Eternal (by Lisa Scottoline)
Deeply intense! Lisa Scottoline’s first historical fiction novel is a masterpiece! I’m a huge fan of her work; therefore, I’m not surprised at all that Eternal lives up to the praise I’ve seen.
Set in Italy, between 1937 and 1943, three childhood friends, Elisabetta, Marco, and Sandro are coming of age, and both young men are vying for Elisabetta’s love. Elisabetta dreams of becoming a writer, Marco is a cyclist, and Sandro a mathematics genius. All too soon, the three friends are subjected to the political division as Mussolini aligns with Hitler. Italy drastically changes and the families must respond according to their belief systems and places in the new Italy.
I borrowed the audiobook version from my local library through the Libby app. At approximately 17 hours in length, Lisa tells a beautiful story that contains a great deal of loss, suffering, and love. It feels a bit strange that I loved this novel that is filled with so much tragedy and pain. To learn the history of how Italy was impacted by the insanity of Hitler is incredibly sad; however, Lisa made sure the compassion, love, and loyalty of her characters shined through every scene. In moments of great sadness, there were also moments of bravery and selfless acts.
The narration by Cassandra Campbell and Edoardo Ballerini was perfect. They are some of my favorite audiobook narrators. Lisa even narrated an introduction and afterward for the book. The audiobook experience closed with an interview of Lisa by Cassandra Campbell. Lisa offered insights into the creation of this story as well as her Italian family’s inspirations.
Included below is an author event Lisa participated in with the independent bookstore, The Poisoned Pen, in Scottsdale, Arizona for Eternal.
You’re welcome to read my other reviews for books by Lisa Scottoline, which are linked below. Also linked is her author event I attended at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington, Kentucky.
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