When a person gets to a certain age, they oftentimes feel as if they’ve heard it all. That being the case, I admit to being surprised in reading Elizabeth Bettina’s book called ‘It Happened in Italy‘. I have to wonder who else is unaware of the Jewish concentration camps that were run in Italy, and managed humanely.My father, who was one of the American soldiers present at the liberation of Buchenwald, possibly wasn't familiar with the camps in Italy either. He told stories of the horrors of the skeleton-like people who shuffled around at Buchenwald. To read of the opposite being true in Italy is like a breath of fresh air. The Italians were glorious in their treatment of the Jews.
Elizabeth Bettina is enthusiastic in her praises of the Italians, their care and consistent attendance to the needs of the imprisoned Jews. Her book recounts story after story of survivors and their trips back to Italy to re-visit the old camps. They talk about picnics, soccer and schools for their children---never mistreatment.
In a world of negativism, to read this book is to be encouraged by the human spirit.
(Published by Thomas Nelson, and available for preview on the same page. I'm a member of Thomas Nelson's blogger book review program and more information can be found here.)
