Domenic's War: A Story of the Battle of Monte Cassino [Paperback]

Curtis Parkinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2006 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

On a rugged mountain in the center of Italy stands an ancient Benedictine monastery. It is January 1944, and Monte Cassino, the mountain on which the monastery stands, becomes the staging ground for one of the most fiercely fought battles of World War II.

Young Domenic and his family, who live on a farm north of Monte Cassino, are helplessly caught in the war. With battle lines approaching, they struggle against all odds. Will they be caught hiding two escaped prisoners-of-war? Will the innocent people sheltering in the monastery survive? This fascinating novel is based on the true story of the fateful events at Monte Cassino during that long cold winter.

In the fast-paced style of Storm-Blast and Sea Chase, Domenic’s War is Curtis Parkinson at the top of his form.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9–Based on actual experiences, this World War II novel tells the stories of Italians living near Monte Cassino, caught between the German army and the Allied forces. Young Domenic Luppino and his family live north of the fighting, but fear the advancing troops. Fifteen-year-old Antonio lost his entire family when fighting moved into the town, and now he's on his own. Both boys face hardships and risk their lives for friends and family. Their stories of strength, resourcefulness, and survival are deftly placed within the context of the Monte Cassino campaign and will give readers a poignant look at the ways in which the war affected average citizens. The Allied forces' destruction of the sixth-century Benedictine monastery and the deaths of some of the Italian refugees sheltered there are not glossed over or presented in a judgmental way. The author allows readers to draw their own conclusions, and students who are interested in the topic will perhaps be inspired to read more about the complex issues surrounding the battle.–Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI
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Review

Praise for Sea Chase:

“Parkinson is as comfortable with sailing technique and terminology as he is with Colombian culture and language…. Readers will be engaged by the fast-paced action and page-turning suspense.”
— School Library Journal

“…an intriguing introduction to the realities of Colombian life.”
— VOYA

Praise for Storm-Blast:

“…a suspenseful, well-peopled and well-told tale.”
— The Globe and Mail

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 191 pages
• Publisher: Tundra Books (April 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887767516
• ISBN-13: 978-0887767517
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.5 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,157,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Domenic's War, June 28, 2010

By 

R. Michael Key (Georgetown, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Domenic's War: A Story of the Battle of Monte Cassino (Paperback)

Bombs, boys and saints.

Domenic's War mixes this trinity into the bloody WW2 battle for the mountaintop Monte Cassino Abbey founded by St. Benedict in 529 AD. The Allies--Americans, Canadians, French, Indians, Gurkhas, New Zealanders, British and Poles, land in Italy to defeat the occupying Germans and liberate Italy. The crack German troops in the Liri valley below the Abbey unleash a terrific and deadly defense. Thousands of brave soldiers are dying in the slaughter. Allied commanders are concerned that the Germans might be using the Abbey for shelter or as an observation post to direct artillery. Intel is inconclusive. The Allies decide to bomb the Abbey.

Domenic's War displays this titanic battle through the "smaller" but still deadly battles endured by two young local boys and their families trying to survive the unleashed military fury that roars and screams around them. Domenic becomes the man of the family when his father and older brother are forced to hide in the woods from German patrols looking for "forced labor." Domenic also risks his life taking food to Harry and Jerome--two downed British flyers hiding out in a nearby mill. Antonio's family is killed when an artillery shell destroys his home. Signore and Signora Rossi take Antonio into their family and flee to the Abbey for protection from the shelling. The protection is short-lived after waves of 1,000-pound Allied bombs obliterate the massive Abbey forcing Antonio, villagers and monks to scramble, walk and pray for safety in the valley below. Initially, Domenic and Antonio don't know each other but their separate stories for survival eventually converge near the end of the book.