The Girl from Lake Maggiore by Siobhan Daiko

 

Young Italian woman Giulia Leone lives on the shores of Lake Maggiore in Northern Italy. Her father runs a hotel and amongst the guests are some Jewish people, including Ester who is her best friend. It is 1943 and the Germans approaching Giulia and her family come up with a plan to help their Jewish guests, but it all goes terribly wrong. Giulia is the only person to escape. She doesn't know what happened to any of them, including her own parents, and now she finds herself on the German's wanted list. 

After finding a safe house for a while, it soon becomes clear that the Germans are still determined to find her. She therefore has no choice but to head to the hills and join a small band of partisans who are lead by Raffaele, the son of the hotel manager. Raffaele resents being lumbered with a spoilt rich girl but soon he begins to appreciate her willingness to work hard for the cause. However, she is not always keen to follow orders, especially as she is determined to find out what happened to her friends and her parents, 

Lake Maggiore straddles the border between Italy and Switzerland so you can see why people would head to that area in the hope of being able to escape from persecution, and if you have a look at the pictures it looks like a gorgeous part of Italy. I was glad to see that there were moments where the characters could appreciate the views, even if it was just for a fleeting moment

I do enjoy the stories that Siobhan Daiko brings us. This is the fifth book featuring Girls and each is set in a different region and often the stories are based on true events from WWII. They aren't strictly a series given that there aren't recurring characters. I have read The Girl from Venice, from Sicily and now from Lake Maggiore (as well as some of her other books set in Italy) but I still need to read Portofino and Bologna. I think I own both of them. Actually though, my introduction was through one of her book set in the Pacific theatre of war and I would love it if we got another story from there. 

This time though, the book didn't work as well as it might have. Some of the dialogue seemed somewhat simplistic and it detracted from the overall reading experience. It could be that it is not that different from previous books but I did really notice it this time.

Will I still be reading the next book from this author. Most likely! 

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here.

Rating 3.5/5

Blog Tour: The Girl from Sicily by Siobhan Daiko

 

When Jess find out that she has received an inheritance from her grandmother, she is most surprised. She had never met or even spoken to her grandmother. There was a big rift between her mother and grandmother and it is something that was not ever spoken about, so Jess has no idea what caused the rift.

The inheritance is a baglio, a farmhouse on the island of Sicily. Jess does have the option to refuse the inheritance, but she does need to visit the small town before making that decision. There she meets some family who are pleasant enough, but it is clear that there is some kind of weird vibe. And then there are some threats. Jess has no idea what any of that is about. She also meets Piero, a local man with a couple of kids. Whilst there is an attraction between them Jess is not in any hurry to pursue a relationship for a number of reasons. She doesn't know if she is going to accept the inheritance, she has a career in the UK and he lives in Sicily, and she is still going through a painful divorce.

Alternating with Jess' story, we learn about her grandmother's story. Lucia was originally raised in America but her family returned to Sicily and now that is home. She is surprised when one of her childhood friends turns up. Gero is helping the US Army by building relationships with influential business leaders and families in the area. At first, Lucia resists Gero's charms, but soon she needs his assistance to avoid a nasty situation. In the meantime, Lucia's twin brother Dinu, has been trying to get an in with the local mafioso, leading him down a path that has long term consequences for his extended family including Lucia and even Jess.

I have read a few books by this author now, and I have liked them all. I think the strength of this one is in the choice of subject matter. It was really interesting to read the history of the Sicilian mafia, and especially how the Allies used them for assistance during WWII. A lot of the characters in the book are based on real life stories, even the one that seems the most fictional!

The author also did a really good job at bringing the town to life, along with the food and drink culture of the area. When we visited Italy a couple of years ago, we were originally planning to go to Sicily, but we couldn't make it work! Maybe next time!

This is the fourth book in what is being called the Girls of the Italian Resistance series. I have read the first and fourth books, but not the two in the middle. I wouldn't let the fact that this is the fourth book in the series put you off if you haven't read the previous ones. The only connection really is that the books are set in different parts of Italy and are set in WWII. As far as I can tell, there is no other connection between the books. I do have the two that I haven't read yet so I will try to read them at some point.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge when I host here. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 4/5

About the Book

The Girl From Sicily

Lucia loved her brother Dinu to the depths of her soul, but she also worried about him. He was intelligent yet ambitious, resilient yet hot-headed, and there was a dark side to him that could lead him into terrible trouble one day.

Sicily, 1943: Lucia and her twin brother Dinu have always been inseparable, but their bond is threatened when Gero, the son of close family friends in America, arrives in their village. Although she finds herself developing feelings for him, Lucia worries about Gero’s dangerous connections and their influence on her brother.

