This author writes with warmth and engaging perception about our relationship and understanding…..

Many thanx as always to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.

I was very much looking forward to reading The Girl from Sicily, especially after I reviewed the brilliant, The Girl from Bologna, and I found it to be a wonderful read.

In the middle of her messy divorce, Jess discovers that the grandmother she never knew had left her a baglio, a home on the Italian island of Sicily. As her mother had refused to ever speak about her own mother, Jess has no idea what to expect. She travels to Sicily to get a clearer picture, and meets the couple who are tasked with looking after the estate.

And whilst she quickly meets welcoming locals, there are some who are less inclined to welcome her interference, and her growing interest in her grandmother's estate. When she begins digging into her family's history, there are some who wouldn't want her to know the past.

By 1943, Lucia and her brother Dinu had moved from New York to their family's humble home in Sicily, but the outbreak of war had prevented them from returning, without being interned. When their childhood friend, Gero, appears suddenly, involved in clandestine US government work, he makes contact with the local don, the most powerful man in the area. Despite Lucia's warnings, Dinu eventually becomes involved in the don's business. And no one speaks openly about it...

Can Lucia prevent her brother from turning into a criminal? And can Jess uncover their history without risking her own life? Read the book!

The Girl from Sicily is a fascinating tale of family secrets, murky political wartime deals, and love. The 2005 part of the novel is a gentle romance, but with moments of serious suspense, which add a gritty sense of present-day reality to the often light romantic setting. The people Jess meets are mostly welcoming and friendly, but I sometimes found the constant use of endearments a bit much.

The setting and historical background are described beautifully, and we have a real sense of 'being there', even with Lucia in the 1940s, where old-fashioned views prevailed. Ms Daiko has researched the history and language of Sicily in depth, and it shows, as the island and its secrets pull you in. But alongside, there is always a dark side that no one speaks about. The code of silence.

I must admit I preferred the historical part of this novel, as Lucia tries to save her brother from making a foolish mistake, and yet she has to watch him slide onto the dark side. Dinu's behaviour grows more and more sinister, and the siblings grow apart. Especially when Lucia and Gero grow closer...

What makes The Girl from Sicily really fascinating is that the plot deals not only with sensitive themes, such as family secrets and breakups and guilt, but also with organised criminality and the surrounding silence, which is featured in both the historical and the modern-day part of the novel. Ms Daiko deals with these issues sensitively but firmly, and it makes for thrilling reading.

The Girl from Sicily is an intriguing tale of family, secrets, heartbreak, and ultimately, love. A poignant, moving, and evocative read. Highly recommended.

Not the best of the inheritance trope books that I have read. The transitions from present to past was nicely done. The MCs were well developed. I thought the story was a bit rushed towards the end. Overall a decent feel good Italian countryside book.

#netgalley #TheGirlFromSicily

When Jess find out that she has received an inheritance from her grandmother, she is most surprised. She had never met or even spoken to her grandmother. There was a big rift between her mother and grandmother and it is something that was not ever spoken about, so Jess has no idea what caused the rift.

The inheritance is a baglio, a farmhouse on the island of Sicily. Jess does have the option to refuse the inheritance, but she does need to visit the small town before making that decision. There she meets some family who are pleasant enough, but it is clear that there is some kind of weird vibe. And then there are some threats. Jess has no idea what any of that is about. She also meets Piero, a local man with a couple of kids. Whilst there is an attraction between them Jess is not in any hurry to pursue a relationship for a number of reasons. She doesn't know if she is going to accept the inheritance, she has a career in the UK and he lives in Sicily, and she is still going through a painful divorce.

Alternating with Jess' story, we learn about her grandmother's story. Lucia was originally raised in America but her family returned to Sicily and now that is home. She is surprised when one of her childhood friends turns up. Gero is helping the US Army by building relationships with influential business leaders and families in the area. At first, Lucia resists Gero's charms, but soon she needs his assistance to avoid a nasty situation. In the meantime, Lucia's twin brother Dinu, has been trying to get an in with the local mafioso, leading him down a path that has long term consequences for his extended family including Lucia and even Jess.

