John Brauner, my father, was a radioman in the Infantry during World War II. He arrived in Italy in early 1945, as part of General Mark Clark's 5th Army. By early spring, he was stationed in Northern Italy, where he met Mafalda Riccadonna, who became his friend and correspondent until 1950. After his death in 1980, my siblings and I began searching through the contents of his US Army trunk, which was filled with souvenirs, memorabilia, and personal letters. We came across return letters to my father from Mafalda. My father returned home to the United States in August 1945, but continued to receive letters from Mafalda until 1950.

My research gave me insight into how the two decades under the thumb of Mussolini gave the Italian people the courage necessary to fight for their country and its soldiers. It is from this exploration that my novel, "Caro Giovanni" was conceived. It is a blend of truth and fiction, based on historical events from 1942-1945, when the war ended in Europe. It struck me so often that our own nation is now faced with the possibility of having our democracy altered in ways that we cannot begin to imagine. The Italian people must've felt the same when Mussolini first arrived on the scene.

Eventually Giovanni must leave Trento, but Mafalda continues to write letters to him about her family in the aftermath of the bloody destruction that devastated much of western Europe. Unlike the United States, European countries like Italy experienced long-standing devastation and deprivation that went on well into the 1950s.