I confess that I am drawn to WWII fiction books, so while looking for a book to blog about – I discovered “The Memory of Us” by Camille Di Maio. (The publishing companies are just now catching up on printing new books, so I chose this selection because it was published in 2016 and is available!) It is Di Maio’s debut novel, and it was a touching historical romance that I really enjoyed!
“The Memory of Us” is set in the late 1930’s in Liverpool, England and delves into the Catholic/Protestant conflicts, the Blitz, Catholic rituals and beliefs and forbidden love. Julianne Wescott is a well-to-do debutante from a Protestant family who falls for Kyle McCarthy, a Catholic gardener intending to enter the seminary. The story takes us from their first meeting all the way to their old age – and there are many twists, turns and tragedies along the way. . . but always present in the story is love and forgiveness. Both Julianne and Kyle are very compelling and likeable characters and their friends and families play important roles in the story as well. Julianne even discovers that she has a twin brother, Charles, who is blind and deaf and in a home for handicapped individuals. (She never knew he existed, because her parents do not acknowledge him.) Julianne follows her plan to become a nurse and Kyle ends up enlisting in the military effort. I did not want to put this book down because the story drew me in and I felt for these two characters so much.
If you enjoy WWII stories and romance, try reading “The Memory of Us!”
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