BLOG TOUR - The Tuscan Girl

Today I am part of the Blog Tour for The Tuscan Girl by Angela Petch.

DESCRIPTION:

She ran away through the pine trees when the soldiers came. Staggering into the hiding place, she felt a fluttering in her belly, like a butterfly grazing its wings, and knew instantly she had something to fight for.

Present day: 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 near 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?

An absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking read that will sweep you away to the rugged mountains and lush olive groves of Tuscany. Fans of The Nightingale, Rhys Bowen and Julianne MacLean will be captivated.

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   The Tuscan Girl

Author:  Angela Petch

Genre:   Historical Fiction; Romance

Publisher:  Bookouture

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   346

Date of Publication:   February 25, 2020

My Rating:   5 Stars

Alba is devastated and plagued with guilt when her fiancé is killed in an accident. She thinks she will be able to regroup by heading to her childhood home in a very small village in the Tuscan valley. When she discovers a box filled with silverware, near the ruins of a house abandoned after the second World War, she finds direction. She wants to find the owners of the silverware.

One of the people she meets is an elderly man named Massimo. When Alba is speaking with him, the pain and sadness is evident in his face. Alba cannot let go, however, and speaks to Massimo yet again. The two find make a connection in their grief. More and more Massimo trusts Alba and he begins to tell her of a young girl he knew during the war named Lucia. This is where the story often switches to the past. Lucia was a brave young woman and changed Massimo's life forever.

What a mystery to be solved. However, it is heartbreaking. As the horrors of the war grew close to Lucia and Massimo they were not happy-go-lucky young lovers. Their love was fraught with heartbreak and danger. Alba finds ways to help Massimo to recount these memories, although it is clear his life cycle is nearing its end. I do love the decisions each of the main characters made throughout the story, but especially Alba.

The Tuscan Girl is a touching story that touches on yet a different aspect of the war. It never ceases to surprise me as I continue to read historical fiction novels on how many ways lives were affected and forever changed.  I did read The Tuscan Secret previously by Angela Petch and I fell in love with Tuscany then. She did another fantastic job of making the characters and the settings feel real to me. I enjoy her writing and look forward to reading much more as time goes on.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

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.

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