I have read a few books by this author now, and I have liked them all. I think the strength of this one is in the choice of subject matter. It was really interesting to read the history of the Sicilian mafia, and especially how the Allies used them for assistance during WWII. A lot of the characters in the book are based on real life stories, even the one that seems the most fictional!

The author also did a really good job at bringing the town to life, along with the food and drink culture of the area. When we visited Italy a couple of years ago, we were originally planning to go to Sicily, but we couldn't make it work! Maybe next time!

This is the fourth book in what is being called the Girls of the Italian Resistance series. I have read the first and fourth books, but not the two in the middle. I wouldn't let the fact that this is the fourth book in the series put you off if you haven't read the previous ones. The only connection really is that the books are set in different parts of Italy and are set in WWII. As far as I can tell, there is no other connection between the books. I do have the two that I haven't read yet so I will try to read them at some point.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge when I host here. 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

"The Girl from Sicily" by Siobhan Daiko tells a powerful story that bridges generations, against the poignant setting of Sicily. Below is an analysis of important aspects of the information at hand:

The book draws its inspiration from real events, anchoring its fictional aspects in the realities of World War II Italy and its enduring consequences.

It successfully juxtaposes the chaos of World War II with the contemporary search for family truth.

The action takes place in two time periods: Sicily in 1943, at the time of the war, and Sicily in 2005.

It is a setup that provides much depth to an examination of the ways in which the past defines contemporary life.

The 1943 section of the novel is about Lucia and her twin Dinu and the trouble that erupts with Gero's arrival.

The 2005 section of the book, focuses on Jess, who receives a farm house, and in doing so, seeks out her families concealed past.

The book examines the intricacies of family ties, the difficulties of loyalty in war time, and the sacrifices of love.

The book also discusses the perilous influence of the Sicilian Mafia.

The Sicilian setting is utilized extremely well, and provides a great deal of atmosphere to the novel.

Essentially, "The Girl from Sicily" seems to be a highly emotional and well-written historical novel that weaves individual narratives with the wider canvas of history. It's a story of secrets, revelations, and the abiding strength of family bonds.

Thank you net galley for giving me this opportunity to read this book. I have to say that I enjoyed it very much,
This is the first book that I have read from this author.

The story takes place in Sicily during WWIIup til 2005.
Lucia lives with her parents and siblings in a small town in Sicily.
Lucia has a twin brother whom she wstches out for.
Lucia moves to the USA with her mother as her father was kille before she was borne.
Lucia has a daughter Carula from her brief marriage to Gero before he was killed.
As the years so on Caula has a daughter Jessica.
There is a family rift between Lucia and her daughter Carula.
When Lucia dies she bequests her baglio to Jessica.
Jessica is going through marital problems herself as her husband wants a divorce.
Jessica goes to Sicily to learn more about her Sicilian roots and meet her extended family, but not all as it seems.

I could go on but I don't want to give too much of the story away. I kept me intriqued.
These are my own opinions.
Thank you again net galley.

The Girl from Sicily is written by Siobhan Daiko. This is book 4 in the Girls from the Italian Resistance series. I have not read all of the series, but I had no problem following along. The author has a wonderful gift of transporting readers back into time. This is a dual time line story - Sicily, 1943: and 2005.

Lucia and her twin brother Dinu have always been inseparable.. They have not been dealt the best hand in life - they struggle to survive. However their bond is threatened when Gero, the son of close family friends in America, arrives in their village. Gero is connected with the US Army, and helps to feed them. This starts to make Dinu jealous. Although she finds herself developing feelings for Gero, Gero is working undercover for t he allies. However, Lucia worries about Gero’s dangerous connections and their influence on her brother. Then World War II breaks out - Lucia finds herself having to make some decisions.


It's 2005 when Jessica Brown of Bristol, England, received notification of an inheritance in Sicily, from a grandmother she had never known. Her parents had died while she was going through a divorce - she thinks that a holiday to Sicily is what she needs. However, shocked by the inheritance she starts to dig into her history and is shocked by what she finds.


