Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book! I loved it. The characters were incredible and the story intriguing. Can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

This author writes beautifully and captures the scene well. You can tell the author has greatly researched the subjects and atrocities committed during WW2. The romance lightens the read a bit and makes it not so heavy. However, I did not find it as well written as other war romances, such as those by Kristin Hannah, for example.

The girl from Venice is set in the Veneto area during the second World War. Judith is a medicine student in Venice when the fascist under pressure from the Germans expel all Jews from the universities, public office and most other jobs. Judith's father, who is a doctor, optimistically thinks that this measures will soon be abolished but some of Judith's friends advice her to flee to the country and join the partisans. Just when the new falsified documents are ready her father is arrested by the fascists and their beautiful appartement ransacked.

Judith, now called Elena, goes to Sant'Illaria, where she is first stationed with the count Corradini and after she is accosted by a blackshirt she joins the partisans on Mount Grappa.

In a parallel story line Judith/Elena's granddaughter visits first Venice and than to Sant'Illaria to research her grandmother's story, which turns out a story about hardship, endurance and atrocities, but also a story of love.

Recently I have read quite a few books set in Italy during the second World War and they all seem to be based on the same time split, dual love story, format. Compared to the other books some were better but this one certainly was in the middle league.

What annoyed and confused me was that the main character was often called Judith when she was known in that period and place as Elena.

I hesitate between 3 and 3,5 stars but as I said, I've read better books with the same theme.

"A heartbreaking page-turner, based on actual events in Italy during World War II"

This one line piqued my interest and the inviting prose and intense research of Siobhan Daiko kept me reading this intense historical fiction novel.

Gran refusing to discuss her past puts Charlotte on a mission after Gran's death to learn about her freedom fighter activities.

Daiko brings you on an engrossing journey through the streets of Venice and the mountains of Italy as Lidia fights for her father's freedom as well as for that of her fellow Jewish Venetians.

Thoroughly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this amazing novel.

Lidia De Angelis has kept a low profile since Mussolini's racial laws separates her from her boyfriend. 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 Nazi reprisals and Lidia’s own ardent anti-fascist 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.

I was not familiar with this author, but since I am a voracious reader of WWII historical fiction, I requested this book from NetGalley and the publisher and am so glad I did. This is a heartbreaking story based on events that happened in Italy during WWII. The author's descriptions of the characters and the setting is so vivid that you feel like you are right there in the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this amazing story.

This is the second book that I have read, written by this author. I can definitely see how much Daiko has improved as a writer. The plotting and characterization are much smoother and The Girl From Venice worked well to hold my attention. I am knowledgeable about WWII and the Shoah, since I taught about the Shoah as a college professor. I appreciated the effort that Daiko made to make sure she had the history accurately revealed. I would recommend this historical fiction.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Girl from Venice. I was drawn to this title because of my heritage - my grandfather emigrated to America from Italy in the early 1900s. The author did good job of developing characters in both WWII era and the present day, and wove a good storyline. I would recommend this book.

#netgalley #thegirlfromvenice

This is a great time shift tale set during wartime and also in current times in Italy. The main characters are a Venetian girl and her English granddaughter Charlotte. When the grandmother dies Charlotte is left to clear out her house and discovers mementos which lead to her trying to uncover her grandmother's past.

This is a story of two women, two generations apart, looking for their places in the world. For one this is both a physically and emotionally tough endeavour but for the other it is a voyage of discovery. Luckily both find love to help them through difficult times.

A great read which highlights the troubled times for Italy during WW2.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

My rating:

Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Historical Fiction
General Fiction

Review:

Based on actual historical events during WII, this book is well written and captures you from the start. Written over a dual time line, the book tells the story of two courageous women. In the past Lidia who must flee to save her life and joints the partisans and in the present Charlotte Lydia’s granddaughter who goes on a journey to Italy to find out more about what happened her grandmother during WII.

The plot flows well with the right amount of intrigue a bit of romance and suspense. It also gives a historical insight into the events that conspired during WII in Venice and the Veneto region. This made it more interesting and was an added bonus. The characters are interesting; their actions are explained well, this made them appear realistic.

Overall:

This is a nicely written captivating story based on true historical events. The plot flows well with a few twists and turns. The characters are interesting, they show real character traits such as loyalty, courage, determination, but also despair, love and fear this made them appear true to life. A great book, that is worth reading.

I have always loved WWII historical fiction, especially so when it involves alternating storylines and the journey to understanding family history. The Girl from Venice is all of this and much more. A heartbreaking story wrapped with suspense, love, and full of history. This book was well written and well researched, and I highly recommend!

I read a lot of historical fiction and enjoyed that this book takes a look at present day and historical timeline. Every other chapter, or so, switches the perspective from present day to years during WWII in Italy. I appreciated the viewpoints of the female characters who were prominent in both perspectives offered. The author provided vivid details of the city (Venice) and the countryside of Italy which I thoroughly enjoyed. One aspect that I found a bit off-putting was her regular use of Italian words, and then their definition, throughout the book. On nearly every page this occurred and it took away from the ambience more than added.

It was enjoyable, but also felt like all the details about a tragic story from WWII including females, persecuted groups (women, Jewish faith), death/loss were stereotyped in this book. But, that could be because I read a lot of historical fiction and these themes are present throughout.

Thank you, net galley, for allowing me the read.

This is a riveting read that takes the reader into Italy during World War II. This is the first book in the historical fiction genre that I have read that focuses on Italy and the events that unfolded here. The book talks about the war, the people, the impact it had on their lives and the secrets kept to move on in life.

