Northern Italy, 1944: Gemmano is on the front lines of the battle for the Gothic Line, trapped between German occupation and the allied advance, as shell after shell rains down on the village.Eighteen year old Toni Mazzanti has always been considered 'odd' by the villagers, but as the battle rages and he comes to terms with his personal and spiritual development, his talents come to be viewed as gifts.With his new found confidence Toni increasingly emerges as a village leader, aided by Lorenzo Bergamas, a young Italian soldier returning from the Front.Covering a period of ten days, Gemmano is a compelling and inspiring story of people caught powerless in their own land, told from the perspective of two young Italian men.Review of Gemmano by James Robertson: A powerful and moving novel centred on the bloody Battle of Gemmano in Northern Italy in 1944. The story is told from the point of view of civilians caught between the advancing Allied and retreating German forces. David Will has done his historical research thoroughly, but what makes this book stand out is its focus on the experiences of the Italians, made hungry and homeless and subjected, all too often, to horrendous treatment as the war swept through their locality. The main character is Toni Mazzanti, a strange and troubled young man, still in many ways a child, who has a close affinity with animals and also a secret - the power of healing - or at least of relieving pain - through his hands. There are episodes of vivid description and gripping tension as Toni moves through the blasted landscape and encounters soldiers from both armies. He is a fully realised character but also represents an alternative to the violence and destruction of war. David Will has written a thought-provoking novel and the fact that this is the first volume in a trilogy suggests that he has plenty more of interest to tell us