This is such a heartwarming story that is woven together seamlessly. I really enjoy this author - and look forward to reading more. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.

Another twin time story this time in Sicily the UK and USA. Jess inherits a property in Sicily and she wants to find the truth out about her family’s history

A first time reader of this author and I was memorised by the storyline of the past and the present.

From Italy to America to England, this book takes you from the war time in the 1940’s to th epresent time where the characters are trying to piece together what happened and why.

This story made you feel the intensity of the war and what you needed to do to protect your own and the future generations that were to come.

A brilliant read filled with history
Linking together with family mystery.
Meeting with relatives and a stranger
That leads to romance- and to danger!

An unexpected inheritance giving links to the past.
Uncovering family history at last.
Visiting Sicily, meeting family there
But events from the past necessitate taking care.

Told in two timelines linking the present and past,
Sharing family history and secrets at last.
But there's danger and turmoil before the end
As wartime events impinge on Jess and her friend!

A story with romances from the past and now
Linking the family together somehow.
Will this bring them together or tear them apart
Will it help them to heal or break their heart?

A fascinating insight into the turmoil of war
With different family expectations at its core.
The impact of decisions made decades ago
Have long lasting effects that others still know.

For my copy of this book I say thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.

This book is apparently book 4 in a series called "Girls from the Italian Resistance" but I didn't know that when I started and felt it stood quite well as a stand alone book. It has a dual timeline - partly in Sicily during the war and partly in England and 2003 Sicily many years later. The wartime sections were very mild in comparison to other World War 2 historical fiction books I read. They didn't focus very much on the Germans because the village in question was fairly remote but there were other issues at play.

Lucia and her family had returned to Sicily from New York for a visit but been caught up in the war and couldn't return. Life was harder than what they were used to. There were a set of social rules for young women like Lucia and woe to her reputation should she break them. Her twin brother Dinu is restless and wants to find a quick way to make money and gain power when American soldier and old friend Geru arrives in their village undercover, his goal is to learn more about what is happening in the area with the hope it may shorten the war. He links up with a "man of power" who has a rather strong hold on all that was going on in the area. This brought temptation to Dinu and his cousin Franco, whe were keen to find an in with him. As food becomes scarce, Lucia's family asks her to do something that she really cannot force herself to do. Instead, when Geru asks her to marry him saying he will provide for her family , she soon comes to love him deeply, but while she becomes happier, her brother takes action in ways that will have longterm repercussions.

In 2003, Jess is leaving an unhappy marriage when she receives a letter advising her that the grandmother she has never met, has died and possibly left her a baggio (which is an ancient Italian feudal farmhouse), Jess decides to go to Sicily and see the place herself, hoping it may help her understand the mystery of why her mother and grandmother had lost contact with each other. Not everyone seems happy when she arrives and tries to figure out whether to accept her inheritance or not. She finds support from a local Sicilian man who she meets at her B&B. Together, they will see what they can learn about her families past. Along the way, foodies will be very impressed with all the descriptions of the various meals they shared!

To me, the main focus historically wasn't so much the war, but rather the history of how the criminal power systems that Sicily has become known for began and developed. There was a code about never speaking out about things and there could be serious consequences if one did. Apparently this was inspired by a true story, though names and places were changed. At times I felt I wanted a little more depth and less fluff, but I still enjoyed the book and felt I learned from it.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and @BoldwoodBooks for providing me with an ARC of this novel. All opinions are my own.

After the passing of Jessica's grandmother, she came into a large inheritance, with certain stipulations.


After trying to have a child through IVF and failing her husband left her for a younger woman. However, Jessica had not given up as she considered adopting.


Her grandmother left her a Baglio (Peasnt Farmhouse) in Sicily. While there she wanted to find out why her mom had cut off all ties from her family. This is a split-time story between 2005 and 1943.


Villaurora is a relaxed setting in the middle of nowhere which I considered inviting.


I would recommend this book to readers of split-time and historical fiction. The title is memorable to me because my great-grandfather is from Italy.I give this story 4* because it is well-written.


Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, the Libby app, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This intriguing book is full of Sicilian family history, romance, mafia crime and mystery. Lucia’s story is heartbreaking, lifetime grief, loss of so much, and the loneliness throughout her later years. There’s a dual timeline running through the book. Lucia is in Sicily during World War Two and after, 1943-1947. Jessica, Lucia’s granddaughter is in Bristol and Sicily in 2005.
She needs to decide whether or not she will accept her inheritance. There’s an engaging storyline, partly based on facts, with interesting characters.

Although this book is part of the Italian Resistance Series, Siobhan has written it so that it also stands alone. It is inspired by real life events and it also enlightens its readers about Sicilian traditions and describes the life of one Sicilian family across several generations. The story centres around the traditional code of silence known as the omerta and spans the years from 1940 through World War 2 and then moves from Sicily to New York and Bristol giving details of the generations of Sicilian women as the seek to find their way through family, love and loss. No story about Sicily could possibly contain NO reference to The Scillian mafia. Again this part of the narrative is based on facts but with fictional characters.

I enjoyed finding out about the situation in Sicily during the war and seeing how this affected the next generations. It provides easy reading. Excellent book to back when you go on holiday with the intention of chilling out.

Thank you to Siobhan Daiko, Boldwell Books and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

What an amazing read, this is a book that was difficult to put down. The story takes place In Sicily mainly during the WWII, it is about Lucia who lived there. The book has a dual time line during WWII and also present time. Lucia's grand daughter Jessica goes to Sicily as she has inherited her grandmother Lucia. This is a heartfelt story about the past and the present, where the author has weaved it together making the storytelling so good. The characters are interesting, the Sicilian life to be discovered. The story has a few twists and turns and unexpected things happen.
I can definitely recommend this read. I'm grateful to have read this book.
Charlotte N

Another fascinating instalment in this historical series by Siobhan Daiko - I loved the Sicilian setting and this book had me longing to book a holiday there to enjoy the sights and the food. It was great that the author drew upon historical events and real people in creating the story, and this added to the richness of the narrative.
My favourite character was Lucia, and I was intrigued to know what had caused the rift with her daughter which made her story such a mystery to Jess. I found the story’s conclusion satisfying, too. I’ve read a lot of this author’s books and will look forward to her next.

4.25⭐️

[a copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher from netgalley. thank you!]

a beautiful story detailing the personal lives and histories of the people of Sicily. really enjoyed reading about Sicilian culture and history, made me miss Italy a lot. just a beautiful novel

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed this dual timeline book.

The story is set in the 1940s and 2000, in Sicily, New York and Bristol. It’s the story of three Sicilian women from different generations that deal with love, loss and family.

It does have some parts that are serious which include dangerous people.

The story was well written and researched and was interesting to read about what politics took place when World War Two was happening and when it ended.

It did make me want to visit Sicily to see the beautiful scenery, lemons trees and vineyards.

I highly recommend this book.

I enjoyed 'The Girl from Sicily' very much and found it a great read for those like myself who love novels set in Sicily and WWII. The sense of place is strong; I was transported to the beautiful Italian island and felt I was actually there with the characters. With a heartbreaking secret at its heart, I admired the strength of character shown by Lucia who had difficult decisions to make. While I appreciate readers need to understand the meaning of the incidental Italian used throughout the book, maybe it wasn't necessary to give a direct translation of every word used but to imply meaning through context. Having found it a compelling read that kept me turning the pages, I have no hesitation in recommending this novel.
Thanks to Boldwood and NetGalley for an ARC.

The Girl from Sicily offers everything you could want from a book…..mystery, romance, history and crime. And all of this is nestled within the beautiful Sicilian landscape alongside huge helpings of traditional food and wine! Perfect!

The further I got into this story, the more I became captivated with the mystery surrounding Jess’ inheritance and her family history. The plot is superbly crafted and the author’s research is evident. Lucia is my favourite character - the loss, grief, loneliness and pain she experiences is heartbreaking. Yet her perseverance, resilience, strength, care and consideration really shine through.

I received a complimentary advance copy of this book from the publisher, Boldwood Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.