As the chaos of World War II closes in, Lucia must navigate love and loyalty to make a difficult choice. Will she risk that the consequences of her decision could bring untold horrors and affect her family for decades to come?

2005: When Jess inherits a baglio, an ancient feudal farmhouse in Sicily, from the grandmother she never knew, she’s determined to uncover the truth about her family’s hidden past. Following the death of her parents and on the brink of divorce, Jess travels to the island alone. There, with the help of a charming Sicilian, she embarks on a quest to unearth a web of long-buried secrets.

But answers come at a price, and Jess must decide if she’s ready to confront a truth that could change everything…

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/GirlfromSicily

About the Author

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.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @SiobhanDaiko

Twitter: @siobhandaiko

Instagram: @siobhandaiko_books

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SiobhanDaikoNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/siobhan-daiko

Blog Tour: The Girl from Venice by Siobhan Daiko

 

When Charlotte's beloved grandmother dies, she takes on the duty of clearing out her home where she finds several unopened letters from an address in Venice. Charlotte's mother is distant but she was very close to her grandmother, and she wants to find out where her grandmother came from. She is aware that her grandmother was Italian, but that is all she knows. Her grandmother refused to talk about anything in her previous life. Charlotte therefore decides to follow the clues and heads to Venice.

Lidia de Angelis and her father live in Venice. He is a doctor and Lidia is studying to follow in his footsteps. When Lidia is excluded from university because she is Jewish, and her closest friends decide to leave, her father still doesn't believe that they are in any danger. When he is arrested Lidia goes into hiding, staying with a farming family and assuming a new identity.

Now known as Elena, she lives and works with the family, until she catches the eye of a blackshirt. Determined to protect her Elena is moved into the partisan encampment on the local mountain. With her medical skills and her excellent English she quickly becomes an integral part of the partisan organisation. 

The author takes very familiar dual timeline story elements - a family member finding old letters/photos/etc and then tracks them back to their secret life. What elevates this particular take is the setting which is in Venice and the nearby region of Veneto. The tragic events that are portrayed in the book are based on true events and the author doesn't hold back. There is no whitewashing of the events, particularly the events later in the book which are so vividly and graphically portrayed.

Generally one aspect of a dual timeline is stronger than the other. For me, that is usually the historical aspect, and that was true of this book. I liked Charlotte's story, enjoyed her connecting with some of the people who knew her grandmother and helped her unravel the hidden story. I also didn't mind the relationships that developed over the course of the book, although there was a bit of insta-love and good fortune.

Despite the tragic events portrayed, this was still a very quick read. I was able to finish it in a couple of hours while I was on a train trip to the country.

Venice is calling me at the moment. Over the last weekend I have watched three shows all about spending time in Venice and then I read this book. I have warned my husband already that we might want to start thinking about a trip to Venice next time we go to Europe, whenever that might happen. I would be keen to find some of the memorials that are mentioned, particularly the memorial to the Shoah in the Venetian Ghetto 

This isn't my first book by this author. However, the previous book was set in Hong Kong, so it is interesting to see the author moving between these two settings. Her next book is once again set in Italy, this time in Portofino. I definitely plan to read her next books, regardless of whether they are set in European or Asian WWII theatres of war.

This read counts from the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host. Nice to have a read to link up this month!

Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.

About the book

The Girl from Venice

1943

Lidia De Angelis has kept a low profile since Mussolini’s laws wrenched her from her childhood sweetheart. But when the Germans occupy Venice, she must flee the city to save her life.

Lidia joins the partisans in the Venetian mountains, where she meets David, an English soldier fighting for the same cause. As she grows closer to him, harsh German reprisals and Lidia’s own ardent patriotic activities threaten to tear them apart.

Decades later

While sorting through her grandmother’s belongings after her death, Charlotte discovers a Jewish prayer book, unopened letters written in Italian, and a fading photograph of a group of young people in front of the Doge’s Palace.

Intrigued by her grandmother’s refusal to talk about her life in Italy before and during the war, Charlotte travels to Venice in search of her roots, There, she learns not only the devastating truth about her grandmother’s past, but also some surprising truths about herself.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/girlfromvenicesocial

About the author

Siobhan Daiko writes powerful and sweeping historical fiction set in Italy during the second World War, with strong women at its heart. She now lives near Venice, having been a teacher in Wales for many years.

Social Media Links –

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/siobhan.daiko.author

Twitter https://twitter.com/siobhandaiko

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/siobhandaiko_asolandobooks/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SiobhanDaikoNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/siobhan-daiko