The Tuscan Girl by Angela Petch

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a half.

Publication date - 25th February 2020

Publisher - Bookouture

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When her fiancé is tragically killed in an accident, twenty-six-year-old Alba is convinced she’s to blame. Heavy with grief and guilt, she flees to her childhood home – the tiny village of Rofelle, nestled in a remote Tuscan valley. Out hiking one day to fill the long, lonely hours, she finds a mahogany box filled with silverware, hidden in the vine-covered ruins of an isolated house left abandoned after World War II. Could finding the rightful owner ease Alba’s heartache, and somehow make amends for her own wrongs?

In search of answers, Alba meets Massimo, an elderly man who wants to spend his final years pruning his fruit trees, alone with his painful memories. His face turns pale when Alba brings up the war, but she senses that their shared grief connects them. An unlikely friendship grows as little by little Massimo speaks of Lucia: a wild young girl with sparkling eyes who fell in love with an enemy soldier, bravely stole precious Italian treasures back from Nazi occupiers, and whose selfless courage and sacrifice altered the course of the war – and Massimo’s life.

With each visit, Alba gets closer to unravelling the mystery of the silver, and they both start putting their ghosts to rest. But there’s one part of Lucia’s story that Massimo might never be able to share – and he’s running out of time. Has Alba churned up emotions that are too painful to ever confront? Or, will unearthing a wartime secret that has lain buried for generations finally bring Massimo peace?

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Review

This was a beautiful and thought-provoking book and was an utter joy to read. You can feel her love for Tuscany radiate off the page and it has made me want to visit the area even more! But it was the characters which made this book sing, they are so beautiful in their souls.

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When it comes to history I am very much interested in individuals lives, especially when it comes to war. I don’t really care about battles and manoeuvres, it’s about how people coped with the circumstances surrounding the war. The passages where we see Massimo in the Italian POW camps were of interest as although I was aware of them, I didn’t know a lot about them. I wasn’t aware they were allowed to be billeted out to farms etc and enjoy free time out of the camps. I also knew nothing I am embarrassed to admit about the how the war played out on Italian soil. But this is what makes great historical fiction in my mind, you learn from it! Yes it is fiction, but the best versions are extensively researched and based on real events. They allow the reader to feel as if they have lived in the period and encourage them to find out more after they have finished the book. This was definitely the case in this instance!

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The true love story in my opinion here (and therefore probably wrong!) is that of Alba and Massimo. There are not many young people who would instantly start caring for an old man who was essentially a stranger at the beginning of the book and also want to listen to their war stories! The bond between these characters was heart warming and gave me a sense of hope for the world! Corny I know but hey 🤷‍♀️! It made me think back to my relationship with my Gran and how towards the end of her life I started to record her oral history about her experiences. It was a time I loved with her.

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The only reason I haven’t given this 5⭐️ is mainly due to the inclusion of the ‘ghost’ storyline. I didn’t feel as if the narrative needed it. But then maybe it is because I don’t believe in these things myself! Also how did the box end up where it did as surely it was still by his bed when Quinto was captured on that last night?! But if that’s my only niggle about this book that is an amazing sign!

Author Bio.

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.