Welcome back to another edition of Writer’s Corner Wednesday! This week, I’m chatting with Barbara Josselsohn, best-selling author of contemporary and historical fiction. I recently had the opportunity to read her latest novel, The Forgotten Italian Restaurant, the third and final installment in her Sisters of War series, which follows the adventures, struggles, and triumphs of three sisters trying to survive the Nazi invasion of Italy. Set within two timelines, 1943 and present-day, The Forgotten Italian Restaurant’s interwoven storylines showcase the lengths that Italians – Jewish and non-Jewish – had to go through in order to survive the war. There is also a heavy dose of family mysteries that the protagonist must solve!
It is both action-driven and cozy; I was excited to get some insights into the novel from Barbara herself, as well as some of my favorite writing advice yet!
Q. I was really interested in the premise of The Forgotten Italian Restaurant, especially the semi-isolated Italian village that serves as the setting. What was the inspiration for the Sisters of War series in general, and The Forgotten Italian Restaurant in particular?
A. The Sisters of War series was inspired by the story of a Polish inventor named Bruno Abakanowicz, an ingenious fellow who amassed several patents during his lifetime. In the late 1800s, he acquired a tiny jewel of an island and commissioned the building of a grand, medieval-style castle. There, he invited notable artists, scientists, and writers to pursue their dreams, inspired by the enchanting seaside locale. During World War 2, the tiny island was invaded by the Nazis and severely damaged, and the family’s trajectory took a tragic turn. When I came across this story, I found myself wrestling with several all-but-unanswerable questions: How do you deal with something beautiful that ends too soon? What is the antidote to the worst of human nature? Where do we find hope? That led me to start to imagine three sisters who travel to a fictional—but similar—island in pursuit of a medical invention to save their ailing father, and end up separated when the Nazis invade.
The Forgotten Italian Restaurant is the story of Emilia, the youngest of the three sisters, who makes it back to the family’s village on the eve of the Nazis’ invasion. In researching Italian history during World War 2, I learned of the severe food shortages caused by the war, and the way villagers would band together to nourish themselves as well as the Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazi onslaught. The connection between food and love, the humanity we display when we nourish others, and the comfort that food lovingly prepared can provide became central themes of the book.
Q. What was your research process like? When writing historical fiction, how do you balance historical accuracy and the fictional world you’re creating?
A. A major part of my research had to do with learning the very complex history of Italy leading up to and during the war. That was something I needed to get a grasp of before I could even begin writing. I was lucky enough to find a local class called "Italian Jews under Fascism," which gave me a great foundation. I then read a number of books and articles detailing the role Italy played during World War 2, the Italian Resistance, and life for Italian Jews during the war. (I’ve included some of these in a list of references at the end of The Forgotten Italian Restaurant.) This was the “big picture” research, and it was essential for me to get it right.
Moving toward more particular elements of the series, I decided to keep my book fictional — the island, the village, and the characters are all products of my imagination, which gave me the freedom I needed to tell the story inside of me. However, it was essential for me to reflect precisely what my characters would have felt, seen, eaten, etc. Those details absolutely had to be accurate to give readers a true picture of life at that time. For The Forgotten Italian Restaurant, I did research into the nature of food shortages during the war, the workings of the black market, and the ways home cooks would compensate for the lack of meat and other staples. To this day, I am in awe of how resilient and determined people can be even in the worst of times.
Q. Did you always plan this series to consist of three books?
A. Yes, it was always planned as a three-book series, with each book devoted to one sister’s story. Honestly, when I reached the end of the third book, I kind of wished there was a fourth sister so that I could continue with this story line and characters, whom I’d fallen in love with! But overall, I think the series made sense with three sisters who start out together but whose lives take vastly different directions as they each seek to find their way home.
Q. While The Forgotten Italian Restaurant has a very Jewish plotline, it was really interesting to me as a reader that the main Jewish characters, Callie and Emilia, aren’t necessarily halachically Jewish (Callie, in fact, doesn’t really seem to identify as Jewish at all). Can you say a little bit about the Jewishness of the novel and these characters?
A. When I was doing my research, one of the interesting things I learned was that in the decades before World War 2, Italian Jews were very much integrated into the mainstream of Italian society. Many Jews were secular, and marriage between Jews and non-Jews was not uncommon. This gave me some interesting dynamics to work with in my series. I loved that the sisters were the product of a wealthy young woman who chose to be with the poor Jewish man she loved. It allowed the sisters to grow up seeing what real love looked like. For me, in writing fiction, I often search for ways that characters can discover themselves anew—and be transformed because of that process of discovery. In writing The Forgotten Italian Restaurant, it was interesting to me that Emilia, who wasn’t raised Jewish, learns that her Jewish heritage nonetheless puts her at risk. It doesn't matter how she was raised or that she is only half-Jewish; to the Nazis she is Jewish, and that realization gives her courage and strength at the moment she most needs it.
As for Callie, she grew up knowing that her grandfather was Jewish, but that fact didn’t have a huge influence on her life. Nevertheless, her trip to Italy and her connection with Emilia and the people of Caccipulia is revelatory. I believe that after the book ends, Callie will continue to explore her grandfather’s story and find ways that his Jewishness resides somewhere inside her.
Q. What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
A. I have had so many wonderful writing teachers! But one piece of advice does stand out. When I was just beginning to write fiction, I was very lucky to have a teacher who insisted that when it comes to being published, persistence is more important than talent. I think by persistence, she meant the drive to keep learning, to keep growing as a writer, to be open to feedback and new ideas, to be willing to fail and see it as part of the process. To this day, I keep that advice in mind and share it with my own students. It’s important to me to keep taking risks, keep experimenting, keep reading, and keep finding new ways to be a better storyteller.
Check out Barbara's website to learn more about her and her work. You can also order a copy of The Forgotten Italian Restaurant!
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