I probably wouldn't have picked this book up if I hadn't been over to Orkney a number of times and found the history of the place so fascinating, or the chapel so beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it's a very moving story and has made me look forward to next year's visit to Orkney even more. I feel that the book should have included a map of the islands and the location of the camp though, to add more context to the story and to illustrate how remote the island would have been prior to the barriers being built. ( )

4.5 Stars.

This is a beautifully inspiring book, which just oozes charm and wonder. A big heart for this one. This fictional story based on true life events is set amidst the chaos and heartache of the Second World War. Italian prisoners of war are transported to the tiny Orkney island of Lamb Holm in January 1942. There they work together against the odds and the Scottish elements, to build the Churchill Barriers at Scapa Flow and a lasting monument to peace, and reconciliation. When Padre Giacomo arrives at the camp the spirits of the men begin to improve bolstered by his spiritual presence. The camp is awash with skilled men, no more so than Domenico Chiocchetti, a talented artist, and a sculpter. Domenico suggests building a chapel in the camp, constructing it out of two Nissan huts joined together. He can’t begin to do this without the British camp commanders go ahead, but they agree. The building of the chapel draws the men together in a shared vision to create, rather than to destroy. The results are spectacular, transforming the two original Nissan huts beyond recognition. The characters in The Italian Chapel, breathe, you can almost hear the chatter and the camaraderie of these Italians, far from home, freezing in the Scottish weather, dedicated to a shared task to build a Chapel, a place of peace, a safe haven away from the horrors of war. The story is absorbing, uplifting, at times sad, but ultimately happy and triumphant. The relationships that developed between the Italians and the local people, and the respect that grew between them is an amazing testament to the power of human spirit, and selflessness in the face of adversity. The Chapel still stands as a true monument to hope, for generations to come.

I found this novel so hard to rate. I just loved it so much! All the characters are portrayed beautifully, the dialogue, scene and setting are superb, but perhaps the romance between Giuseppe and Fiona could have been developed a little bit more. This is not surprising if you read the Author’s Note at the end of the novel. At times I felt that I wanted more time with these two characters, so that is why I am giving The Italian Chapel 4.5 stars instead of 5. I would highly recommend this beautiful novel to readers who enjoy historical fiction, romance, and anyone who would like to read an uplifting story, that just grabs your attention from the very start.

The author’s epilogue helps to clarify fact from fiction. The final quote of the epilogue reads: “The chapel remains, fragile and immortal, a symbol of peace and hope from people long gone for those yet to come.” Though if you want the true story look no further than Philip Paris’s non-fiction book, Orkney’s Italian Chapel: The True Story of an Icon, also available and published by Black & White, www.blackandwhitepublishing.com.

Highly recommended for readers of Historical Fiction, Romance, and anyone who just wants a truly uplifting story!


My reflections on the book: I went to school in Scotland, and lived there for many years, yet I have never seen The Italian Chapel! After reading Philip Paris’s book, I definitely want to remedy this and soon! I enjoyed the book so much that I was very keen to find out more.

Here are some of the resources I found on-line:

http://www.finditinscotland.com/Scottish-Heartbeat-The-Mag/Buildings-of-Scotland...

http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/eastmainland/italianchapel/

Background information about the Chapel:

The Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm in Orkney, Scotland, was built by Italian prisoners of war . 550 Italian prisoners of war, were captured in North Africa during World War II, and were brought to Orkney in 1942. The prisoners were stationed on the island between 1942 and 1945 to help in construction of the Churchill Barriers at Scapa Flow, four causeways created to block access to Scapa Flow. 200 were based at Camp 60 on the island of Lamb Holm. In 1943, Major T P Buckland, the Camp 60′s new commandant, and Father Giacombazzi, the Camp’s priest, agreed that a place of worship was required.

The chapel was constructed from two Nissen huts joined end-to-end. The corrugated interior was then covered with plasterboard and the altar and altar rail were constructed from concrete left over from work on the barriers. Most of the interior decoration was done by Domenico Chiocchetti , a POW from Moena. He painted the sanctuary end of the chapel and fellow-prisoners decorated the entire interior. They created a front facade out of concrete, concealing the shape of the hut and making the building look like a church. He remained on the island to finish the chapel even when his fellow prisoners were released shortly before the end of the war. In 1958 the Chapel Preservation Committee was set up by a group of Orcadians and in 1960 Chiocchetti returned to the chapel to assist in the restoration. He returned again in 1964 but was too ill to travel when some of the other prisoners returned in 1992 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their arrival on the island. He died in 1999. Today the chapel remains a popular tourist attraction, receiving over 100,000 visitors every year. It has become one of the most well-known and moving symbols of reconciliation in the British Isles.

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Really liked this book, an engrossing tale of Italian prisoners in a POW camp in the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland. I'd love to go to the island to see the chapel they built with materials begged, borrowed and pilfered off wrecked ships which formed the base of the causeways (barriers against enemy infiltration) built between the islands by the prisoners. ( )

Despite being an atheist I do like churches as buildings and after reading this I want to visit Orkney to see the Italian Chapel. ( )