Heaven Cries
An Italian fighter pilot is shot down in North Africa. He needs to get back to Tobruk to rejoin the fight against the British. On the journey he realizes that what he’s fighting for does not support his moral principles.
The historical content is excellent. It takes the reader through the entire Italian campaign of WWII, from the desert war of 1941, the invasion of Sicily, the battle for Rome, and finally to Northern Italy and the defeat of the Nazis. There are things that even a WWII enthusiast might not know, like the technical differences between Italian and British fighter planes. There are fierce firefights and aerial combat strategies. The author tells us that a German tank in 1941 France would quickly scare the hell out of everyone, but in 1944 Italy that was no longer the case. The hero has a good character arc.
It’s an easy read with a linear plot. Only in the very beginning is there any significant backstory. However, there are times when the dialogue becomes a little strained with long monologues. At one point, the author gives us a four-page soliloquy with no interruption from the other characters that are present. That would probably not happen in real life. Toward the end it gets a bit preachy when the hero states, “My agenda is mankind. My dream is to save humanity.”
On the upside, there’s a message. The Italian people’s participation in the war was against their will. The Italians heroically didn’t participate in the killing of the Jews. The issue of communism is well told. There are snippets of wisdom, like: “Over the millennia of man’s conflicts, God had heard every excuse there is.” That’s good.
Recommended as a historical novel about Italy’s inner turmoil over the horrors of a terrible war.
