I have been a long time Tessa Harris fan! I read a few of her standalone books over the years and always feel like it was time well spent! I have also enjoyed her mystery series! It’s rare when an author can seamlessly cross over between different genres! She writes with knowledge on several topics and I have been looking forward to this one since I was first approached about it! I couldn’t wait to check it out!
This book takes us to Italy during WWII and gives us interesting insight into the resistance movement in Italy during that time. I don’t really have much background knowledge about the politics of Italy at the time or where they fit into WWII. Most of my own interest and research has been limited to England, France and Germany during this time. However when I saw this book was going to be set in Italy with this kind of new to me history, I was totally on board to review it!
Lately I have been kind of in this reading funk. The books I have been reading have been mostly by authors that I know I will love, but even then I have been so bogged down with work that reading has been difficult. But this book was one that I was anticipating for so long that I made sure I had time and room for it on my calendar and I am so glad that I did because it offered the escape that I desperately needed!
Summary
A country at war. An impossible choice. A woman who will risk everything to be free.
Tuscany, 1942: having moved from England to the beautiful city of Lucca before the outbreak of war, Lizzie Thorton adores her job as tutor to eight-year-old Cristo – despite the fact that his father, Count Antonio de Falco, is a notable fascist and supporter of Mussolini.
Then war is declared, and Lizzie is suddenly regarded as an enemy in the country she loves so much. When new tutor Vincenzo Baldini arrives, Lizzie is exposed to a new secret world; Vincenzo is actually a member of the Italian resistance, running an anti-fascist propaganda magazine. Lizzie, desperate to be part of the fight, joins Vincenzo’s unit, and soon she is head over heels in love.
But when someone from her past reappears and threatens to overturn her new life, Lizzie must decide if she has the strength to fight for what, and who, she truly wants.
Based on true events, The Tuscan Daughter is an utterly sweeping and heartbreaking story of one woman’s resilience, courage, and determination in the face of fascism, perfect for fans of Mandy Robotham and Kate Quinn. (summary from Goodreads)
Review
This book made me feel transported! I loved learning about this interesting time in history from the lens of a different region. This book is based on a true story which I enjoyed even more! But with books based on a true story, there comes a certain amount of obligation to tell their stories accurately. As I mentioned I didn’t know much about the politics of Italy during this time and I really enjoyed reading about this It was very clear that the author did her research and wanted to accurately represent these characters and their stories! I thought she really hit the mark with this book and did justice to the real life stories of each character as well as the historic time period.
I also really enjoyed the message of courage, endurance, and resilience in this book. I thought these qualities really shined in the characters, especially Lizzie. She was brave and I loved how her spirit really came through in every chapter and the audience really gets to see her growth from one chapter to another. I felt like we really hot a look into her own internal struggles as well. I loved reading about her and her journey. It was a very well written book and well researched and the characters were each interesting in their own ways. Even the villains were interesting in their own ways. I really liked how dynamic the characters were especially with the backdrop of war. It was a very interesting book that had my invested in each of the characters.
I thought this book wrapped up very nicely, I was not ready for it to end but I liked how things finished. The beginning of the book hooked me and I felt invested in the overall story, there were a couple of times that I struggled with some of the history. For me personally I didn’t know much about the politics of this time and fascism. While it was explained in the book, I felt like I needed to do some of my own research so that I fully understood some of the issues happening during that time. That is not a fault of the writer but just how I felt as a reader. Overall it was a very well written book and I think this is an excellent option for fans of historical fiction but especially for fans of the genre that really want to see another side of WWII. Very well done!
Book Info and Rating
Format 385 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 23, 2024 by HQ Digital
ISBN 9780008640477 (ISBN10: 0008640475)
Free review copy provided by publisher and author, HQ Digital, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Genre: historical fiction, war literature
The Lit Bitch 
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