The Curse of Pietro Houdini

Miller’s (Radio Life) latest unflinchingly illuminates the traumas that World War II inflicted on civilians in Italy and presents the durability of love and the costs of war. In 1943, Pietro Houdini rescues a 14-year-old girl who has been assaulted and orphaned and takes her to an old abbey called Montecassino. The abbey is a “safe haven in a sea of lava” and an important touchstone in the book. The girl adopts a male persona, Massimo, to acquire the strength and courage needed to survive. Pietro becomes like a father to Massimo. He expounds on philosophy and explains paintings featuring Greek mythological figures. He also safeguards three paintings from Nazis plundering the abbey. Afterward, Massimo and Pietro join a motley group who are determined to bring the paintings and themselves to safety. Each person’s story illuminates a different aspect of the chaos and harshness of the war. Miller’s straightforward and incisive writing and compelling, complex characters make the book worthwhile. Devastatingly sharp descriptions of the landscape augment the narrative.