A Gift from the Enemy: Childhood Memories of Wartime Italy

I loved the book for the amazing story, the author's memory and a mother's love and devotion for her son. It is a book of survival in very difficult times. Though written about the Holocaust period this is not about the Holocaust. The details are amazing and the writing allows me to step into the picture. A work covering an unknown chapter of WW II history.

This is a refreshing World War II memoir set in Italy throughout the war. It is not a bloated specific history of the time nor an overly mellodramatic personal experience. A Gift From the Enemy is a touching beautiful day in the life piece of a boy caught in a world beyond his control. Escaping Austria in 1938, Eric, a boy of just 8, fled with his mother, finally ending up in an internment camp in Ospedaletto, Italy due to his religion. Seen through his eyes there is a general naivity capturing the boy's wonder amidst terror. Vivid memories, relationships, and characters tell the story of his family, friends, and fellow internees. As a result you sometimes forget what you are reading is a memoir, but without being too preachy, the reason for why these people were brought together never dissapears. Underneath it all however, is the tale of a boy becoming a man under circumstances some of us could have never dreamed. Recommended for all including young adults, great primary source for a people's history.