A Thread of Grace

A Novel

By: Mary Doria Russell

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 19 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller • "A powerfully imagined novel...[a] profoundly moving book that engages the heights and depths of human experience." (Los Angeles Times)

It is September 8, 1943, and 14-year-old Claudette Blum and her father are among the thousands of Jewish refugees scrambling over the Alps toward Italy, where they hope to find safety now that the Italians have broken from Germany and made a separate peace with the Allies. The Blums will soon discover that Italy is anything but peaceful, as it quickly becomes an open battleground for the Nazis, the Allies, Resistance fighters, Jews in hiding, and ordinary Italian civilians trying to survive.

Tracing the lives of a handful of fascinating characters - a charismatic Italian Resistance leader, a priest, an Italian rabbi’s family, a disillusioned German doctor - Mary Doria Russell tells the little-known story of the vast underground effort by Italian citizens who saved the lives of 43,000 Jews during the final phase of World War II. A Thread of Grace puts a human face on history.

Praise for A Thread of Grace

"Rich... Based on the heroism of ordinary people, [A Thread of Grace] packs an emotional punch." (People)

"[A] deeply felt and compellingly written book... The progress of each character’s life is marked or measured by acts of grace.... Russell is a smart, passionate and imaginative writer." (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

"A feat of storytelling...an important book [that] needs to be widely read." (Portland Oregonian)

"Mary Doria Russell’s fans (and aren’t we all?) will rejoice to see her new novel on the shelves. A Thread of Grace is as ambitious, beautiful, tense, and transforming as any of us could have hoped." (Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club)

"A story of love and war, A Thread of Grace speaks to the resilience and beauty of the human spirit in the midst of unimaginable horror. It is, unquestionably, a literary triumph." (David Morrell, author of The Brotherhood of the Rose and First Blood)

©2005 Mary Doria Russell (P)2005 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A powerfully imagined novel . . . [a] profoundly moving book that engages the heights and depths of human experience.” (Los Angeles Times)

“An addictive page-turner . . . [Mary Doria] Russell has an astonishing story to tell - full of action, paced like a rapid-fire thriller, in tense, vivid scenes that move with cinematic verve.” (The Washington Post Book World)

“Hauntingly beautiful, utterly unforgettable.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

Heart wrenching, but well done

Cassandra Campbell did a great job bringing a very heavy story to life! This was hard to read, but a good story.

I couldn't wait to listen to more.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The story is sad and wonderful and the author brings these characters to life. I could see them as I listened to this story. As an Italian-American, I am proud to know that so many Italians put themselves at risk to save strangers.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Thread of Grace?

There are too many to recount, and I wouldn't want to ruin the story for anyone else. But that there were so many acts of kindness and generosity during such a violent and difficult time gives hope.

What does Cassandra Campbell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I know that others have commented that her accents were distracting, but I quickly found that it helped me to keep the many characters straight as she read the story. I would definitely listen to any other book that she narrated, as long as the book interested me.

If you could rename A Thread of Grace, what would you call it?

That is a perfect name.

Important. Never forget!

Well written. Well narrated. And an important piece of WWIi. At least a partial triumph of the human spirit. A wonderful book.

Another great one from MDRussell

This woman can write! Two great sci-fi volumes, two wonderful stories of Doc Holiday and the Earp brothers, and now this epic of the end of WW2 in northern Italy. All fabulously read, too. Looking forward to two more.

Hard to Follow Story

I enjoyed Mary Doria Russell's "The Women of Copper Country", so I downloaded A Thread of Grace. While I think the writing is colorful and masterfully descriptive, I had difficulty following the story. There are too many characters, many of which are not developed enough to engage me. Then, all the jumping around in place and time from unrelated scene to unrelated scene was challenging. The transitions were not deliberate enough in terms of threading a story. I do enjoy Cassandra Campbell's narration. Her pace, accents, and inflection are exceptional.

A wonderful book

Unlike the other reviewers I thought the narrator did a wonderful job. The accents helped to give the flavor of the mix of cultures coming togeter. She was clear and easy to understand.

Mary Doria Russell is among my very favorite authors.

My favorite "go to" book

I've listened to this book a dozen times. The reader does a fantastic job with different languages and accents and I love the story. If you enjoy historical fiction, this is a must read (or listen).

Moving story of Italian resistance in WWII

This is a very moving novel of Jews and non Jews in Italy during German occupation.

Artful, accurate and important literature

Beautifully crafted and meticulously researched, this novel is an ode to the rarely told story of Italy in WWII. Never mind that you’ve read all about France under Nazi occupation. A Thread of Grace is unique in that Russell explains the fellowship of Jews and Catholics, the mistrust among fellow countrymen, and the human tragedy stemming from lies and propaganda driven by egotistical leaders. Touching and shocking at the same time, this novel is a breathtaking read for lovers of well written historical fiction. Russell’s writing is worthy of awards for her depiction of unspeakable conditions only made bearable by compassion, resilience and grace.

Tremendous novel, unsatisfactory performance

A female narrator of a novel about good and evil in war, with its main characters being resistance fighters and SS officers is set-up for an impossible task. Female narrators rarely do good male voice imitations, with but a few exceptions. Cassandra Campbell has a beautiful melodic voice, but when she is trying to pose as a vicious SS officer shouting orders in English with a German accent, my annoyance could not have been greater. Because of the narration, I got cheated out of enjoying the male hero, Renzo, too. I give the story 5 stars. If only Mark Bramhall, Frank Muller, Edward Herrmann, Richard Poe, Simon Vance or Humphrey Bower could have read…..