This historical fiction follows four Buffalo Soldiers from the Negro 92nd Division who find themselves behind enemy lines in Tuscany near the end of World War II. McBride ties together all aspects of the War and everyone that it touches, from the soldiers left to fend for themselves by their white officers, the Italian freedom fighters, the starving Italians and to the French sculptor Tranqueville, whose Primavera sculptor for the Ponte Santa Trinita became another casualty of war.
The stark contrasts that emerge, the horrors of battle followed by the unlikely friendships formed by the soldiers and the Italian villagers they meet, despite their lack of common language, bring the book alive and draw the reader in. The thing that struck me the most was how much a war-torn region Tuscany was during World War II. I know very little about Italian history after the Baroque era, but have opened up yet another aspect I'm interested in and need to read more about.
Spike Lee also directed a movie, of the same title, that came out in 2008 and was a big hit in Italy. I haven't gotten around to seeing it yet, so can't say any more on that.
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