The Girl from Venice by Siobhan Daiko
Publisher & Release: BooksGoSocial, June 29, 2021
Setting: WWII, Italy
Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 223 Pages
Rating: 5 Gold Crowns
Book Description:
From Siobhan Daiko, international bestselling author of The Orchid Tree, comes an epic new novel of love, betrayal, and finding where you truly belong. Set in Italy during World War II and the present day.
Perfect for readers of Dinah Jefferies, Kate Furnivall and Rhys Bowen.
Lidia De Angelis has kept a low profile since Mussolini's laws wrenched her from her childhood sweetheart. But when the Germans occupy Venice in 1943, 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 in London, 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.
Buy Link:
Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Girl-Venice-heart-breaking-page-turner-actual-ebook/dp/B093SRRM5D
FREE on Kindle Unlimited
Add to Goodreads & BookBub:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58013905-the-girl-from-venice
Vikki’s Musings
Thanks go to the author and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of The Girl from Venice by Siobhan Daiko. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this outstanding novel prior to publication. Sorry I missed that date, but life happens. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.
The Girl from Venice is a well written novel set during WWII and Germany’s occupation of Venice and in current times in 2010. The pacing pulled me in from the first page and kept me enthralled to the last. I enjoyed reading about this period of Italy’s history, and it’s clear Ms. Daiko did a tremendous amount of research.
Lidia De Angelis is the central character, and I enjoyed the steel in her backbone that helps her survive against all odds. Her determination to fight with the resistance is admirable, and her softer side comes through when she saves two young boys. What she suffered at the hands of the brown shirts is horrific, but she does not let it destroy her.
Charlotte is another primary character. She is Lidia’s granddaughter and is fascinated when she finds a Jewish prayer book and unopened letters, along with a photo of her grandmother and her friends, while going through Lidia’s belongings after her death. She’s as fiercely determined as her grandmother and sets out on a journey of discovery when she travels to Venice to learn why Lidia never talked of her experiences during WWII and her life in Venice.
While this is not a romance, it does have two emotional love stories interwoven through the plot, and I enjoyed both. Ms. Daiko’s writing is vivid and detailed. I could feel Lidia’s pain and anguish throughout her part of the story. I also enjoyed Charlotte’s character growth.
It you enjoy historical fiction set during WWII and like learning of another part of the devastation caused by Natzi Germany and Mussolini’s Fascist regime, then you will love The Girl from Venice as much as I did. I highly recommend this amazing novel. Happy reading!
Author Bio:
Born in Hong Kong, Siobhan Daiko is a British author and lover of all things Italian, She lives in the Veneto region of northern Italy with her husband, a Havanese puppy and two rescue cats. When not writing or researching historical fiction, Siobhan spends her time travelling around Europe whenever possible and enjoying the local food and wine.
Social Media:
Website: https://siobhandaiko.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AsolandoBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/siobhandaiko
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siobhandaiko_asolandobooks/?hl=en
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.it/SiobhanDaiko/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/siobhan-daiko
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091256.Siobhan_Daiko
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