Praise for The Italian Prisoner

It’s always great to get recognition in the local press. Check out this terrific article in the New Orleans paper, thanks to Allison Alsup of the New Orleans Writers Workshop.

“The Italian Prisoner does a smoothly confident job drawing readers into the world of wartime New Orleans. The dynamics of foreign prisoners of war spending years quartered in American cities and towns will be unfamiliar to many readers, and those dynamics are well-drawn in these pages. The novel belongs entirely to Rose, but nevertheless, the large cast of secondary characters are well fleshed-out and often represent different life-paths or choices than the ones Rose herself makes.” —Steve Donoghue, The Vineyard Gazette

“The repercussions of WWII are lovingly rendered through one woman’s story, with an endearing cast of characters who all feel like family by the end.”—LALITA TADEMY, New York Times best-selling author of Oprah’s Book Club pick Cane River, Red River, and Citizens Creek

"Elisa Speranza's heartfelt and exuberant debut is both an essential contribution to the treasure trove of Italian American fiction and a transporting page-turner. I want everyone in my family to meet Rose, our inspiring heroine, whose extraordinary story will stay with me for a long time."—CHRISTOPHER CASTELLANI, author of Leading Men

“The Italian Prisoner is a stunningly detailed, fast-paced novel that unveils a largely unknown part of America’s World War II history. Ms. Speranza’s first novel is a compelling mix of freshness and familiarity, using a female rites-of-passage narrative to transport readers to 1940s New Orleans and to bring alive the timeless challenges of living in a nation at war. The memorable main character, Rose Marino, tugs at the hearts of readers as she weaves her unique tapestry of independence with threads of hope and courage.” —ANN HAGEDORN, award-winning author of Beyond the River, Savage Peace, Sleeper Agent and more

“A dazzling World War II love story set in New Orleans that will pull you in from the very first paragraph. The characters have compelling depth and the setting is so well described that you will be able to feel, hear, and smell the locations throughout the novel. But it is Rose’s journey that tugs at your heart. The Italian Prisoner is a marvelous debut novel.”—JENNIFER SMITH TURNER, award-winning author of Child Bride, named the Best Ebook of 2020 by the Black Caucus of The American Library Association.

“The Italian Prisoner is a refreshing addition to the historical women’s fiction bookshelf. Speranza has written a captivating dive into New Orleans’s Italian-American community as seen through the eyes of a young woman figuring out how to balance family, friendship, faith, and love against the backdrop of World War Two.”—KAIA ALDERSON, author of Sisters in Arms

"Painting an intimate portrait of the Italian-American community in WWII New Orleans, Speranza crafts a lovely coming of age tale. With true-to-life family dynamics and the drama of first love, the author invites us to take a passeggiata alongside her heroine Rose." —SHAUNNA J. EDWARDS, co-author of The Thread Collectors

“Prepare to fall in love with Rose and those in her orbit in this tender coming-of-age story -- intimate historical fiction at its page-turning best.”—PAMELA ROTNER SAKAMOTO, author of Midnight in Broad Daylight: A Japanese American Family Caught Between Two Worlds

“The Italian Prisoner carries us to New Orleans during World War II. Speranza’s finely-crafted prose captures all the vibrancy, cultural tribalism, musical swing, and grinding fear of that era. At the novel’s center is young Rose; caught up in global anxieties while, at the same time, struggling with aching, impatient questions about love, self, and the tearing need for independence. This is a beautiful book that will touch anyone who ever dared want more out of life. I so admire The Italian Prisoner and thank Elisa Speranza for sharing her wonderful vision and insight.” —CHARLES FORREST JONES, author of The Illusion of Simple

"Elisa Speranza has gifted us the charming story of a young Sicilian woman during the years of WWI in New Orleans as she copes with a distant mother, a conflicted romance with an unlikely admirer, and an evolving world which beckons her to blossom. The author's keen eye for the history of those years are evident as delightful details of the city at war abound. Within this framework, personal tragedy and family secrets erupt to provide the reader with an intimate connection to the lovely protagonist, Rose. She could easily be one of us. What an enjoyable read!”—BRIAN ALTOBELLO, author of Whiskey, Women, and War: How the Great War Shaped Jim Crow New Orleans

“It is one thing to read about history, and it's another to experience it—In reading Elisa Speranza's, The Italian Prisoner, life during WW11 in America breaths on every page. Speranza transports us back in time to follow the coming of age of Rose while simultaneously telling us of the not widely known history of Italian prisoners at Jackson Barracks, Louisiana. The sounds, tastes, and smells of an Italy-infused New Orleans interweave with secrets, love, friendship, and loss, along with a women's evolution to independence and the struggles that come with it. Speranza's writing is compelling, atmospheric, and refined. A truly magnificent read.”—DIANNE C. BRALEY, author of The Silence in the Sound (debuting August 2022)

“So many wonderful moments, with well-drawn scenes and rendered emotions. The novel's time and place come alive. Speranza offers us Rose Marino, a young protagonist who truly grows over the course of the book, as well as secondary characters who breathe life onto the page and shape Rose’s evolution. Here is the voice of the war and of young women finding their way, as they never have before and during the most difficult of circumstances. The Italian Prisoner is a tribute to how ordinary people were called upon to do extraordinary things and to endure extraordinary losses, both at home and abroad. An achievement for the literature of New Orleans and World War II.” —ALLISON ALSUP, Co-Founder and Creative Director, New Orleans Writers Workshop

Reader Reviews

“I was completely transported to an earlier era. Elisa Speranza does an incredible job developing the characters and describing 1940s New Orleans. Such a beautiful story of a woman’s role, forbidden love, and societal expectations – I couldn’t put it down!”—MARY DEVLIN, Cambridge, MA

 “This beautiful blend of Italian and New Orleans culture had me feeling hungry and humming songs all the way through. The downside of reading great books is that they end... I want a sequel!” —GINA WAMMOCK, Black Mountain, NC

 "The Italian Prisoner brings the look and feel and sound and smell of the wartime French Quarter to life. It left me wishing I could walk through the courtyard and up the steps into Rose's family's apartment, plastic covered sofa and all, and spend an evening with the Marinos. What a fascinating dive into a little-known role New Orleans played during World War II."—DANA ENESS, New Orleans, LA

 “As a lover of WWII stories, I was delighted to discover a previously untold storyline of romance between an American and a POW, with a spunky, modern heroine that I couldn’t resist. The characters were richly drawn and avoided the tropes and stereotypes of so many “home front” stories. Bravo!”—CAROLE FLORMAN, Edgecomb, ME

“I not only enjoyed it, but it transported me to another time. The author conveyed a sense of history so well that I felt as though I were actually experiencing aspects of civilian life during WWII. The pace kept moving briskly along, and I was interested from the beginning all the way through, as Rose was transformed into a confident, independent woman in a believable way."—MICKEY LEVINGER, Annapolis, MD 

 “A thoughtful, pleasant journey in World War II era New Orleans through a young woman’s eyes as she sees family, work, war, and romance cascade in new and unexpected ways.  An authentic and delightful book, worth reading!”—ROBERT MILLER, Louisville, KY