PINTEREST
BLOGLOVIN
GOODREADS
As she gazes at the lights of Siena glowing in the dusk, Jessica flips through the yellowing pages of the diary that led her here. Written by her grandfather during the war, it holds the answers to a family secret that might just change everything…
When Jessica’s grandfather left for war, he promised to keep a record of each day he was apart from her grandmother. The diary was lost along with him – until now, when a mysterious, handsome Italian man named Alessandro shows up at Jessica’s door with the diary in hand.
Immediately enchanted by her grandfather’s accounts of Italy’s glittering golden hours, Jess decides to spend a summer in Tuscany before she’s due to take over at her family’s farm. She hopes she can visit the places her grandfather once did – and finally find out what really happened the night he died…
In the historic city of Siena, she finds a job as companion to the glamorous Sofia – Alessandro’s grandmother – whose stories of Italy during the war are captivating. And as Jess spends more time with Alessandro, she begins to fall for him with each lingering look into his deep-brown eyes.
Together, Jess and Alessandro visit her grandfather’s resting place. But the more Jess learns about her grandfather’s time in Italy, the more she’s forced to question whether everything about her family’s past is a lie…
Jess came to Italy in search of answers, but time is running out. She can’t shake the feeling that the diary that has stolen her imagination is merely a work of fiction. And if it is, will the truth about her family inspire her to turn away from the path she thought she was destined for, and towards the life she truly wants?
Let yourself be swept away to Italy in this beautiful story of family secrets and past and present colliding. Readers of Lucinda Riley and Fiona Valpy will be utterly enchanted by this wistful, escapist and romantic page-turner.
MY THOUGHTS
I’ve read and enjoyed all of Anita’s previous books, The Venice Secret, The Florence Letter and I’m delighted to join the blog tour organised by Jess of Bookouture for the latest, The Tuscan Diary. Published by Bookouture in ebook (including Kindle Unlimited), audiobook and paperback (25 October 2024).
A dual timeline story, set in both Yorkshire and Tuscany, it begins in 1943 with the intriguing prologue of an Italian woman tending an injured British soldier in the face of danger from the occupying enemy. My interest was immediately piqued, who were these people and what was their part in the story.
In 1993, the arrival of a young man bringing a battered old journal into the home of elderly widow Eleanor forces the disclosure of long held secrets. He quickly returns to Italy, leaving heartache and devastation in his wake.
I enjoyed the historical aspects featuring Eleanor and her time as a land girl before events resulted in her life taking an unexpected new direction and I would have liked her part to feature a little more. Eleanor’s story is bound together with that of her grand-daughter. Jessica, a rather naive and unworldly 24 year old with ambitions to be a journalist, is keen to improve not only her career prospects but hopefully her love life too. Feeling pressurised by her parents into marrying her long term boyfriend to secure the future of their farm, she wants more from life than to be a business deal and follow her mother into being a farmer’s wife. The existence of the diary gives her the opportunity to travel to Siena, not only to find out more about its writer and maybe further her career in the travel field but there is also the hope of meeting up with the handsome Italian Allesandro again.
With the story primarily set in Siena, the evocative descriptions and sense of place are glorious, Anita’s personal knowledge of the location shines through and although I haven’t experienced the famous Palio horse race, which forms a small part of the story, I have been to Siena and could easily visualise the old walled town and enjoy vicariously soaking up the Italian atmosphere.
Betrayal, deception and romance are plentiful in this warm and engaging story of lost love and a young girl trying to find her path in life whilst also wanting to understand the past. Tuscany is a belated coming of age experience for Jessica and her eyes are opened to new experiences from friendships of all ages – from her new flatmate, fun loving Harriet to working as an au pair/companion for the elderly Sofia. Anita’s stories of life and love with their Italian settings feature such well drawn characters whilst the prospect of romance with all its complications adds an element of intrigue and anticipation. I have to admit if I had been Jessica, I would have read that diary in one go but then patience isn’t my strong point.
The Tuscan Diary was another enjoyable and captivating read from an author who doesn’t disappoint.
Anita likes to read journals and diaries from the past, and one of her favourite pastimes is visiting art galleries and country houses. Her first published novel, The Venice Secret, is inspired by her mother taking her to see the Canalettos at The National Gallery in London as a child.
The Venice Secret was published in March 2023 and spent six weeks in the overall Amazon UK Kindle Top 100, reaching number thirty-eight. The Venice Secret has had over four million Kindle Unlimited pages read and received more than 3000 Amazon reviews since publication.
Since 2015, Anita has worked as a social media manager, training authors on social media, and helping to promote their books. She’s run several courses in London and York, and has worked as a tutor at Richmond and Hillcroft Adult Community College.
Follow the author: Website | X/Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | AmazonUK
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/B0D7CDRX4Msocial
Ooh I love her books! Great review x
Thank you Jo. You will love this one x