Monday, August 10, 2009

Hidden in Full View - A Photo


Don't you love when in a very familiar story, told countless times from countless perspectives until it is familiar to everyone, there suddenly is found a revealing piece of the puzzle that was left unturned by the many who passed by?

That is the story of "It Happened in Italy".

While it is the stuff fiction is made of, it is a true story that changes our understanding of historical events.
It was the author herself, Elizabeth Bettina, who turned up that ignored puzzle piece that lay hidden in full view waiting for someone to give it more than a passing glance.

Elizabeth, an American, with strong family roots in Champagna, Italy, travelled many times, with her grandmother back and forth to visit her grandmother's childhood home where family members still live.

On the visit that changed her life, she was given a book by a distant relative. In it was a photo taken on the steps of a church in Champagna, the very church where her grandparents were married. What made Elizabeth look twice was the fact that in the photo were three men... a police officer, a priest, and a rabbi. Elizabeth's keen mind immediately recognized that she had never seen nor was aware that there there had ever been any rabbis in Champagna during the 40's.

Elizabeth's sharp reporter's mind and her keen curiosity would not let her rest until she had solved the mystery. Her book chronicles her quest and reveals a piece of the holocaust story that restores one's faith in the goodness of man in the face of evil.

Here in Italy, the internment camps were built, not to destroy the Jews but to protect them. Elizabeth's journey is one that leaves you wondering ... how in the world did this story remain hidden until it was almost buried forever with the last survivors of these camps?

This book tells the hitherto untold story of Italy's reaction to Hitler's resolve to exterminate the Jews. One particular poignant account tells of an 'Italian Schindler' who saved many Jews from being exterminated but he paid with his own life at Dachau. He himself died the death he saved others from. It so spoke to me of the sacrifice Jesus made for us.

While I was disappointed in the literary level of the book, I know if you have any interest at all in WWII and the plot against the Jews, this book will surely interest you in showing you a side of the story you have never heard.

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6 comments:

Betty W said...

Yes I am intrigued by this story. I just watched the DVD of "The boy in striped pajamas" and it was such a moving story. It would be such a relief to read something good that happened in those days.

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

It sounds like a wonderful story that needed telling, even if it wasn't written well. You are so right, many significant details of undeserved grace will be gathered away from us on earth very soon. I wish more people were as inquisitive as that woman to learn things before it is too late.

Anonymous said...

Sorry it took so long to get back to you!

You asked what LuAnne was up to, and I wanted to check with my grandparents so I could give you the full update!

LuAnne is married and lives in New York with her husband (who is a college physician) and their children. She's about in her forties now, believe it or not! :)

Aunt Carolyn is finishing up her last year as president of SIL, Wycliffe's language institute. They were home on furlough not too long ago and took some new family photos; I believe those were published in the new-printed version of Captured, but I'm not 100% sure.

Anyway, I will be sure to tell her how much you enjoyed her book. It's a small world, huh? And blogging makes it even smaller sometimes!

Blessings!

Marg said...

I would love to take that on my camping holiday, seeing I was just in Italy, but you know how tattered those pages would look.
It looks like something I will keep my eye on.

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Hi Julie - this looks like a very interesting story and something I'd like to know more about. Thank you for the review.

Lovella ♥ said...

What a blessing for her to learn the whole truth .. .
The story looks like it would be good to read and I love historical fiction .. so I'll look it up. Thanks Julie