE PLOT__

Late 18th-century imperial Vienna. The story kicks off with a gut punch: fifteen-year-old Theresa Maria wakes up on Christmas Eve to the devastating news that her father, a talented violinist in Prince Nicholas Esterhazy’s court, has been murdered.
The mystery is immediate and gripping: his priceless violin is missing, and the only clue left behind is a strange gold pendant hanging around his neck.
When his body is discovered in a Hungarian gypsy camp and brought home by his fellow orchestra members, his daughter, Theresa, is determined to uncover the truth.

Theresa is taken in by the celebrated composer Franz Joseph Haydn, who serves as both her father’s former mentor and her new benefactor.
Employed as his copyist, she gains unprecedented access to her father's clandestine life. What starts as a quest for justice quickly spirals into a dark trail of secrets, and deep-seated corruption, so the young girl soon finds herself tracking a dangerous trail of blackmail and deceit, while simultaneously discovering her own integrity and a budding new love.

****** MY OPINION ******

THE SETTING - A PLUNGE INTO THE HEART OF IMPERIAL VIENNA

I’ve always had a soft spot for 18th-century Austrian or Prussian settings, but they are notoriously hard to find in English or Italian translations.
It’s even rarer to find a novel written by a non-Austrian author that feels truly authentic, where you can actually feel the atmosphere of the era.

Susanne Dunlap absolutely nails it. You aren't just reading about 18th-century Vienna; you are breathing its air.
You can hear the scratch of violin bows against gut strings, smell the damp, cold cobblestones as Theresa maneuvers through the dark streets, and feel the stifling, powdered-wig formality of the Esterhazy court.
The author brings 18th-century Vienna to life with vivid detail, from court intrigue and professional jealousy among musicians (including the legendary Joseph Haydn, who is Theresa’s godfather) to the complicated racial tensions between the Viennese, the Hungarians, and the Romany people.
It is rare to find a non-Austrian author who captures the friction between the social classes so authentically. She perfectly portrays that strange, high-stakes balance where art is the only thing that keeps the courtly elite and the struggling musicians tethered together.

Plus, there’s plenty of action and drama to keep you hooked. It’s a captivating tale set against a charming backdrop, sprinkled with music and a touch of romance.

THE HISTORICAL TAPESTRY

Beyond the historical backdrop and the brief mentions of real people from the past, the historical research shines through in the gritty details of the time.

Dunlap doesn’t shy away from the darker realities of the 18th century, the brutal justice system, the rampant poverty, and the horrifying reach of those in power. Indeed, the book explores some of the rougher sides of that society, such as crime, prostitution, and the brutal punishments handed out through torture that were so common back then.
Showing us the reality behind the wigs and the powdered faces makes the stakes feel incredibly high for a fifteen-year-old girl.
It’s thought-provoking, dark, and utterly compelling.

Thankfully, the world has evolved since those times, at least in democratic countries, but these topics still provide a lot of interesting perspective for anyone reading it today, no matter their age.

THE CHARACTERS

I liked them all, starting with Theresa, the protagonist, a sensible 15-year-old devoted to her father and mother.
At fifteen, she is at that crucial turning point where childhood innocence is stripped away by tragedy. Her transformation from a sheltered musician’s daughter into a determined, intelligent sleuth is so satisfying to watch.

And then there are the people pulling her in different directions:

• Zoltan, the Hungarian musician, offers such a beautiful, grounded contrast to court life. Their connection is pure, tentative, and utterly charming.


• Mirela, a character who keeps you on your toes. She represents that wild, rebellious, and unpredictable side one would expect from gypsy. Unfortunately, she isn't always reliable friend to Theresa, which is why I occasionally felt a real dislike for her.
  I found myself questioning her motives just as much as our protagonist did, which is exactly why she makes the narrative so compelling.


• There are, of course, many other minor characters, such as the younger brother, the widowed mother, an exceptional gypsy violinist, and the famous composer Haydn.
  Although they aren't explored in deep detail, the author brilliantly captures their essence; each of them plays a vital role in shaping the story Theresa shares with us.

