THE CURSE OF PIETRO HOUDINI

THE CURSE OF PIETRO HOUDINI by Derek B. Miller

All truth be told, last time I went to the bookstore I bought two books based on their covers. Oh I flipped the books over and read the synopsis, but it was the covers that really got me. This was one of them. Hang tight with me with what I am going to say next. It is a WWII book (I know. The book industry is saturated with WWII reads) , but it's not your typical WWII read. This one is set in Italy and deals with an art heist.

Miller's writing is breathtakingly beautiful. His characters are rich with personality. The war causes a very unique group of individuals to be thrust together at a Benedictine Abbey that sits atop Montecassino. These individuals have had to take on other identities or become shadows of the people they were in order to survive the horrors of the war.

Located inside the Abbey is an unbelievable amount of amassed art including paintings, music, and literature. When word reaches the Abbey that the Germans are coming to take the collection, a plan is orchestrated to smuggle out three of the paintings.

This story takes place in 1943, so this small band finds themselves in the struggle between the Germans and the Americans. While they know that the Americans are liberating them, they wrestle with the destruction that is left in the wake of that liberation. There is also a very real problem with the Moroccan forces that are supposedly on the Allies' side as well. (We'll talk about that more in a moment.)

This book is a journey that will try each of the characters to the absolute extreme. Be prepared for some unexpected twists.

HEADS UP- SPOILER ALERT. Overall, this book is very light on profanities. There was one spot where one of the main characters is captured by the Germans and they use the F word three times. It doesn't appear after that. One woman owns a small restaurant that the Germans are frequenting. No info is given, but you know that the officers are raping her. There is one very short but somewhat graphic sexual scene. It would be possible to skip over. The last thing is when the Moroccans come. They are brutal including one soldier preparing to rape one of the men in the group. Both men are naked. The act does not happen, and the scene is over very quickly.

Some would rate this book as a yellow light. Some would rate it as a red light. I'm going to go with a yellow with CAUTION, because the book's intended audience is adults and the scenes are few and skipable despite being a bit graphic.