Set upon a quest to find her roots on behalf of her late father, Anna finds herself on the Italian Island of Galatea. Mystery and mystique become, at first, a surprizing and somewhat scary aura surrounding her but later, she welcomes the episodes of visions which reveal what she wishes to know. In this unfolding ancestory tale of her father's immediate connections, Anna meets Mira, Mimi, Lupo and others, eventually discovering who had been her real grandmother.

The culture of the sea and the romances that bloomed, are intertwined in the lives of the Islanders flavoring the tale and keeping the reader following with great interest. The events are staged as WWII stretches its dark shadows, even to this innocuous looking island. I have been astonished and stunned at the grips of fear, the twists and turns, discovering, along with Anna, the astonishing revelation.

I enjoyed the story and believe other readers of Historical Fiction and Romance will not be disappointed. The story has plot, interesting cultural reveals, as the past and present hitch themselves together.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

December 2021

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

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A beautiful location and one that hasn't been overused in the past. In fact, the island and more specifically the sea, are almost characters in their own right. I love dual timelines set abroad and this book delivers on both.

Having two characters with similar names was confusing but I'm guessing this was deliberate. Read on and you'll find out why.

Both the past and present stories are moving. I did find the way Annie reconnects with the past rather hard to swallow but the writing more than makes up for any niggles.

Loved the leitmotif of the sea and how the stories came full circle in the end.

Annie is devastated by her father's death and so embarks on the journey that he wanted her to take, returning to their Italian roots on the island of Galatea. A beautiful book told in dual timelines going back to WW2. The island descriptions certainly give you a taste of what you are missing in the current climate and definitely made me want to go there, along with great characters and an interesting storyline this book is a real page turner

The Italian Island by Daniela Sacerdoti may be a short read but boy does the author pack an awful lot in between the pages of this intriguing story. It tells the tale of a woman’s search to discover the truth behind her heritage, to be more specific she wants to learn just who were her father’s biological parents and how has she a connection to a small island off the coast of Sicily? That island being Galatea, which seems to have magical properties and even though it is a small place, almost in a way separate from the outside world, it draws our main character Annie in as she seeks to reveal answers to the many questions she has running through her head. I initially thought this would be another historical fiction book set in and around World War Two but the war itself plays but a minor role in the overall scheme of things. I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I was drawn into the story and the war itself clearly didn’t need to be the sole focus. The setting, the characters and the plot were all very real, tangible and riveting and I found this to be a great read to kick off my reading for 2022.

The brief prologue introduces us to Violet Goodman who in 1920 gives birth to a girl Mira. She had never wanted another child especially when the baby was a girl and not another boy as was expected of her. The relationship between Violet and Mira was never a good one and the same is said of Annie and her mother in the present day. The concept of the mother/daughter relationship is an important theme throughout the book but I still felt could have done with more exploration and fleshing out. On the island of Galatea whose inhabitants are very closely connected to the sea, a woman gives birth to a baby girl and you wonder just how herself and Mira may or may not go on to have future connections? In America, in the present day, Annie is floundering and all at sea having just lost her beloved father who she cared for. She feels lost and doesn’t know which way to turn. Her world is shattered, her heart is alone and even though she now has freedom she doesn’t know what to do with it.

Annie feels that no one will ever love and understand her as her father had done especially not her mother. A substantial inheritance is left to Annie and she receives a letter from her father urging her to learn more about his real parents. He knew his mother was a Mira Goodman who died in a concentration camp during the war. But beyond that details are non existent.The island of Galatea is the only clue and so Annie sets off on a journey with many surprising twists and turns and in doing so she hopes to fulfil her father’s wishes but at the same time she knows deep down that she needs to do this for herself in order to climb back from the deep chasm she finds herself in.

No doubt about it, the descriptions of the island are what make this book. Reading this book on a cold, wet, miserable winter’s day I was completely transported to an island in the middle of the sea which at first looks barren and very isolating but is in fact lush and filled with vegetation and plants and harsh volcanic rock. The houses cling to rocky outcrops and Annie finds herself arriving at Villa Onda, run by Elvira and Salvo. Salvo is very striking and his former job was an environmental engineer. They are determined to bring the villa back to life. The descriptions of the villa were amazing with so many unique statues and frescos. Mira Goodman once owned the villa and Annie feels an instant connection to the place.