We are introduced to Lidia and her granddaughter Charlotte, two strong and unique women, so different and yet similar in all the ways that matter. When Lidia passes away, Charlotte embarks on a trip to figure out who her grandmother was and what secrets she was hiding while living in London.

The story is told from each of their perspectives, giving us an insight into the present day world as Charlotte explores Italy and the events in Lidia's life as she is careful not to be caught, but is helping out the partisans. Betrayed by some of the people she trusted and forced to endure a lot, Lidia shuts down after the war and moves away, adapting her new identity and never going back to her roots. Charlotte discovers a whole lot of things and along the way meets the people who saved her grandmother and made a difference to her life. She also ends up finding her place, love and a purpose so different than what she started out with.

This is a heart-breaking story that brings to us a reality we cannot imagine and talks about family in a way that makes us appreciate those around us. Lidia's story enumerates that of so many others whose voices are not heard! A brilliant and well-written story, this is a must read!

Lidia de Angeles is a medical student in her early 20s when Mussolini and the Italian Fascist party ally themselves with the Nazis. She is in love with her childhood friend Renzo and is living with her doctor father in a beautiful apartment in Venice. On the first day of the new semester, she finds that Jews will no longer be allowed to study at the university which is a huge red flag about the future treatment of Jews in Italy. Renzo’s parents heed the warning and move the family to Switzerland, but Lidia’s father, ever the optimist, refuses to believe they’re at risk until the inevitable happens. Soon, Lidia (with a new identity as Catholic Elena) escapes the city and eventually joins the resistance fighters.

The parallel story in this time slip novel is about her granddaughter Lottie, a history teacher in London, who, upon her grandmother’s death, finds a Jewish prayer book, photograph, and cache of letters that reveal a snippet of Lidia’s past. She never shared what happened to her during the war, so Lottie decides to use her summer break to investigate. Conveniently, the two women who are able to share their memories are both still alive and in their nineties.

Although this story is compelling and heartbreaking as so many books about World War II are, I found the writing style problematic which made it difficult to remain engaged. Lidia’s story is from a 3rd person POV while Lottie’s is first person which generally wouldn’t be a problem. However, the transitions between the two timelines as well as the abruptness from one event to the next without enough details gave me whiplash. The tone was also too familiar, for lack of a better word. It would have been better if Lottie had narrated her own story without also writing her own dialogue (ex., “‘Wow. Just…wow,’ I said.”)

There are also plot points that strain plausibility. For example, why did Lottie wait until after her grandmother’s death to ask why she and her only child (Lottie’s mother) were estranged? We never get a satisfactory answer, even after Lottie uncovers Lidia’s past. All her mother says is that Lidia’s refusal to share her past made her feel like part of herself was missing. Why did Lidia tell Lottie that her daughter, who Lottie describes as an “ice maiden”, took after her husband in both looks and personality when David seemed very warm and loving? Why is Lottie’s breakup with her boyfriend described so dispassionately, especially if she uses it as an excuse to put off Alex, her new romantic interest? In fact, all of the romantic couplings in the book seem rushed with no evidence of chemistry but with declarations of love coming just a few days or weeks after meeting.

Since this book is based on actual events, why did the author used a fictitious name for the town where Lidia’s friend Rosina (the writer of the letters) lived? I always like to look up places, especially since the distance between Venice and Sant’Illaria becomes significant towards the end of the book. It makes me question which parts of the story are fictitious rather than true history.

As a huge fan of both time-slip novels and historical fiction, I was excited to read this story. Unfortunately, there were too many flaws for me to immerse myself and enjoy it. If you’re looking for books that do a much better job, consider Sarah Jio’s All the Flowers in Paris and Susan Meissner’s Secrets of a Charmed Life.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Books Go Social through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I was interested in this book at the beginning because I love books about World War II, especially ones that tell lesser-known stories. The Girl from Venice highlights Italy during the war and the resistance movement against the Nazis there. I especially appreciated how much the author included Italian words and phrases. Major brownie points for that!

While I liked the historical aspect of the novel, the modern-day storyline didn’t appeal to me as much. It’s hard to pull off multiple plot/timelines well, and in my opinion this book didn’t quite manage it. When I’m reading, I want to be hooked by the characters, the themes, the plot, and the world the author has created. I was politely interested but not intrigued or engaged while reading this book.

Ultimately, I didn’t finish this book because of the content. I was disappointed that it included things that could have been left out without losing any depth. This book was not for me.

Content: moderate swearing, sexual assault, wartime violence

Thank you to Netgalley and the author Siobhan Daiko for providing me with an eARC of this book.

I could not read this book. I didn't like the style and thought it best not to write a negative review.

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!

One of my favorite reads over the last few months! I love the historical fiction that deals with grandmothers and secrets from the war and the grandchildren that discover them. It makes for a very well done past and present written book full of knowledge about the war in Italy. Charlotte and Lidia are two very special characters.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

I was engrossed from start to finish; such a well-crafted, thrilling and moving story surely marks this author as an author to watch. I can't wait for more!

A great book and I enjoyed reading it. It had a great storyline and I enjoyed the characters. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

I love historical fiction, especially when it's set during the war. There's just something about rebel women that makes my heart so happy, and this book made my heart happy.

The way that the Daiko writes her characters makes you feel as if you're walking down the street with them. This book was beautiful, heartbreaking, and inspiring all at the same time. I can't wait to read more of her books!