After ten years of research including three years drafting and polishing the text, trustee Anne Copley’s book, The Girl with a Peach: Courage and Compassion in Wartime Italy, was published by MSMT in June.
It concentrates on the ordinary soldier’s experience of the assistance received from local Italians, involving a stay of up to 18 months within rural Italian communities until final liberation by the Allies. Full of quotes from PoWs and their Italian helpers, it delves deeply into what it was like for a young Allied serviceman, previously a civilian, to fully participate in the medieval world of the Italian peasant, described by one as “actually living in the pages of my old history books”.
This summer Anne was on something of a promotional tour, giving a lively talk to a mixed audience of Italian and English-speakers at the Casa della Memoria in Servigliano, followed by a visit to the distinguished British Institute of Florence, where she concentrated on aspects of the story relevant to Tuscany, including that of Frank Unwin, imprisoned in PG 82 Laterina, near Arezzo, and an indefatigable supporter of the Trust during his lifetime. The audience of very committed Italophiles numbered over 100, with 50 present in the Institute library and the rest on Zoom. Anne’s talk was very well-received and a whole new audience appreciated an introduction to the Trust and its objectives.
The Florence talk was complemented by some moving words from fellow trustee Ian Laing who spoke of his own father’s time being hidden and helped by Florentines, including being lent a bicycle and a baby as camouflage during his getaway into the countryside. Ian is very keen to reconnect with the Buti and Tarchianni families who risked so much for his father, a challenge to which several of the audience rose enthusiastically.
Anne had supplied copies of her book at both venues, where they sold out within minutes. Those unable to obtain a copy were reassured that it was possible to order it through Amazon in the country of one’s choice.
