The Tuscan House by Angela Petch
Corbello, Italy, 1947. A woman and a little boy stagger into the ruins of an old house deep in the forest, wild roses overwhelming the crumbling terracotta walls. Since the war, nowhere has been safe. But they both freeze in shock when a voice calls out from the shadows…
For young mother Fosca Sentino, accepting refuge from reluctant British war hero Richard – in Tuscany to escape his tragic past – is the only way to keep her little family safe. She once risked everything to spy on Nazi commanders and pass secret information to the resistenza. But after a heartbreaking betrayal, Fosca’s best friend Simonetta disappeared without trace. The whole community was torn apart, and now Fosca and her son are outcasts.
Wary of this handsome stranger at first, Fosca slowly starts to feel safe as she watches him play with her son in the overgrown orchard. But her fragile peace is shattered the moment a silver brooch is found in the garden, and she recognises it as Simonetta’s…
Fosca has always suspected that another member of the resistenza betrayed her. With Richard by her side, she must find out if Simonetta is still alive, and clear her own name. But how did the brooch end up at the house? And with a traitor hiding in the village, willing to do anything to keep this secret buried, has Fosca put herself and her young son in terrible danger?
An absolutely gripping and heartbreaking page-turner that explores the incredible courage of ordinary people in extraordinary times. Perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen, The Nightingale, and anyone longing to lose themselves in the mountain landscapes and olive groves of rural Tuscany.
About the author.
I’m an award winning writer of fiction – and the occasional poem.
Every summer I move to Tuscany for six months where my husband and I own a renovated watermill which we let out. When not exploring our unspoilt corner of the Apennines, I disappear to my writing desk at the top of our converted stable.
In my Italian handbag or hiking rucksack I always make sure to store notebook and pen to jot down ideas.
The winter months are spent in Sussex where most of our family live. When I’m not helping out with grandchildren, I catch up with writer friends.
Review
Angela has a talent when it comes to writing about Tuscany. It evokes everything I imagine about it - the heat, the warm people, the landscape and oh my the food! Plus, the historical detail and richness in her books and especially ‘The Tuscan House’ is outstanding.
Richard has returned to Tuscany and in particular, a small village called Corbella, to help exorcise his demons from the war. He is a pacifist but volunteered as a medical orderly and was based in the area. He buys an old tobacco house and begins to restore it. One evening a young woman, Fosca, returns to the area with her son. She used to live in the house during the war and was part of the resistance against fascism and nazism. When a body is found on the grounds of the house she suspects it's that of her friend and fellow resistance fighter Simonetta. What follows is a story of how people cope with loss in different ways, their determination to fight for justice and peace, a little bit of hope and love.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it fully transported me to a world I don't know a lot about. I love historical fiction that can do this for a reader, but also teach them new things at the same time. I don't know a lot about the Italian resistance - my first introduction was probably through Angela’s previous books. But Angela also tends to focus on the parts of history that I love - the people, the social history of the time. It's little things like the way the women washed their clothes in the fountains, the types of clothes they wear and their fears and trials through the war. At times it's heartbreaking. There was one scene in particular that I gasped at its brutality but then you remember that events like this did happen. Although this is a fictionalised account it's based on real events not less than a hundred years ago.
Angela writes some of the best historical fiction out there and this is no exception. I thoroughly recommend this.
