In case you didn’t know, I grew up in a military household; my dad was in the Army so that makes me an Army brat.  I recently joined a group on Facebook titled “You know you are a military brat if you…” and spent a good 15 minutes reading through these — here are some of my favorites:

…all your former very best friends are as long gone as your last move.
…always wish you were back at the last place you were stationed even 20 years later.
…are able to imitate others’ speech patterns easily.
…are amazed at people who have never left their hometown.
…are asked “where did you learn to speak English so well”.
…are brought to tears by military music.
…are initially confused when asked where you are from, but quickly respond everywhere.
…at 22 you are trying to find someone in the military to marry so you can get a new I.D. card.
…can call up actual memories of a country while you’re in Geography class.
…can not speak the language of the country in which you were born.
…didn’t save things so you wouldn’t go over the weight allowance of the next move.
…don’t feel quite right seeing military personnel younger than you.
…every room you’ve ever had was stark white and you couldn’t put nail holes in the walls.
…feel like you should be visiting the states rather than living in them.
…find that you can easily amuse yourself for hours at airports, train or bus stations.
…get nostalgic when seeing O.D. Green.
…get the itch to move every 3-4 years and forever feel like the outsider in the civilian world.
…give someone a break because they are in the military.
…went into culture shock upon returning to the states.
…have been asked just where APO, AE was.
…have USAA as your insurance company.
…know exactly how horrible AFN commercials are.
…knew the rank and name of the kid next door’s father before meeting the kid next door.
…left school frequently for bomb scares.
…munched hot brötchen & gummies on the way to school.
…name schools in three countries on two continents when asked what high school you attended.
…played American Football at the schwim bad to impress the german girls.
…polished your fathers boots and brass for his upcoming inspection.
…remember being able to watch the Super Bowl or World Series live on TV at 2 am.
…start a major portion of your conversations with “when I was in…”
…stand up and recite the national anthem at the start of movies.
…talk to someone with an accent and pick it up yourself.
…tell everyone you are from a town that you haven’t lived in since you were 4 years old.
…try to take out your ID card when you enter a grocery store.
…went to school in a converted POW camp.
…know transfer meant pack your toys and say see ya later.

To say the Holocaust was a dark moment in human history would be a understatement.  Not only did millions of Jews suffer in the hands of the Nazi’s, they were also betrayed by their countries, neighbors and friends.  In “It Happened in Italy” author Elizabeth Bettina leads readers on a journey of uncovering a different story; one of people who valued life above religion and ethnicity.  While the book is about the stories of Jews that survived the Holocaust because of the Italian people, the main story is of a series of what seems to be coincidental events that leads Bettina (an Italian-American) to discover that her own family is directly connected to these survivors.

I’m a huge fan of all things Italian (I was born in Italy) and I also tend to prefer non-fiction over fiction (truth is indeed stranger than fiction), so I was naturally drawn to this book as soon as I read the title.  If English is your only language, the author’s regular use of Italian may slow you down, but the added sense of culture is well worth the delay.  If you’re looking for a fact-book on the Holocaust, this is not the book for you.  If you appreciate culture, history and stories of how kindness and generosity can defy even the darkest of evil, you will enjoy “It Happened in Italy”.

Would you blog if someone paid you to?  What if someone said they’d give you free stuff?  How about a free book in exchange for a 200 word review?

I’m relatively new to this reading thing (the hobby, not the ability) and I really like free stuff (forever a college student at heart) so when I found out that Thomas Nelson Publishing had a program for bloggers that provides free books, I was immediately interested.  I signed up, was approved (aren’t we always seeking approval?) and ordered my first book.  Immediately I had access to a PDF of the first chapter and within a week I had a hard copy in hand.  My first book?

It Happened In Italy: Untold Stories of How the People of Italy Defied the Horrors of the Holocaust
by Elizabeth Bettina

I’m excited.  And when I’m done reading, all I have to do is write a review on my blog, send them a link and sign up for ANOTHER free book!

So now I know you’re wondering, how can *I* get in on this awesome deal.  Link love: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

You’re welcome