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reader is engaged by a harrowing description of the brutality of war. A young lad is being tortured in the village school by traitorous Italians. We don’t know who and we don’t know why.
The author then changes pace, changes the timeline and changes the country. Anna has recently lost her mother, Ines. A parcel arrives.
“A cardboard box, the lid tied down with an old shoelace. Inside a brown envelope bears her name, written in her mother’s flowery handwriting. There are notebooks, bundles of papers rolled up in a perished elastic band and a piece of folded fabric. A sheet of lined notepaper, cheap and old-fashioned, with a spray of violets printed in the corner.”
These are diaries, handwritten in Italian, from her mother. This is a story about secrets, confessions and a mother’s dying wish for her daughter to know the truth. “Do with it what you will.” These are her mother’s haunting instructions. We follow Anna to Rofelle, in Tuscany where she begins her own journey of self-discovery and starts to uncover family mysteries with the help of Francesco, a local widowed lecturer who translates the diaries for her. The story flows effortlessly between timelines and unfurls, just like the bundles of notes, yellowed with age. The more of the diary Anna reads, the more she starts to understand her mother’s life during the war. The reader too, is drawn into a world of poverty, conflict, and hardship. In 1944, the world was locked into a bloody battle with perpetrators and victims on both sides. The author describes the fear of Ines’ family who is hiding a wounded English soldier in their barn.
“We can’t do this. It’s too dangerous. There are too many Germans around. There were ten women, children and old men butchered in Gattara in retaliation for the Partiagiani killing one German soldier. There is no telling who is spying on us at any one moment.”
The author pays tribute to the sacrifices and fortitude of many Italians who helped captured English soldiers, gave them food and shelter. Ines, herself, becomes one of those who risks her own safety to help the cause. Not surprisingly Ines and the Englishman fall in love and marry. Yet, this is only part of the story. At only eighteen years old, Ines leaves Italy to start a new life with her husband. Her new English mother and father-in-law accept her up to a point but her initial experiences are overwhelming. The way of life, customs, behaviours and even the food are completely alien to her and her husband does little to assuage this. The love that she thought she had found proves to be short-lived. The touches of pathos, are invoked by the author in describing the suffering and misery she endures in her marriage but convention at the time dictated that marital problems were concealed. Ines just had to get on with it.
“The poor woman went through the war in Italy, then had another type of personal war to deal with in England. I wish she’d been able to talk to me properly about her life.”
“She is doing it now, with her story,” says Franceso.
As more of the diary is revealed, Anna learns that when her mother returned to Rofelle, some years later to visit her family, she had a clandestine encounter with an old friend, the consequences of which were far-reaching and is a significant part of the story. Keeping a secret can be a burden and the harm comes from having to live with it. We hope that for Anna, the truth is enlightening. Her troubled childhood, conflict, her mother’s often detached attitude and her father’s coldness and aggression. Can the truth vindicate the past?
Why I recommend this book
Highly recommended. I loved this book. It is a book of fiction but was inspired by the author’s mother in law, Giuseppina Micheli who fell in love with an English Captain when they met in Urbino in 1944. The story unfolds on so many levels. An old mill, a wartime love story, an abusive marriage, the ruthless killing of a son and brother to Ines. A mistrustful and bitter old man called Danilo who refuses at first to talk to Anna about the past yet clearly he must remember Ines, her mother.
We revel in the beautiful Tuscan scenery as the background and setting of The Tuscan Secret deliver an authentic journey into the region, past and present due in part to the author’s connection and knowledge of Italian life. No story set in Italy could be complete without talking about regional food.
“Roast peppers, courgettes and aubergines, home-made cappelletti. For the main course, a whole roast suckling pig served with potatoes from the orto roasted in olive oil and rosemary. Nasturtiums, borage, marigold petals arranged in a salad with dandelion leaves and wild sorrel.”
Italian customs, words, and phrases from everyday life are incorporated. She creates a two-dimensional story, one from the 1940s and one in the present day. Impeccable research of historical facts as well as personal memoirs from local people skilfully woven into this moving story not only demonstrates the author’s passion for accuracy but adds a credible and convincing component
The author’s descriptive skill transports the reader and Anna back in time to see the place where her mother lived.
“When her eyes adapt to the gloom, Anna makes out a cracked stone sink under the window. She tries to imagine her grandmother washing pots while looking out at the forest. Discarded on the floor are a broken colander with one leg missing and a ladle without a handle. Plaster crumbles from the walls. A crucifix hangs above an old metal bed frame holding a mouse-nibbled mattress”
Metaphorically speaking, the diaries become a medium by which Anna can unlock the past and not only find her own place in the world but create it. She discovers something more than just heritage - her mother’s bravery and fortitude as well as her mother’s misery and sorrow.
“Starting my mother’s diary is like stepping into a new world for me. I wish I’d been able to appreciate the life she left behind and to understand her.”
Anna’s journey connects with the ghosts of the past to make sense of her own life. We cannot rewrite the past but there is a gentle flow in the book towards perception, understanding and forgiveness. Love may not be eternal but hope and happiness are attainable.
