The Tuscan Secret: An absolutely gripping, emotional, World War 2 historical novel

by Angela Petch

Book Overview

Il Mulino. An old crumbling mill, by a winding river, nestled in the Tuscan mountains. An empty home that holds memories of homemade pasta and Nonna's stories by the fire, and later: the Nazi invasion, and a family torn apart by a heartbreaking betrayal.

Anna is distraught when her beloved mother, Ines, passes away. She inherits a box of papers, handwritten in Italian and yellowed with...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1786819597
• ISBN13: 9781786819598
• Release Date: June 2019
• Publisher: Bookouture
• Length: 356 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

World war ll historical novel that is set in Italy.

A very Beautiful stunning story. That takes hold of you, that as you read it..you can see and feel and almost taste the powerful descriptions, of the beautiful Tuscan Mountains, the family memories, and the traditional dishes that are so part of Italian Families. Traditions that are passed down from generation to generation. The story unfolds between two time lines, the current being 1999 to the beginnings of world war ll in Italy. No way is it confusing and hard to follow, it's so beautifully told, I almost wish it would never end. The story starts in England, where Anna lives, by herself. Her elderly mother Ines, is sickly ...living in a nursing home. After Anna's mother, Ines, passes, she inherits a box of papers that are her mothers, that are old and yellowed, and written in Italian for the most part from a long time ago..up until Anna's fathers death, that are then written in English.The papers are her Mothers Diaries, none are in proper order, skipped years, half told stories, some even just scribbled out in a rush, telling the story of her life, from a young girl in the village of Rofelle, to her present story as a married women. Anna decides to take a trip to her mothers past, to learn about her family, her Mom, and how she met Anna's father during the war, as he was a British Air Force pilot. Although Anna has an older brother and sister, she never felt close to them, being such a span in their ages..and even though she was her parents last child at home, she would always hear from her mother how Anna was her very special gift and loved. Her Father on the other hand, was distant, and cranky, and argumentive with her mom all the time. Being abusive and mean to them both. He just never made her feel loved. In fact she wondered all these years, why her mother put up with an abusive husband, and never left him. As Anna is staying in Italy in a bed and breakfast sort of place, in the town where her mother grew up, she becomes like family to the brother and sister who own and run it. They help her explore the region and the old, still inhabited ancient village, where her mother lived, and where her family history is, even down to the dilapidated old stone mill her grandparents ran to make a living from. Granted it's just half a structure, but as she visits and walks around it she can feel its family history. As she becomes closer to Teresa and her Brother Francesco, especially Francesco, he offers to help translate the diaries, from the Italian, she can't read, into English, So to learn her mothers story. Francesco himself is a widower, his wife was tragically killed in a car accident, leaving behind his very young daughter, who is his whole life. Though she escaped the accident with only cuts and bruises, she stopped talking by choice. Francesco and Anna develop a romantic relationship futher into the story, and Anna who adores Francisco's daughter Alba, takes her on a picnic one day, and they are caught in a mud slide from the mountains on one side of them, from the previous days heavy rain fall. Anna gets Alba to safety, but she herself is being dragged down stream, as the ground she was standing on crumbles and sweeps her away. She grabs a tree root, and yells to Alba to take her mobile phone from the backpack and call aunt Teresa for help ...quickly. Anna doesn't know if infact Alba can find her voice and do this, but she prays she does before it's to late for them both. Alba DOES use her voice calls for help, and they are both rescued. Francesco is crazy with joy and fear realizing how this could have taken such a bad turn. As he calms down he is beyond happy that Alba is talking again and believes Anna was sent to them for this special reason. He cares for her deeply as she does him, and together they work, as a team to learn the true story of Anna's mother, and her whole family, and what happened during the war years, Ines's leaving, getting married, and the secrets that tore her family apart. EXQUISITE STORY !