Italy, 1943. A castle once full of love and laughter is left in ruins by the Nazis, as three sisters are torn apart by one terrible mistake...
New York, present day.
Broken by the loss of her beloved grandmother Annalisa, who raised her all alone,
Mia
is shocked when she finds an old letter sent from Italy in her belongings. Annalisa never told Mia about the magnificent, vine-covered castle on
Isola di Parissi
where she spent one long summer under the Italian stars. Or that she was accused of something terrible in the darkest days of World War Two...
Arriving on the stunning Italian coast just a boat ride away from Parissi, Mia is devastated to find the island closed to visitors. Desperate to find out what her grandmother was hiding, she finds dark and brooding local guide
Leo
, who promises to help her sneak in.
As they explore the crumbling castle surrounded by lush olive groves, Mia begins to fall in love with passionate Leo and the beautiful country he calls home. And soon they find handwritten notes hidden in the walls, which confirm her grandmother's heartbreaking story. Annalisa arrived on the island with her two sisters but was forced to abandon them when the Nazis invaded.
Mia soon realizes that the accusation against Annalisa might be true, and that Leo has his own reasons for wanting to dig up her family's past.
The terrible mistake Annalisa made tore apart the island community. Will it force Mia to leave Leo, and Italy, forever?
An epic, heart-wrenching tale based on the incredible true story of an island at war. Fans of Lucinda Riley, Fiona Valpy and Victoria Hislop will be utterly gripped.
What readers are saying about
Secrets of the Italian Island
:
'
This book will captivate you.
' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Totally
enchanting
. I was
immediately under the spell
of the characters, it's
gorgeous
setting and the fast-paced plot...
will capture your heart
.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'The epitome of
enchanting... phenomenal... magic
...
I cannot recommend it enough
. I even stopped reading halfway through to check to see if there would be more in the series.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