As Oscar Wilde wrote
“The final mystery is oneself!”
Two women – Ines, her daughter Anna – share tangled family histories. Ines has recently died and leaves to Anna some money and a box of diaries. Written in Italian, Anna cannot decipher the diaries so decides to leave behind her own unsatisfactory love life and use her mother’s money to travel to Rofelle in Tuscany. Why did Ines leave idyllic Roffele, what secrets did she write in the diaries, and how did she come to marry an Englishman.
This is a dual timeline story which switches back and forth between mother and daughter. Anna arrives in Rofelle where she moves into an agriturismo and gets to know its owner Teresa and her brother Francesco. Anna’s Italian soon proves inadequate so Francesco introduces her to the locals and translates the diary in sections. Ines’ story is presented to the reader as her diary though it reads as narrative complete with dialogue. Ines is a teenager, helping her mother, longing to be with her brother Davide who is with their schoolfriend Capriolo, fighting in the mountains. Then one day, they help an injured English soldier who is trying to escape enemy territory.
I found myself looking forward to Ines’ sections and almost wished the story was completely hers. Rofelle is located in the Apennine mountains, home to resistance fighters and the route for allied soldiers escaping the Germans. The experience of the local people – the urge to fight, the need to survive, the duty to help fleeing soldiers, the threat of atrocities by the occupying German army – sets up impossible choices. I love any world war two story and especially those about an area with which I’m unfamiliar.
I struggled with the character of Jim who is thinly sketched and affected by huge events off the page. The author keeps these a secret from the reader as Jim kept them hidden from Ines, but it does make him an unsympathetic character. This feels like a potential heavyweight war novel hidden beneath a layer of romance which, as nice as it is, feels light and predictable in comparison.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/
Her trip to Italy might be her only way of having that diary translated. Even more, Anna wants to learn the beautiful language. As sad as Anna is to have lost Ines, the box of letters just might teach her more about her mother, and that is a gift in itself. Considering the fact that Anna and Ines always experienced a difficult relationship, deciphering the diary might bring Anna peace. Furthermore, there are things about the war that Anna never understood.
One of the first things that Anna learns is that her mother's having kept a diary could have been really dangerous for anyone concerned had it ended up in the wrong hands. Those are a few of the only words written in English. So Anna is more than intrigued. As Anna begins to learn about the contents of the diary, she starts to understand more about her father, and this is important to her.
When Anna arrives in Tuscany, she is immediately befriended by the owners of a bed and breakfast, two siblings. Imagine Anna's shock when one of the first thing she discovers is that her mother had a brother named Davide. Quite naturally, Anna wonders why her parents never spoke of him.
This news to Anna is only the tip of the iceberg, as layer upon layer of facts and detail are revealed. This includes explaining the fact that her father had PTSD, although the diagnosis was not named at that time. Growing up in England, decades after the war, left Anna seemingly unaffected by those tragic times. Sadly, Anna learns this was not the case with her mother and her family. What sadness!
Something else happens to Anna while she is in Tuscany. She draws rather close to Francesco. This is surprising to her, because she certainly did not go to Italy to begin a romantic relationship. What a nice addition to a otherwise touching story.
No doubt Angela Petch did extensive research while writing this book. This is a book that definitely made me think, and books like this are definitely keepers. This was truly an emotional read that had me captivated. There were some difficult passages for sure, especially concerning Anna's father. Not only is the story itself something to remember, it is the descriptive style in which the author writes about Tuscany that has definitely left an impression. This impressive story has an absolutely wonderful ending.
This book was originally published as Tuscan Roots. I do believe that the sequel, Now and Then in Tuscany, is being worked on. I cannot wait to read that book!
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
I really enjoyed this perfectly paced historical novel. It was set in current time and during WWII Tuscany and the two were connected by diaries, written during and after the war.
When Anna's mother, Ines, dies, she leaves her daughter some cash and a series of diaries. Anna decides to take a trip to Tuscany, where her mother was born and lived, until she moved to England after the war. Unfortunately the diaries were in Italian and Anna's skills in the language are not up to translation, so she has to find someone to translate for her. This was a great tool to allow gradual dissemination of the content and the life of Ines amongst the Partisans.
I loved that this was based on true events, along with considerable research, and the narrative felt very real. I was totally immersed in the lives of both the historical and the present-day characters and although I did guess the ending, I would have been disappointed if the author had ended it any other way.
There was also an interesting side-story, relating to a child who had selective mutism, since the death of her mother.
The book evoked wonderful images of the tastes and smells of Italy, alongside traumatic wartime images. A powerful combination.
Lovely narration by Ellie Heydon.
Anna is distraught when her beloved mother, Ines, passes away. She inherits a box of papers, handwritten in Italian and yellowed with age, and a tantalising promise that the truth about what happened during the war lies within.
