She ran away through the pine trees when the soldiers came. Staggering into the hiding place, she felt a fluttering in her belly, like a butterfly grazing its wings, and knew instantly she had something to fight for.
Present day: When her fiancé is tragically killed in an accident, twenty-six-year-old Alba is convinced she’s to blame. Heavy with grief and guilt, she flees to her childhood home – the tiny village of Rofelle, nestled in a remote Tuscan valley. Out hiking one day to fill the long, lonely hours, she finds a mahogany box filled with silverware, hidden near the vine-covered ruins of an isolated house left abandoned after World War II. Could finding the rightful owner ease Alba’s heartache, and somehow make amends for her own wrongs?
In search of answers, Alba meets Massimo, an elderly man who wants to spend his final years pruning his fruit trees, alone with his painful memories. His face turns pale when Alba brings up the war, but she senses that their shared grief connects them. An unlikely friendship grows as little by little Massimo speaks of Lucia: a wild young girl with sparkling eyes who fell in love with an enemy soldier, bravely stole precious Italian treasures back from Nazi occupiers, and whose selfless courage and sacrifice altered the course of the war – and Massimo’s life.
With each visit, Alba gets closer to unravelling the mystery of the silver, and they both start putting their ghosts to rest. But there’s one part of Lucia’s story that Massimo might never be able to share – and he’s running out of time. Has Alba churned up emotions that are too painful to ever confront? Or, will unearthing a wartime secret that has lain buried for generations finally bring Massimo peace?
An absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking read that will sweep you away to the rugged mountains and lush olive groves of Tuscany. Fans of The Nightingale, Rhys Bowen and Julianne MacLean will be captivated.
Read what everyone’s saying about The Tuscan Girl:‘Loved it!!!... Beautiful description of the landscape… heartbreaking... The ending of the book was perfect… Definitely recommend… Loved everything about it.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘Mesmerizing… captivated me… Angela Petch made the story of the past and present come alive… brilliant… I was completely taken over.’ Book Reviews by Shalini, 5 stars
‘I don’t even know where to begin... beautiful… I absolutely adored this book… The picture that the author paints is both beautiful and devastating… the descriptions are so detailed, I could actually picture it in my mind.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘This book did not disappoint… heartbreaking… wonderful descriptions of the beautiful Italian countryside… beautifully done… Highly recommend reading.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘A beautifully written novel… Loved this book.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Heartbreaking… a touching story… Angela Petch did another fantastic job of making the characters and the settings feel real to me.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Very powerful and heartbreaking story about love and loss… riveting book that I really enjoyed.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘This historical fiction novel was wonderful!... The story was so touching and I couldn't put it down… this was one story that I could see reading again and again.’ Crossroad Reviews
‘This book was addicting. You wanted to continue reading even long after it was over.’ Goodreads Reviewer
