Daughters of Tuscany by Siobhan Daiko
Genres: Historical Fiction
Two women, one community, everyone’s war…
With the arrival of English prisoners of war on Marchese Ginori’s farmhouse estate, Rosa is immediately wary. Her husband was killed by the Allies and she will not trust any inglesi around her daughter.
The marchese’s daughter, Emma, is thankful for the extra help. Especially when Italian soldiers are forced into hiding, fleeing the Nazis. Emma vows to protect her childhood best friend, Marco, at any cost.
It’s a dangerous time to be harbouring fugitives, and as the POWs prove their allegiance in helping the Italian men, Rosa begins to become close to one in particular – an alluring Scotsman named Tom.
Both women will do what it takes to protect their loved ones, but daring to hope for a better future in wartime is a dangerous dream. And what starts as a quest to keep their men safe soon turns into a mission to save their whole community…
A sweeping tale of love, loss and hope in times of strife, perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Rhys Bowen and Kristin Hannah
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Review
This is the latest compelling novel from historical fiction author Siobhan Daiko. The captivating story explores themes of love, loss, community, and hope, all set against the war-torn yet still beautiful valleys of Tuscany. It’s a must-read for fans of historical fiction. While I am new to the author I am not to this genre and enjoy it from time to time.
Siobhan Daiko’s passion for Italy and its wartime stories shines in this book, making her one of my new favorite authors in this genre. while this particular genre can sometimes be rather hard-hitting and serious (death and doom) I did like that this one offered a bit of a lighter side.
We get to see how life goes on for those who are living and working in some of the remote parts of Italy even though there is a war going on. As an American, I haven’t nor do I know anyone who really experienced this on a daily basis. Other than stories from soldiers we don’t have the experience of this. We can only get it through books. These people are responsible for farming the land and producing food for their communities despite the German occupation, bombardments, and the risks faced by their loved one fighting. It was portrayed very well in this book.
Emma and Rosa are young women from different backgrounds that highlighted how the war affected various groups in Italy. Both women’s journeys to find unexpected love were beautifully written. I will say I enjoyed this so much.
Meet the Author
About Siobhan Daiko
Siobhan Daiko is a British historical fiction author. A lover of all things Italian, she lives in the Veneto region of northern Italy with her husband, a Havanese dog and a Siberian cat. Siobhan was born of English parents in Hong Kong, attended boarding school in Australia, and then moved to the UK — where she taught modern foreign languages in a Welsh high school. She now spends her time writing page-turners and living the dolce vita sweet life near Venice. Her novels are compelling, poignant, and deeply moving, with strong characters and evocative settings, but always with romance at their heart. You can find more about her books on her website www.siobhandaiko.org
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