Title: In the Light of the Sun
Author: Angela Shupe
Major Themes: World War II, Italy, Philippines, Opera, Family
Synopsis: Though separated by war and a great distance, two sisters cling to their love of music and their family to survive World War II.
I love reading books that teach me something about history, so when the cover of In the Light of the Sun caught my eye, I made sure to take a closer look. I realized sometime this year that I didn’t have a very good grasp of the Pacific side of World War II, so I was thrilled to see that this book covered part of that. I’ve hardly read anything about the Philippines at all, so having that location as one of the primary settings for this book was especially appealing.
Publisher’s description:
Two sisters, separated by oceans and global conflict, are bonded through music and love in this gripping novel based on true events from World War II.
The year is 1941, and in the Philippines, Caramina Grassi dreams of training in Italy to become an opera singer like her older sister, Rosa. But as war erupts, her world is shattered, forcing her to cling to the music that has always been her refuge. When her family’s lives are threatened and they are forced to flee to the jungle, she comes to understand that music is more than comfort. It becomes a muse that fuels her courage, sacrifice, and unwavering focus on the light.
Meanwhile, in Florence, just as Rosa Grassi’s long-awaited opera debut arrives, Mussolini tightens his grip on Italy. Drawn into la Resistenza, the underground resistance, Rosa feels lost in a fog of deception that clouds everything she thought to be true. In a time when family or friend could be foe, Rosa will learn that performing isn’t just for the stage. Facing a devastating betrayal, she must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect the one she loves.
Inspired by true events, In the Light of the Sun is an unforgettable story of sisterhood, hope, and the enduring power of music to uplift the human spirit—even in the darkest of times.
My thoughts:
Almost as soon as I got into this story, I realized I knew hardly anything about how Italy fared under Mussolini, which meant that both locations in this book were relatively new to me, and the history was equally new! That was pretty special.
The family element of the story was especially endearing to me. I loved how the girls’ father did his best to protect the family—both in what he did and what he said—and I loved that the sisters kept up close relationships, even though they were separated by both distance and war. Despite what they faced, everyone did their best to support one another. I loved that!
Unfortunately, I did struggle with the way the story was written, to some extent. This is told in dual-perspective format, which I love, but both perspectives are first-person, present-tense. I don’t mind first-person perspective, but the present-tense factor kept jerking me out of the storyline, so I never felt invested in the story, like I normally would with a book of this caliber.
I felt like Angela Shupe did an incredible job for this being her debut novel. At one stage, I complained to Mom that the book didn’t feel all that realistic—things weren’t happening the way I thought they should, it being a war story and all—but when I got to the end and read the author’s note, my complaint instantly turned into admiration. I love how she took some of her family members’ stories and wove a cohesive story around them—that took some skill!
In the end, while I struggled with some aspects of In the Light of the Sun, I did end up enjoying it. I believe it would be the perfect fit for anyone who enjoys historical fiction that actually teaches you some history, books with some sweet romance in them (there were several threads of that in here!), and overall, books that show the strength in families living, loving, and working together to support each other through dark times. It was a good read.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.
WARNING: Characters drink wine occasionally. Unmarried characters frequently hold hands, hug, or kiss—generally, this is not described more than a brief mention (there is occasional dancing, too). Chapter 1: Thank goodness (twice). Chapter 2: Thank goodness, a bomb, and girl hurt. Chapter 4: Bombing. Chapter 7: My goodness. Chapter 9: Seeing people being tortured and killed (somewhat graphic). Chapter 12: Man beaten up. Chapter 19: Stealing, seeing a man hurting a woman, knowing he’ll take advantage of her. Chapter 20: Hearing a woman being raped, people almost drown. Chapter 22: Telling of a man killed, bastard, my God. Chapter 27: Man killed, fighting (somewhat described). Chapter 35: Woman in labor. Chapter 37: Girl thinks about how her breasts have grown. Chapter 38: Man tries to rape a woman, a brief fight, bastardo. Chapter 44: Man badly hurt. Chapter 46: Man corners a woman with his body and hits her. Chapter 47: Thank goodness. Chapter 48: Man tries to rape a girl, some self-defense, men hurt, and some killed (described).
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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