The diaries lead Anna to the small village of Rofelle, where she slowly starts to heal as she explores sun-kissed olive groves, and pieces together her mother’s past: happy days spent herding sheep across Tuscan meadows cruelly interrupted when World War Two erupted and the Nazis arrived; fleeing her home to join the Resistenza; and risking everything to protect an injured British soldier who captured her heart. But Anna is no closer to learning the truth: what sent Ines running from her adored homeland?
When she meets an elderly Italian gentleman living in a deserted hamlet, who flinches at her mother’s name and refuses to speak English, Anna is sure he knows more about the devastating secret that tore apart her mother’s family. But in this small Tuscan community, some wartime secrets were never meant to be uncovered…
This was an emotional read. I really wasn't expecting to become as invested as I did!
*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
When Ines died she left her diaries to her daughter Anna. There was a large family estate left to the older brother Harry and jewelry left to her sister Jane. Mom knew Anna would appreciate the diaries. When you get midway through you’ll understand the importance of the diaries and secrets they hold.
The old diary entries and time in present day Italy was interesting. The parts about Ines after she moved to England was sad but set the plot for important revelations.
Once Anna arrives in Italy you can see what is going happen by chapter four when Anna is annoyed by the good looking Francesco who becomes a guide. Anyone? Hands raised that we go from annoyance to an attraction she wants to deny to full blown love.
I love the cover, such a beautiful setting. Also the Italian dialogue throughout was a great authentic touch.
This book seemed familiar yet I know I couldn’t have read it. It won’t be published until June 26, 2019. As I read more and enjoyed the descriptive passages about the food and setting in Perugia Italy, it clicked why this was so familiar. The premise is so very similar to The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen which I read in February of 2018.
In fairness The Tuscan Child plot involved only one adult daughter and it was the deceased father who left an inheritance of old love letters from Italy. Also during WW II and also involving an old house. This is indeed a different story just very similar. If you are a fan of books set in Italy and the split time line spilling the secrets of the past, you will enjoy this book.
Foodie items include fresh chicken and polenta, Cibatta, black olives, pecorino cheese, ravili with chicken beast, leon zest and nutmeg, aubergines, wine – lots of wine. The English foods include Toad in the hole, battered sausages, Yorkshire pudding, Victoria sponge cake, apple pie, fruitcake.
Sharing with Heather for her June Foodie Reads and Joy for British Isles Friday as the author is British and part of the setting is in England.
Much thanks to Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. Publication date is June 26, 2019. I will look for more by this author. All opinions are mine and I was not compensated for this review.
Over tea - Mavis has a strong tea referred to as "builder's brew", and Dot a lapsang souchong - they find they have a common interest in rummaging in charity shops and arrange to meet again.
As their friendship develops they encounter a number of colourful individuals who become part of their "extended family". On Christmas Day, the whole ragtag bunch of them arrive at Dot's bungalow to eat, drink and make merry together. After her guests have gone, Dot ponders how different her life is this year, compared to last year, with her new friends, and she obviously feels blessed.
This is a touchingly-told, happy-ending story which had me smiling both with, and at, Mavis and Dot for different reasons. Mavis has a tendency to malapropisms to great comic effect. My favourite is her mistaken word for "Fascinator"! The images that conjured up... And then there is Dot. Dot appears rather aloof and rigid in her views, but as we get to know her, we see a much softer side of this indomitable woman.
I thoroughly enjoyed walking beside Mavis and Dot as they made new friends and had new experiences, and I think you will too.
My thanks to author Angela Petch for a free digital copy of this book to review.
I thought this was a really lovely, feel-good story. I suspect Mavis is many readers' favourite, but I have a soft spot for Dot. I loved her ex-colonial background and how she had retained her love of Africa every since. I really enjoyed the little snippets dropped into the story about what her life there had been like. That's not to say I didn't love Mavis too, because I did. She's great fun and has no inhibitions, which made for a lot of fun as I read.
There are many other likeable characters too, friends and neighbours, people they meet along the way. And there's Malaika, Dot's dog, who is a sweetheart.
There's lots of fun in this story. The two ladies go on an eventful Italian holiday and Mavis finds herself in some, well let's say, interesting situations back at home. But there's also some serious storylines and some sadness too. Both aspects are perfectly balanced so that just when I was feeling a bit sad, along would come something much more happy. That's what life is like, though, isn't it?
Whilst not a Christmas book, there is a lovely bit that takes place during the festive season and so, if you fancy a story of friendship for this time of the year then you could do no better than to choose Mavis and Dot.
It's a book full of warmth, which made me giggle but also made me stop and think. You can't ask for much more in a book, can you?
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I've known of the internment camps in the States, but not in England. Very sad, and yet, out of these comes a great read.
We travel from England to Italy, Sicily, and meet some great characters, from totally different backgrounds. Lady Joy, she comes from an aristocratic life, and Savio, a man born in England of immigrant parents. What do these two have in common, well we are there to see their relationship bloom.
We flash forward to the 1970's and a young woman named Paige gets devastating news, and we wonder how she plays into this story.
I loved how the author wove this read together, full of facts and danger, but you really don't know whom is the enemy.
A different WWII story, and I'll be looking for more by Angela Petch!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bookouture, and was not required to give a positive review.