I disliked the characters too much to get into this story, especially the heroine. While I am not political and extreme in any of my beliefs. Actually have no strong opinion on the matter really, I think introducing a knocked-up heroine who wants an abortion on page 2 isn't the grandest idea or hook. ( )

This is a good read about the intersecting fates of an Italian family living in Britain and an upper class couple in the lead-up to WWII, during the war, and in its aftermath. The two main characters are Olivia, a dance hostess who ends up marrying an upperclass Brit, and Antonio, an Italian singer who encounters Olivia prior to her marriage and then reencounters her after her marriage, when her husband begins to fund his singing lessons. Their relationship dominates the novel, but the stories of the peripheral characters are also very interesting. It's a good read and I enjoyed it. ( )