Susanne Dunlap doesn't give us "types", she gives us people, each carrying their own prejudices and their own burdens.

THE MUSIC AS A CHARACTER

The music is the heartbeat of this book. The author doesn’t treat the music as a mere backdrop; she treats it like a living, breathing language.
Whether it’s the formal symphonies in the palace or the raw, untamed melodies of the gypsy camp, the writing makes you hear the story. It adds a layer of emotional resonance that makes the murder mystery feel not just like a crime, but like a desecration of something sacred.

SUITABLE FOR ?

This reading is recommended for 12 years old and up, but I would say it is best suited for readers aged 15 and older. Indeed, the language is clean, but the story tackles heavy themes such as pedophilia, exploitation, and the truly gruesome realities of capital punishment.
Of course, the author treats these subjects with the gravity they deserve, making this a much more "adult" YA novel than you might expect.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER?

Initially, I struggled to get into the story and adapt to the author's narrative style.

Everything is told in the first person by Theresa, which I really like, but her narration, especially in the first part of the book, offers very little dialogue. This prevented me from immediately connecting with her and the other characters.

Reading other reviews, I've noticed that some readers were disappointed with Haydn's character, wishing he had been explored more deeply. Perhaps it would have been interesting to see him more involved in the overall mystery, but I personally didn't mind. I would, however, have preferred the author to delve deeper into Zoltan's character, since he's the one who makes Theresa's heart race throughout the story.

When it comes to the love story, it is certainly not a sweeping, epic romance that fills every page, and I must admit I was a little disappointed by that at first.
Despite being a YA novel, it could have perhaps offered a real kiss and a few more heart-pounding moments.
However, I must warn you that it is instead a portrayal of a first love blossoming amidst chaos.
It is subtle, discreet, and precious, and it feels completely authentic for a fifteen-year-old of that era.

If you approach this book expecting a passionate or sappy romance, you’ll miss the point. But if you are looking for a tender, realistic connection that offers a glimmer of hope in a very dark story, you'll find it incredibly moving.

THE FINAL VERDICT:

If you’re drawn to this era, have the patience to push through a slightly slow start, and love mystery, music, and a brilliantly evoked 18th-century Vienna, give it a go!
If you’re looking for a heavy romance, you might want to look elsewhere!


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Book review : The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp | A lesson in resilience

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers
by Maria Augusta von Trapp

GENRE: #NonFiction #Memoir #History #Inspirational
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the true story of the von Trapp family, the singing family that inspired the famous 1965 musical film, "The Sound of Music", starring Julie Andrews and directed by Robert Wise.

I loved this book so much! Actually, the film only shows a very small part of the incredible life Maria von Trapp tells in her autobiography.
Maria shares 20 years of her life, and she does it in a simple, smooth, and often amusing way.

Her great faith in God gives a strong religious imprint to the book; while this might not interest everyone, I can assure you that you won't be bored for a single second.
👉This memoir is amazing.

THE PLOT: BEYOND THE MOVIE

Everything we see in the film corresponds only to the first pages of the book. Then, the story develops by telling anecdotes from their departure from Austria (to escape the Nazi regime they opposed) up to their arrival in the United States.
The book covers the 10 years after their marriage, their travels in Austria, the beautiful traditions, and how music became a natural part of their lives. It was fascinating!

A Lesson in Resilience

I started this book because of my childhood passion for the movie, but I found something much deeper.

Maria’s words are simple, witty, and deeply moving. Her great faith gives a strong religious heart to the book, but even if you aren't religious, you will be inspired by their strength.
It left a positive mark on my soul, teaching me that you can always start over if you have your family by your side.

The "American Dream" Reality Check

The most fascinating part is their arrival in America in the 1940s. 80 years ago, Europe and the USA were two completely different worlds.
Maria describes their "culture shock" with great humor: everything was "50,000 times bigger" and modern.
Even the way of speaking was different; I don’t just mean the language, but the idioms that still make it difficult to express oneself in a foreign tongue today.

