Sally Brady’s Italian Adventure by Christina Lynch

Sally Brady’s Italian Adventure is a powerfully strong story with charm and bravery thrown in about a young girl, discarded by her parents as a child not only who was able to thrive, sometimes by sheer luck, but also to make a name for herself, stand up to men during war, misfortune, poverty, fear and imprisonment only to come out the other side learning the importance of kindness, family and love.

In 1931 Sally Brady was told by her parents to go and make money. She was a child living on the streets of Los Angeles. She somehow even at that young age convinces a married movie star to take her in and let her live with them. Thus begins Sally’s adventure.

When things begin to fall apart in the United States, they move to Italy where Sally at the age of seventeen becomes an anonymous gossip columnist to the rich and famous. She attends lavish parties and lunches and hob nobs with the powerful men in government. Her life is a fairytale. Until it all falls apart and she finds herself alone again.

When Mussolini declares war on the United States her life turns from bad to worse as she is unable to get out of Italy in time and becomes hunted as many Americans were who lived there at that time.

While this is happening to Sally, there is a family living in a remote area whose life is also being disrupted. Lapo, an Italian writer, his wife Eleanor who is American and their son, Alessandro who is the ripe age for military service see what’s occurring. They are able to get Eleanor out, but Lapo worries that Alessandro will have to fight in Mussolini’s war. He makes an agreement to write a favorable made-up autobiography of Mussolini who wants to be portrayed as a powerful hero if they leave his son alone. He reluctantly agrees but of course they renege, and Alessandro must fight in a war in which he does not believe.

In the meantime, Sally is trying to avoid being arrested and imprisoned and is doing everything in her power to hide. But she is finally caught and put on house arrest where she meets an elderly woman who changes her life.

How does this all come together you may ask? Well, Sally finds herself free, but trapped in Italy and must hide from the army where she meets some wonderful and surprisingly horrible characters. She is tortured as are many at this time, but they fight to live and pray America will take down this crazy dictator. While all this is happening, she starts to think of her own family and feels the pull to see them when and if she is able.

Sally Brady’s Italian Adventure is quite a journey! For Sally and for the reader! It’s full of people willing to help during crisis and those who want to ruin the lives of those who don’t believe in the war, but also how the love of family never leaves a person no matter how many years go by. Oh, and did I mention if you can believe it, the story is very funny?

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #ChristinaLynch #SallyBrady’sItalianAdventure for the advanced copy.