The shadows of the past begin to circle around her and unexpected things happen. There is a paranormal element to this story and usually I would just scoff at things like this and find them surplus to requirements due to their incredibility but here the author really makes it work. I found the supernatural element was woven seamlessly throughout and it was a brilliant way of merging the past with the present. As Annie touches certain objects or glimpses things that aren’t there or even gets a scent of something she is transported back to the past where a fascinating story awaits her and the people of the past have been patiently waiting to share their story. I normally would have found this very far fetched but the author makes everything fit together so well that you truly believe what you are seeing unfold your eyes could well and truly have happened.

The island has a mysterious, magical and other worldly quality that has a deep and lasting impact on Annie. She has to confront her fears but also learns many important life lessons along the way. She is a contemporary girl looking for her place in the world and in order to do so she must reconnect with the past and help those find the justification they so desperately seek. The movement between the past and the present was achieved so seamlessly and the method of doing this although I was sceptical at first I soon came around to the way the author was working. Both strands of the story were very strong but for me as I have such a big fan of history and the past the story set on the island during the war years slightly won out for me. Not in any way to take from the necessity of the modern story and its importance for the book as a whole.

In the sections told from the past, we learn how Mira came to be on the island and how she feels in relation to her family and she slowly starts to learn that they have done to her. She undergoes a reawakening from a fog that has shrouded her and with the help of the island doctor Lupo she learns more about herself and her pace on the island. She casts aside the hurt she has experienced back in England and learns the way of island life and forms a strong bond with a local girl, Mimi, who works at the villa. I loved how the author used the sea and the island tradition of the byssus thread and how the women dove for the shellfish. It helped bind the two major plots of the story together and it was clear the author had done much research and was determined to include this in a satisfying way throughout the story. Mira’s story appeared at just the right junctures throughout when you felt you needed to move away from Annie and I found the scenes featuring Mira to be calming and exploratory.

Although as I have mentioned this is a short book and I found when the climax did arrive and the many layers of lies and half truths began to emerge and become unravelled, it all just happened too quickly. I became slightly confused as to specifics regarding what was going on with Mira and her extended family. I really would have loved a more detailed explanation as I found myself reading between the lines too much and even now I don’t think I have come up with satisfactory answers to some of the questions I had. This is the only slight fault I have found with this book and yes there was an element of disappointment for me as I felt it too abrupt because I had become deeply invested for the overall outcome for both Annie and Mira. But still, pushing this issue aside, The Italian Island is a very good read with an excellent sense of time and place and I really hope Daniela Sacerdoti continues to write many books set in Italy because her love and appreciation for the country really shines through from her writing and makes for a very enjoyable read.

Set on the Italian island of Galatea near Sicily, this tells the story of three women from different times. All three are linked by a delicate bracelet fastened by a seashell. In 2018, Annie goes to the island after deciding to follow her father’s last wishes and travel to Italy to look into his family history. The reader meets Mira (her grandmother) through Annie who lived during the second world war and was great friends with Mimi, a young islander. The stories of these three women are linked together by love and bravery of different sorts. The tale is beautifully told with vivid descriptions and readers will want the answers to their questions just as much as Annie. A delightful WWII romance that you will wish to read in one sitting.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

“Take your grandmother’s bracelet, unlock the secret of our family history, and discover who you are…”



Wow! This was not at all what I was expecting!

Romance, magic, myth and a little fantasy, all wonderfully intertwined to create a heart-breaking, beautifully poignant, richly atmospheric storyline.

Daniela is a new to me author, although I shall definitely be adding more of her books to my ‘wish list’. She is an amazingly consummate storyteller, whose skill in the imagery her words can evoke, added such great visual depth and range to the lovely descriptive narrative. So strong and almost tactile was the sense of time and place, I became totally immersed in the lives of Mira, Mimi, Annie and Elvira, and was sad when I realised that I had turned the final page and my journey was at an end.

I can share a short resume of the storyline, however to try and explain the nuances and sheer magic of the writing, would be almost impossible without giving away way too many spoilers and leaving you with far more questions than answers. Even to say that the short, fluent chapters, were narrated in alternate timelines by Mira and Annie themselves, is perhaps a little ambiguous in itself, as Annie does in fact speak for them both, but that’s about all I want to give away!

Mira and Annie, separated by a generation, are both the unwanted daughters of strong and demanding mothers, which has left them both feeling rather vulnerable and fragile of mind. Whereas Mira’s brother is doted on and cossetted by both his parents; Annie is an only child and her father is all too aware of the strained relationship she has with her mother, for which he more than compensates, so close are they.

