The Longest Echo

A Novel

By: Eoin Dempsey

Narrated by: Carlotta Brentan, Will Damron

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Against the backdrop of WWII-ravaged Italy comes a powerful and emotional novel of love, survival, justice, and second chances by the bestselling author of White Rose, Black Forest.

Occupied Italy, 1944. In the mountain regions south of Bologna, Liliana Nicoletti’s family finds escaped POW James Foley behind German lines. Committed to the anti-Fascist cause, they deliver him to a powerful band of local partisans. But when the SS launches a brutal attack against the Resistance, Liliana’s peaceful community is destroyed. Alone and thrown together by tragedy, James and Liliana fight together as Monte Sole burns. Forging an unbreakable bond, they know their only hope of survival is to make it to the Allied lines.

Twelve years later, fate reunites Liliana, newly widowed, and James, now a journalist for a New York magazine. Liliana reveals to him the obsession that has haunted her since the massacre at Monte Sole: finding and bringing to justice the SS officer who ordered her family killed. James has a revelation too. He might know how to hunt the man down. Joining forces once more, and increasingly drawn to each other, Liliana and James discover new levels of conspiracy on a journey that leads them to Argentina - and to a choice that will change their lives forever.

©2021 Eoin Dempsey (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“…a chilling page turner that explores a shocking, little-known episode in history and manages to include a touching love story.” —Historical Novel Society

“A beautiful, heart wrenching novel that captivated me from the very beginning. This is historical fiction at its absolute best, and one of my favorite reads of the year.” —Soraya M. Lane, Amazon Charts bestselling author of Wives of War and The Last Correspondent

“Based on the true horrors of WWII Monte Sole, this story tugs at the heartstrings while delivering authentic, engaging champions and page-turning scenes that continue beyond the war.” —Gemma Liviero, bestselling author of historical fiction

Great Story !

very interesting story and really makes you think in light it's all the hatred and what is going on in the world

Heartbreaking story for today’s times.

This story happened in 1944. It could have been in present day. What the German’s SS men did them is no different from what the Russians are doing today. The truth in the female character’s statement “ it will happen again” was chilling to read.
When a story leads me to do more research on the events, it is a story worth listening to and doing the research.

Great story, medium performance

Incredibly well written and researched, this book reveals not only the terrible part of WWII that occurred in Italy, but it tells a more important story about how too many Nazi soldiers were saved from prosecution after the war. Who helped them and how they were transported and given new names was very interesting and maddening. I've heard of the corruption before but this book goes into better detail. Excellent story. The performance could have been better, but it wasn't bad enough to stop me from listening. Recommend.

Intense and upsetting. A good story

Italy during WWII in 1944. The Nazis brutally massacre the women and children of a small mountain community. The Nazis justify this because of the Italian community’s supposed support of the partisans who are fighting the Nazi occupation.

Liliana sees her entire family killed in a small cemetery. She escapes with the help of James, an escaped American POW. Together they search for the Nazi leader who was responsible.

What a great book. I listened to other books by mr Dempsey and they never disappoint

Highly recommend this historical fiction with so much truth in it. He had a good story so sexual situations weren’t needed as fill ins. He didn’t need anything gratuitous because he had Important story to tell. So many times I didn’t think the protagonists wouldn’t make it out Alive. Could this ever happen again to this extent? Waiting for another great listen mr Dempsey

Message

I whole heartedly agree that this could happen again in the current world. So sad.

READ

This was a great book . Narrator was excellent as well as content . READ

Captivating storyline

The storyline was a "page turner", especially towards the beginning of the book with the battle and escape scenes. It did slow down after that, but it still held my attention. I would love to see this made into a movie. Narration was good. Will Damron has a slower cadence, but I've listened to other books that he's narrated; so I guess I am used to his voice and tempo. Charlotte Brentan seemed hesitant and felt too slow for me with the female narration. Her inflection is fine; and overall, it's not distracting from the storyline. It's just not quite "there" for me, but that's totally just my opinion. Overall, I enjoyed this book; and I would recommend.

How brave the characters were through the story,

I ask one question: How brave could you be in all the events that occurred in this story/? Would or could you be as brave as Liliana?

His Best WW2 Book To-Date

This book is based on a little known true event about about a squad of cruel and inhumane SS Nazis who eradicated every civilian in the village, and other nearby communities known as Monte Sore. ,This village is near Bologna, Italy,. It is a fictionalized account of two very different people who survived the horrific atrocities of the SS who stopped there to murder entire families, including children. A POW of the U.S Armed Forces, and a young Italian woman of one of the families witnessed the massacre of her entire family by one of Nazi SS officers. It was a heartbreaking and gut wrenching read. The author portrayed their astounding courage , and how extremely perilous their journey in the first half of the book in nail biting detail. The second part of the story picks up 12 years later where these two people reunite in N.Y, This part of the book is very intriguing and suspenseful as LIliana, the Italian woman, cleverly lures James, an esteemed journalist, to a soiree, after reading his written piece on the horrific slaughter of her home village, Monte Sore. She convinces James to help her track down a particular SS officer who she believes is responsible for executing her entire family. Most of these Nazis escaped prosecution .of these war crimes by fleeing to Argentina. This is where the other half of the book takes us to. This part of the story was thrilling and intriguing. And I enjoyed it as much as the first half.