Recently I was watching one of Joanna Lumley's shows, Great Cities of the World, where she visited Rome. One of the segments in the show was about the 1950's when Hollywood came to Rome. She interviewed Gina Lollobridgida, and talked about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and other big stars. In this book, a lot of the action centres around the same time period, when big name Italian film stars came to film their movies on the small island of Ischia, which is just off the coast of Naples.
When Ornella moved to England from Ischia, she knew she was leaving her previous life behind. She didn't want to talk about her life before the UK, about her family or the experiences that caused her to move away.
One day Ornella and her granddaughter Alessia see something celebrating the life of a famous, glamourous movie star from the 1950s, Alessia is surprised when her grandmother starts taking about her previous life. She is even more surprised when they decide to visit Ischia. Given that Alessia has had her heartbroken and lost her job recently, there's no reason not to go! The plan is to go to the island, stay for a couple of weeks and then return. However, plans have a funny way of not working as expected, and Ornella runs into one of her best friends not long after landing.
When Alessia meets a handsome journalist named Roberto, she doesn't realise that their paths are going to interconnect. Roberto is writing a piece about a reclusive famous film star whose beautiful wife and daughter were killed in a tragic car accident. It turns out that Ornella worked on the film set of his last hit film, and her own family's fate was intertwined with that of the star.
We get to see the stories unfold and Alessia and Roberto visit various landmarks and uncover some of the story, plus we see some of Ornella's story in flashback scenes. There are many secrets, twists and turns, until the truth is finally revealed. There are a lot of threads running through the book and the author does a great job of bringing them all together.
The last book I read by Victoria Springfield was set on the nearby island of Procida. Once again, the author does a great job of bringing the island culture to life on the page. I am not sure that we will ever get back to Naples, but if we did, I would like to visit Ischia and Procida!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host. 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
An Italian Island Secret
Escape to a beautiful Italian island with this wonderfully romantic story, threaded with secrets and intrigue.
It’s time to return to Ischia…
Alessia knows her grandmother grew up on the beautiful Italian island off the coast from Naples. But Ornella seldom talks about her life there – or why she never went back.
So Alessia is amazed when Ornella reveals that, in the months before she left Ischia, she had worked on the set of a famous 1950s movie filmed on the island. Is there a link between the film set and the tragic death of Ornella’s teenage sister?
Ornella has kept her past – and the heart-wrenching promise she made – a secret for over sixty years. She has tried not to think about the love she gave up. But now, perhaps the truth should finally be revealed…
Travelling to Ischia together, Alessia falls in love with the utterly captivating island. Meeting handsome journalist Roberto helps her dig deeper into her family’s past, too. Just what happened to Ornella’s sister? What heart-wrenching secret is her grandmother hiding?
This summer, can Alessia and Ornella put the past to rest and find the happy ending they both deserve?
A wonderfully escapist, romantic and compelling story of secrets and sacrifice, love and loyalty, that is perfect for fans of Karen Swan, Louise Douglas and Rosanna Ley.
Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/anitalianislandsecret
About the Author
Victoria Springfield writes contemporary ‘wish you were here’ evocative women’s fiction set in Italy. Her feel-good books follow unforgettable characters of all
ages as they deal with love, loss, friendship and family secrets. Readers can feel the sunshine!
Social Media Links –
Facebook: VictoriaSpringfieldAuthor
Twitter: @VictoriaSwrites
Instagram: @victoriaswrites
No comments:
Post a Comment