By 1939, Mira has well and truly blotted her copybook with her parents, so with a broken heart, an irreparably damaged reputation and a deeply troubled mind, she is banished to the tiny Island of Galatea, with a veritable suitcase full of pills and medication to keep her compliant and see out the impending war. There, she becomes firm and fast friends with one of the villa’s staff, Mimi. The local doctor Lupo, helps Mimi in her quest to restore Mira’s health and give her release from the overwhelming secret she has had to bear alone. But as the war rages on around them, Mira’s spoilt and selfish brother Gavriel, brings trouble to the peaceful isolation of the island and now it is Mira’s turn to try and save Mimi from his spell, before she gets hurt.

Fast forward to 2018, when Annie suddenly loses her father, only to discover that he has disinherited his wife in her favour, and has left his dying wish that she take her new found wealth, follow the few clues he has managed to gather and the single tangible possession he has from his mother, to try and trace the birth family he never knew, as he was adopted as a baby. Annie’s journey also takes her to Galatea and following in Mira’s footsteps, she finds herself staying in the same bedroom at the lovely Villa Onde, where she falls under the tender ministrations of local islander, Elvira. Annie immediately feels the connection between herself and Mira, as their metaphoric paths begin to cross and their stories converge almost immediately. There is something about the island which leads both girls to discover an inner rebellious strength neither knew they possessed and each finds a true island love, which transcends their wildest imaginations and dreams, although such happiness and contentment doesn’t come without huge personal cost.

The power and sheer magnetism of the women of Galatea, is clear for all to witness and their mystical powers have withstood the test of time and the passing years, as Elvira reveals to Annie the secrets of the past and why Mira and Mimi are such an important part of that history. The island has woven its magic around Annie and she can’t think of anywhere else she would rather be.

Daniela forms a wonderfully fluent and structured and multi-layered storyline, which evolves naturally and generically without any sense of being forced or rushed to any conclusions or endings, allowing me to be carried away by the solitude and tranquillity of this beautiful setting, which enhances the air of magical mystery, despite the unwelcome and devastating impact of interruptions and intrusions by a world at war outside of its watery borders, I had all but forgotten about. Evocatively atmospheric, emotionally intense and beautifully textured, the visual depth and skilful imagery with words, adds some amazing depth and range, which held me in thrall and completely immersed me. There are many twists and turns in this winding road of a story and I never foresaw the eventual outcome before it actually happened.

An eclectic mix of well defined and developed characters only serve to complete, compliment and populate this compelling picture. The synergy between them and the positive energy they exude is tangible, and whilst they are often complex and emotional, raw, vulnerable and passionate, as befits their Italian island connections; they are always genuine, believable, authentic and easy to identify with. They have been afforded a large and generous voice by the author, with which to guide me through their story, with their narrative and dialogue lovingly documented from the heart.

What typically makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every new book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by authors who fire my imagination and stimulate my senses. This story was definitely one of a kind, so I can only recommend that you read it for yourself and see where your journey leads you!

The Italian Island in question is Galatea, a small, fictional island off the coast of Italy. It’s a beautiful setting for an ambitious story.
The author has struck on a consistent theme. As with her previous books (The Italian Villa and The Lost Village), we have a heroine – in this case, Anna – who goes to Italy at the request of her father.
Well, that is not entirely accurate. Her father was her entire life, and when he passes away, he leaves Anna a note telling her that although he was adopted, he believes that there are family roots in Italy. He urges her to explore them.
And, not having anything else going for her (apparently), she is off to Italy to find her family history. But when gets to the island, she finds that everything is more complicated than just uncovering family connections.
With a touch of poignancy, and a dollop of magic (maybe?), Anna discovers history unfurling right before her eyes. And what she finds out is more heartbreaking than she could imagine.
The author improves upon past books in that she takes a unique approach to the historical aspects of the story…Anna sees them in visions. That’s the best way I can describe it.
I don’t even know if that is accurate, but that is what I got from how the connections were conveyed. It puts the reader squarely in the past, experiencing the events with Mira. This is better than simply hearing about the past from other people.
However, it does create an imbalance in the two timelines. For example, the first time it happens to Anna, it is roughly 19% into the book. We are then in the past storyline all the way until 34%.
While it enables the reader to become immersed in the past (like Anna) it is jolting to then be brought back to the present. I’m not sure how it could be more balanced, because I like the idea of a person being swirled into the past.
But it also results in Annie’s character arc being little more than the vessel to tell the story of the past. Yes, it is not a spoiler to say that she discovers her family lineage. And I will add that the byssus adds an interesting facet to that. I’m not giving anything else away.
Unfortunately, the book ended abruptly, and the epilogue seemed to be an afterthought. Plus, after the setup regarding Anna’s mom and her judgmental attitude, it seemed odd that she didn’t figure anywhere in the rest of the book.
It wasn’t that she disappeared. It felt more like she was totally forgotten.
Regardless, The Italian Island is another pleasant read, and I would recommend it, same as the author’s two previous books.

