The Last Farewell: A Journey of the Heart

By:  Edmund Burke O’Connell, Co-authored by Julie Whitman Jones and Thomas J. Sullivan, Jr.

Xlibris - 2006

www.xlibris.com

ISBN:  Softcover:  978-1-4257-4186-0 - $21.99 and Hardcover: 978-1-4257-4187-7 - $31.99

Reviewed by Claudia Pemberton

“The Last Farewell:  A Journey of the Heart” is truly a journey.  It’s a journey not only of the heart, but an expedition through the history of World War II, and the picturesque landscape of Northern Italy as well.

This is a posthumous telling of SGT Edmund Burke O’Connell’s wartime efforts as a U.S. Army War Photographer, and the subsequent love story that developed amidst the devastation of a war-torn land.  The story is documented and co-authored by SGT O’Connell’s step daughter, Julie Whitman Jones, along with Navy veteran and newspaper reporter, Thomas J. Sullivan, Jr.

In 1939, O’Connell moved from his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee to Broadway in pursuit of his dream of becoming a theatrical actor.  He successfully landed supporting roles in several Broadway plays, and was the voice of a character on the popular children’s radio show, “Renfrew of the Mounted Police.” 

In early 1942, O’Connell was called to duty and assigned to the Signal Corps Photographic Center as a military newsreel scriptwriter, and would later become an official War Photographer. 

In August of 1944, while deployed to the city of Florence, Italy, O’Connell met the love of his life, Tina Calamai.  An immediate and mutual attraction prompted O’Connell to take every opportunity to steal away to spend time with Tina. His objective was made slightly easier by the fact that Tina’s family’s home, the Villa Calamai, had been deemed a wartime base of operation.

Against all odds, their love affair flourished for nearly a year.  Eventually came the end of the war, and O’Connell’s pending return to the states.  Vowing to reunite with the woman he loves, O’Connell returned home to Fort Dix, New Jersey in July of 1945, leaving his beloved Tina behind.

“The Last Farewell: A Journey of the Heart” is a detailed account of a beautiful love story.  It is told with the depth of understanding that only comes from the truth, delivered directly from the mouth and heart of the one who lived it.  The book is filled with an impeccable account of the Italian campaign of World War II.  The setting is so vividly described that the structures of Florence, and the countryside of Italy, are clearly visible on the pages. 

This book will appeal to lovers of autobiographies, WWII history buffs, and romantics alike.  It is a meticulously well-written piece of work, and perfectly edited.