Books set in Malta

Malta is a rock 25km by 6km placed strategically in the middle of the Mediterranean. Over 1000’s of years it has been pillaged and plundered and survived. The strength of Malta is in the ability of the people to adapt to each situation. These books all resonate with the stories of life through the centuries.
My personal connection is that my Dad was born in Malta 80+ years ago. As a young boy he lived thorough WW2, then his family immigrated to Australia. My recent trip was my first experience of Malta and I will be back - its fascinating for history buffs, has that laid back Aussie beach feel and I have wonderful family there.

The Jukebox Queen of Malta by Nicholas Rinaldi

MY RATING: 3.5 of 5

During the sustained bombing of Malta in WW2 Rocco Raven arrives to work as a radio man for the US military. Nothing is as it seems in Malta, his boss, the bombs, the people. Everyone is attempting to make sense of the carnage. After a particularly bad bombing raid Rocco meets Melita and a romance develops. Rocco and Melita's past is revealed as the story moves along up and down the streets of Valletta and through every little village in Melita’s pink hearse. All the time I am wondering will they make it through the war.

This book exposes the underbelly of emotions when people are pushed to the limit of their endurance by death, depravation and destruction. I liked Rocco as a character he is sensitive, all the characters in the book are well developed from the airman surviving on their wits each day doing battle in the skies to the prostitutes looking for a way off the island. I found it hard to comprehend how people made it through the war. I did not find the book as enjoyable as other reviewers online as there certainly is a lot of agony going around, however it is a first rate story.

Death in Malta by Rosanne Dingli 

MY RATING: 3 of 5

Gregory Worthington is a writer that escapes to Malta to write a new book, he rents a house in a small village and quickly gets caught up in the past lives of the people who used to live in the house. The story focuses on the disappearance of a little boy many years ago.  Gregory’s growing obsession about the house and the little boy gradually unravels as Gregory’s life takes a turn for the better.
Written by an Australian, I really enjoyed the view point of the main character Gregory an Australian writer, experiencing life in Malta in the modern times. How the locals spoke, the beliefs and customs, compared to what we are used to. The book is a bit hard to follow at times with the writing changing from the first person to others and lots of unnecessary going backwards and forwards in the timeline on the same day. However overall I found it a good story and enjoyable.

The Kappillan of Malta by Nicholas Monserrat

MY RATING: 4.5 of 5

Father Salvatore is humble parish priest with a regular routine of rebuilding his church, looking after his flock and his weekly visits to his mother. All this changes early one morning as he is walking up the steps from Lascaris Wharf and the first bombs of WW2 are dropped. From here on Father Salvatore and his trusty side kicks Nero and Rafel help the poor, displaced and downright frightened struggle through.

The story effortlessly folds between the centuries of history with compassion and understanding. I cant say enough about this book, I loved it and will read it again. The book covers every bit of Maltese history to date, sensitively through the lens of WW2 and the current day. If you only read one book set in Malta this is my top pick. 

The Ship by C.S. Forester

MY RATING: 3.5 of 5

The Mediterranean is awash with the dangers during WW2. In this book the British Navy ship, HMS Artemis is escorting a British convey with essential supplies to Malta. They encounter the Italian Navy and the story closely follows the each step of the battle weaving in and out of the lives and roles of each of the men. The Sunday Times writes it up as ‘one of the most vivid accounts of a modern battle at sea ever written’.

To me Forester deftly demonstrates how a navy ship is the sum of all its parts and reliant on the men, that operate design and command. Published in 1943 the descriptive style might be a bit old fashioned for modern tastes, however I liked the emotion dripping from each page and gaining the understanding of what motivated each man internally. Based on the real life exploits of HMS Penelope, I would recommend for those enjoy naval stories. Forester is the author of many stories, including the Hornblower series and The African Queen.

Faith Hope and Charity by Kenneth Poolman

MY RATING: 3.5 of 5

This is the true story of Faith Hope and Charity, three planes that played a pivotal part in the siege of Malta during WW2. The biplanes where old and outdated but that did not stop them putting up a fight against the Italian airforce.

“We flew in on 7th June. It was like waking from a sweet dream into the heart of an earthquake. Scared? You never got time to be scared on Malta. What a show! Bombs whistling around your ears, Spits and Me’s weaving all over the sky, and once in a while some poor devil who hadn’t kept his tail clean spinning down in flames.”

First published in 1954 the book captures the efforts of the pilots, mechanics and military leaders, using every trick in the book to keep the planes in the air and making a difference to the overall outcome of WW2. Mussolini said he would take Malta in a day, how wrong can a man be. The tone is typical of its time and very poetic, this book is definitely one for air buffs to enjoy.

New copies of this book sell for $2,000+ alas my copy is from 1974 and was found in a long forgotten drawer in the family home. It is dog eared, musty and faded. There is an interesting blog post about the current state of the one surviving bi-planes, Faith and the efforts to restore her.

Sword and the Scimitar by David Ball

MY RATING: 4.5 of 5

Two ordinary maltese children, Maria and Nico end up leading extraordinary lives during the violent religious crusades of the 16th century. The book starts out when the youngest child, Nico is abducted by slavers from the cliffs of Malta. The story then spends 20 years around various ports of the Mediterranean, travels over to Paris, vividly captures the life of the knights in Malta and has a climatic ending with the Great Siege of 1565. It’s a hard book to put down.

Overall its an epic tale with romance, action and history all rolled in together. Delving into times I know so little about - turks, knights, Ottoman empire and Paris in the 16th century. The story delivers fascinating insights into these times. Both Nico and Maria became so real to me that during the great siege I even felt like I was fighting for my life.