It was very hard for them to start over without money.
Back in Austria, Commander Georg von Trapp was a wealthy Baron. The war brought many practical difficulties in the USA too: the fear they might be spies, problems with visas, and the ban on using new materials for building. As an Italian, I didn't know much about American issues during the war, and I learned so much!

above the real Von Trapp children, below the kids in "The Sound of Music"
Copyright 2015 FOX. All Rights Reserved/Courtesy von Trapp Family

THE CHARACTER OF MARIA and GEORG

Maria’s character was truly "bizarre" and likeable. She was a strong, dominant person, held in check (just a little!) by her calm husband, Georg.

I loved seeing the real Baron Georg: he wasn't as harsh as in the movie, but a kind man who struggled to adapt to a life without his aristocratic privileges.
Seeing a Baron learning to "work" for the first time was both funny and touching.

The whole Von Trapp Family
Maria holding the second child born to her and Georg

Memories of a Lost World

While reading, you can almost smell the beeswax of the polished floors in the Salzburg villa, the scent of mountain air on their traditional Austrian clothes, and the metallic tang of the big American tour buses that became their new home.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

While reading, I looked for more information online about the children’s adult lives, the houses they built, and Georg’s death (which is described in detail in the English edition but cut out in the Italian one!). It was all so engaging.

COZY CONNECTIONS

If you want to know even more, I highly recommend reading the memoirs of Agathe von Trapp (the eldest daughter) which completes this story perfectly.
Both books gave me so much serenity. It’s a lesson in resilience that left a mark on my soul.

👉 READ AGATHE'S MEMOIR ONLINE HERE

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Il LIBRO è disponibile anche in EDIZIONE ITALIANA, leggi la mia recensione !

La Famiglia Trapp
di Maria Augusta Trapp

GENRE : #NonFiction #FamilyMemoir #SecondaGuerraMondiale

Il mio punteggio: ★★★★★

Questo libro racconta la vera storia della famiglia Von Trapp, la storia familiare che ha ispirato il famoso film musicale del 1965 intitolato "THE SOUND OF MUSIC" diretto da Robert Wise.
Ho adorato questa lettura così tanto e in realtà il film rappresenta solo una piccolissima parte di tutto ciò che la vera Maria Von Trapp racconta nel suo libro autobiografico.

Maria ci racconta 20 anni di vita e riesce a farlo in modo semplice, molto scorrevole e spesso divertente.

La sua grande fede in Dio (testimoniata anche nel film) dà una forte impronta religiosa a tutta la sua vita familiare e di conseguenza anche a questo suo “memoir”, cosa che probabilmente non a tutti potrebbe piacere o interessare, ma posso assicurarvi che non vi annoierete in nessuna pagina di questo straordinario e divertentissimo libro di memorie.

Tutto quello che abbiamo visto nel film corrisponde alle prime pagine del libro, poi la storia si sviluppa raccontando vicende e aneddoti dalla partenza della famiglia Von Trapp dall'Austria (per sfuggire al regime nazista a cui si opponevano) fino all'arrivo negli Stati Uniti, dove affronteranno mille problemi ed esperienze, esibendosi come cantanti in tournée da uno stato all'altro.

Ho iniziato a leggere questo libro, perché sin dalla mia infanzia mia madre ed io eravamo (e siamo tuttora) fans appassionate del musical "Tutti insieme appassionatamente" ed ero curiosa di saperne di più sulla storia reale ( e non romanzata )di questa famiglia.

La storia riportata nel libro, dopo una breve introduzione di come Maria comincia a far parte della famiglia Von Trapp (e l'abbiamo vista anche nel film), riguarda i 10 anni dopo il matrimonio, i loro viaggi in Austria e nei paesi limitrofi, le tradizioni austriache e come l'avvicinamento alla musica e al canto sia avvenuto in modo naturale. Tutto ciò è stato davvero affascinante!

Poi la fuga negli Stati Uniti, la loro vita in un paese nuovo, così diverso dal loro paese d'origine e dal continente europeo sotto tanti aspetti (materiali ed emotivi), ma dove incontreranno tanti nuovi amici e dove piano piano riusciranno a sentirsi “davvero a casa loro “, facendone la loro nuova patria per sempre.