Annie's father's last words to her were to find out about her grandmother Mira as he gave her a bracelet belonging to her. Annie felt at a loss and decided not to put up with her unloving, critical mother and she moves out .
All she knows about her grandmother is that she was a Jew and died in one of the concentration camps in WW2 just after giving birth to Annie's father who was adopted by an American couple.
She had a piece of paper with a few words on it saying go to Galatea. She discovers Galatea is a tiny Italian Island so this is the place she decides to begin her search.

Annie rents a room in a house which eventually will become a bed and breakfast . Ran by Salvo and Elvira . When Elvira sees her bracelet and Annie tells her story she remembers how Mira was taken off the Island and tells Annie that this house once belonged to her.
Annie looks through her grandmothers possessions and falls into a deep sleep where she sees everything that happened in the past as if she were her grandmother.

Mira was sent to the Island at the start of the war by her uncaring parents as they say Mira has brought shame on the family. Tired and shaky and scared ,the result of her parents doping her with medication Mira arrives on the Island of Galatea and becomes friends with a local girl Mimi.

Wow ! This book is full of mystical traditions and folklore. I did at times become confused with the duel timeline but that was because we were told the story of Mira through Annie having dreams, I did eventually get used to it.
The story really heats up half way through when Mira's brother enters causing trouble and mayhem. Poor Mira really had a horrible family. Many surprises along the way and a good epilogue at the end.
I was left with one burning question at the end but don't want to give anything away by asking it here.
I will have to re read the end to see if I missed it.
A good read and something a bit different especially for those who love a bit of supernatural or folklore.

After her father's death, Annie travels to the Sicilian island of Galatea to find out the mystery of her family's past. Her grandmother died in a concentration camp after giving birth to her father and he always wanted to find the truth but then he got stuck. Now all Annie has to go on is a strange note and a bracelet with ties to the island's fascinating history. The island seems to have a magic of its own as, shortly after she arrives, she begins having visions of a young woman who she soon realizes is her grandmother.
I love how the story is told in dual timelines through Annie's visions. The island setting is described so wonderfully that I could picture the volcanic cliffs with the creepy yet beautiful villa set into the hillside. Feel the salt spray as Annie and Salvo explored the caves and treacherous paths. Smell the wonderful Italian cooking, and spend time with the welcoming small town villagers. This is my first book by Daniela Sacerdoti, but I plan on adding her other books to my list!
I received a complimentary advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily

Thank you Bookouture for my advanced copy of The Italian Island for my honest review! This short novel will captivate you. There are strong characters who make this a delicious story. I loved the shift between timelines. It was very well done!

After her beloved father’s death, and finding the letter and documents from him, Annie took her courage in her hands – the courage her mother continually tried to take from her – and headed from her home in America to Galatea, a Sicilian island. She was after information about her grandmother, the woman her father had only heard about. He – and now she - only knew she’d died just after giving birth to him in Bergen Belsen, from typhoid which had swept the camp. Annie also wore a special bracelet they were sure had belonged to the grandmother.

Climbing to the top of the island, riding on the donkey’s back, Annie was in awe when she saw the magnificent structure. Salvo, a young man living and working on the restoration of the villa was fascinated when he saw the bracelet on Annie’s arm. Gradually the story of the past swept over Annie as she found items belonging to the one she thought was her grandmother. The visions which swept her back were at first scary, but as Annie became deeply involved in the story of the past, she welcomed what she saw. Shock, friendship, love and kindness swirled around her as Annie saw what had happened during those long ago years. But would she find the one she was searching for? Would she find peace on the island of Galatea?

The Italian Island is the first I have read by Daniela Sacerdoti and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Told in two timeframes, but through visions from current day to the past, it was done well. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters – Annie and Salvo, Mira and Mimi, Elvira, Giovanna and Lupo – as well as the scenery on the island and the long-held traditions of the women of Galatea. The Italian Island was an excellent read which I highly recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book!!!!!!! It is a charming story about finding yourself while discovering mysteries about relatives long gone. It is fascinating to me the things we can discover about our elders when we go looking. I highly recommend this book.

The Bracelet

A beautifully written story of a WWII romance that you will read in one setting. It transforms you to a lovely Italian island with all the flowers, the ocean and the scenery in vivid description. You will see the cliffs and the caves and feel the spray of the ocean on your face as you read the story.