In questo libro di memorie Maria ci racconta, in maniera davvero simpatica, tutte le tante avventure e le difficoltà che hanno dovuto affrontare anche dopo il loro arrivo negli Stati Uniti.

Può sembrare assurdo oggigiorno, ora che il mondo occidentale è tutto uniformato alle stesse mode e tutti conosciamo usi e costumi di altri paesi e di altri continenti, ma 80 anni fa Europa e Stati Uniti erano due mondi completamente diversi, negli scenari cittadini e naturali... tutto 50.000 volte più grande, tutto più moderno e innovativo rispetto alla vecchio continente, profonda diversità in usi e costumi, diversità nel modo di esprimersi e non intendo la diversa lingua, ma la differenza di modo di pensare e concepire la vita, la differenza di idiomi, che ancora oggi rende difficile la comprensione e l'esprimersi in una lingua straniera.

È stato davvero difficile per loro abituarsi a un nuovo mondo completamente diverso da quello in cui erano nati e cresciuti e ricominciare tutto da capo, senza soldi e senza essere stati abituati a lavorare (in Austria, infatti, il comandante Georg Von Trapp era un barone ed era molto ricco).

L'ostacolo maggiore fu dato dalle conseguenze della guerra, che pur svolgendosi in Europa, coinvolgendo anche gli Stati Uniti, portò anche nel nuovo mondo non poche e serie difficoltà pratiche.
I problemi con il visto per i fuggitivi europei (c'era il rischio che si trattasse di spie) e la conseguente carcerazione, il divieto di realizzare nuove costruzioni e di utilizzare materiali nuovi (potevano essere usati solo quelli di seconda mano ) e quindi l'impossibilità di potersi costruire una casa, il razionamento del cibo ecc... essendo italiana non conoscevo nei particolari la vita degli Americani durante gli anni della guerra.

La famiglia Von Trapp visse dunque esperienze spesso molto dure anche durante gli anni in cui erano ormai famosi.
Grazie al sentimento profondo che li univa, tutti insieme, seppero trasformare il negativo in qualcosa di positivo e ciò rese tutta la loro vita davvero straordinaria e così particolare e diversa dalla storia di qualsiasi altra famiglia.

Ciò che non mi aspettavo da questo libro era di imparare una lezione di storia sugli anni '40 negli Stati Uniti e soprattutto una lezione di resilienza e tenacia, che ha lasciato un grande segno positivo nella mia anima.

Come ho già scritto, la fede in Dio è stata una grande e importante componente nel loro cammino di vita, ma la forza di reagire senza mai arrendersi e la voglia di migliorarsi ed essere autosufficienti in tutto è un grande merito di Maria e di tutta la Famiglia Von Trapp.

Il libro è scritto in modo scorrevole e divertente da leggere, perché Maria era fu realmente una persona bizzarra e simpatica così come rappresentata nel film musicale e la sua spontaneità fu proprio uno dei suoi punti di forza.
Maria ha fatto le sue gaffe e ne sono venute fuori cose buffe, emerge il ritratto di una donna simpatica, ma anche forte e dall'energia dominante su tutti, tenuta a freno (poco) dal più pacato marito Georg, che fece non pochi sforzi per abituarsi alla povertà e alle comuni regole della società. Essendo un aristocratico, Georg Von Trapp considerava vergognoso lavorare o anche solo apparire sul palco, per il resto, invece, era un uomo molto buono, molto affezionato alla sua famiglia e non così severo come rappresentato nel film.

Durante la lettura del libro ho cercato anche altri articoli sul web, per saperne di più sui bambini Von Trapp nella loro vita adulta ( dopo i 20 descritti nel libro ), la residenza di famiglia a Salisburgo e la fattoria costruita in America, la morte di Georg (descritta in ogni dettaglio nell'originale inglese edizione, ma tagliata nell'edizione italiana), la morte di una figlia (l'unica morta giovanissima, mentre gli altre sono morti tra gli 80 e i 97 anni, e due di loro sono ancora vivi) ed è stato tutto così coinvolgente!

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