Anne's mother and her have always been distant from each other, her father her only loving parent. When her father dies he leaves her his fortune, a bracelet that once belonged to her grandmother and a note to find her family history. To do this she must travel to a distant Italian island.

Somehow her bracelet is magical as is an old record player she finds in the attic room of the old inn she is staying at which once belonged to her grandmother's family. She works to find out her roots as she falls in love with the handsome Salvo who is restoring the inn.

Will what she finds be too much for her and send her running for home, or will she embrace her findings and own her family inheritance?

The story of her grandmother goes back to WWII, the Nazi's, Russian Spies and a sacrifice her grandmother made out of love which will cost her life. When Anne learns the truth about her grandmother's past will the far reaching arms of the war ease her mind or cause her grief.

I loved this romantic story, the present day part and the WWII part. Two romances, two women and two men that loved them.

I think the author did a fantastic job of describing both the periods in history and especially the local people, their clothing, their customs and their way of life on a small Italian island. It was a beautiful story of love, heartbreak and sacrifice.

I have read several book by this author, each one equally good, and this one does not disappoint. I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it.

Thank to Daniela Sacerdoti for writing a great story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me to read.

Adored this wonderful book. A new author for me and I am thrilled to have found her.
She awoke my passion and love for Italy. I have loved this country from my very first visit along the Amalfi coast.
A great story told with such love for her characters.
Well worth your time and effort..

(I will attach my review from the blog tour after my date)

The Italian Island by Daniela Sacerdoti was another superb book by this author. Danielai is one of my favourite authors and so happy this book was one of my first reads of 2022. I felt she always writes from her heart, with all her books I have read, Especially as you become apart of the story and you feel like you are there within the book. Daniela writes with great detail and describes Sicilian island of Galatea with much beauty. This book is a perfect Holiday read with great twists and turns throughout.

I highly recommend this book and other books from Daniela. 5 stars from me.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was a good read, beautiful descriptions, and interesting characters.
Anna embarks on a journey to the island of Galatea in Italy to find her father's family, upon his death. The story is told in two different time periods. For the most part, the story line was smooth. The first third of the book was a little slow for me, and didn't hold my interest as much as the rest of the book. Would have loved a more elaborate ending. Overall a good story.
I received an advance copy of this book in echange for my honest review.

When Annie’s father dies she is devastated. She decides to follow her father’s last wishes and travel to Italy to look into his family history.
A story about family, love and war and the resilience of the women of that time.
I’m always enjoy reading Daniela Sacerdoti books and this story held my attention from the beginning.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

🌊🌊Past joined to present with a bit of otherworldly intervention😲

I was drawn to the WWII-era part of this story of a modern woman grieving her father's passing and carrying out his wishes to learn more about his birth parents. For me, the modern Annie was not the main focus, though she is the instrument that provides a window to the tragedy of her grandmother's llfe and sacrifices for love.

The story is set in a remote island off the west coast of Sicily that largely escaped notice when WWII heated up. Sacerdoti describes the setting with painstaking detail and, for me, it was a bit too much. I wanted the action to get started. The deep connection between the Ayala women and the sea added to the mystical tone of the story and provided a continuous thread between the generations.

The author's use of paranormal fainting spells that take Annie back to the past was not a technique I particularly liked. Why not a diary or other realistic clues found after some research? I also found the bits and pieces way she moves to reveal why Mira Goodman came to live on the island of Galatea too drawn out.

But the story of Mira and Mimi, their challenges, friendship and loves was a good one that kept me reading. Two young woman who could have been lifelong friends if war and fate had not stepped in. The twist to Annie's search I had guessed well before its reveal, but the path to arrive there was moving and a worthwhile read.

Although not my favorite of Sacerdoti's Italy-based novels that I've read in recent years it's a well-written, moving story.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Loved it!!! Such a magical story. I never even heard of byssus before, so naturally I googled it see what it looked like. The island of Galatea sounded beautiful, except for no running water, no electricity and donkeys as the only mode of transportation. Loved Annie's story. Her mother was dreadful and I would have left the house as soon as possible and never talked to her again. She never said one nice thing about Annie and always put her down. It was interesting getting to know Mira through Annie. Mira's parents and brother were just as horrible as Annie's mom. When Mira's brother showed up to the island, I didn't enjoy the story as much. His presence changed the dynamic of the house. Mimi and Mira just weren't the same with each other. The reasons for him being there were not what I expected.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the the characters, writing style and story. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Love the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An enjoyable and enchanting read set in Italy. Set over two timelines the characters are likeable and the interwoven story is easy to read.