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.

Sicily in 1943 saw Lucia living in a small farmhouse together with her twin brother Dinu, younger sister and their parents. They were poor, but worked daily at the vegetable gardens at the rear of the house. When Geno, a friend from America, arrived in Sicily, attached to the US army, things changed. Dinu was jealous of Geno being able to supply the family with food, while he was unable to. Changing his direction in life, he soon turned to crime to supplement his income. Dinu and his cousin Franku followed that life, while Geno married Lucia, moving to the baglio which he owned. Moving to the US after the war to be with Geno's family saw Lucia looking forward to the future...

It was 2005 when Jessica Brown of Bristol, England, received notification of an inheritance in Sicily, from a grandmother she had never known. Jess had lost her parents tragically and was in the throes of a divorce. She knew a few weeks in Sicily while she debated what to do would be a good holiday. But as she knew nothing of her family, she wanted to also dig into the past, hoping to discover its secrets. Would she regret that decision?

The Girl from Sicily is #4 in the Girls from the Italian Resistance series by Siobhan Daiko and it was another enjoyable episode. Inspired by true events, it shows the incredible depth of secrets and how they can either tear a family apart, or bring it closer together. I loved Lucia's character and felt for her and the decisions she'd made. She was a strong woman with a deep love for her family. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for my digital ARC to read and review.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

The novel has a split narrative; in 2005, we follow Jess, who finds out that she has inherited a farmhouse in her grandmother's will. Jess never met her grandmother, and isn't sure why the house has been left to her. The other narrative, mostly set in the 1940s, follows a girl named Lucia and her family. I was excited to see how the two narratives may be connected.

I connected with both narratives differently. I was excited to follow Jess, to see what might be in store for her next. Reading Lucia's story, I found that it tugged at my heartstrings a little bit more. I found that both narratives had a kind of atmosphere; something that made me want to focus purely on the moment and get lost in it as I was reading.

This book was uplifting, romantic and captivating. I became tearful towards the end, which was something that I hadn't anticipated at the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, and to the author and publisher, for the opportunity to read and review this.

Set in Sicily, Siobhan Daiko's new book The Girl from Sicily is a dual timeline story about the impact of the Cosa Nostra (Sicilian mafia) on WW2 loyalties, and the after-effects on later generations of a family with conflicting loyalties. This was my first read from this author, as well as my introduction to rural Sicilian life. A well-researched novel, I especially enjoyed the historical aspects.

My thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advance reader copy. I enjoyed meeting a new historical fiction author and reading The Girl from Sicily.

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.

Thank you very much Netgalley and Boldwood books for this early copy of The girl from Sicily.

I had a lot of trouble getting into the story, it took me time to get attached to the characters. The novel is indeed constructed with a double temporality: Jess in the present, inherited a small house in Sicily from a grandmother she never knew. I found her part extremely cliché, the Englishwoman who falls under the spell of Italy and a handsome Italian....
And then in parallel, we follow the story of Lucia, her grandmother during the Second World War. I liked this part better even if the descriptions of the different clans / mafias can seem a little long. In any case, we feel that the author has done a real research work.

I had never read any of the author's novels and I liked the style and especially the change of scenery and the journey to Sicily that the pages of this novel offer.

The Girl from Sicily by Siobhan Daiko is a multi-timeline novel. When Jessica receives word of her inheritance form her maternal grandmother, she must go to Sicily in order to claim it. While there she discovers why she had never met her grandmother. Will her family's past prevent her from seizing her future?

Many twists in the plot. Strong female lead character. However, this book was not for me. Slow development and seemed to drag at times.

Releases Mar. 19th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a beautiful book and it is so amazing, the story is so lovely and very enjoyable to read. i loved everything about this book and i would recommend to anyone who loves reading to give this book a go. it is a lovely book and i will read other books from this author.

As I’ve mentioned in my reviews, World War II literature is one of my favorite genres of books. While I did enjoy this novel, it's not my favorite. One reason for this is that I felt the flow of the story was disrupted, and some chapters could have been better organized.
I felt compassion for several characters, particularly Lucia, Carula, and Jessica. I did not sympathize with Dino, his choices, and attitudes, and agree that Lucia cut him out of her life. Dino's greed and cruelty to achieve what he wanted was deplorable. While I can somewhat grasp why Lucia's daughter and son-in-law distanced themselves from her, I believe it was cruel of them to keep Jessica in the dark about her family and its history.
I’m thrilled that Jessica received a bittersweet ending, as she has love, family, and a wonderful place to live. However, she never got to know her grandmother, and that relationship was never possible. Unfortunately, I wasn't close to one set of my grandparents either, but that was their choice, and at least I am aware of some of my family's history. A bittersweet story, and realistic as well.

During the Second World War, allied forces often struck a working relationship with somewhat dubious people in order to seek out information on Germany’s bloody march across Europe.
Sicilian mafia were recruited to work with the Americans which had advantages for both sides, but long after the war was over, the Sicilian mafia, building on their wartime advantage, simply grew stronger and stronger.
The Sicilian Girl is based on the true story of a slice in Sicilian history which is discovered by Jess Brown, a woman facing a divorce and whom has, much to her surprise, inherited a peasant farm, a baglio contadina, at Villaurora in central Sicily from her maternal grandmother; a woman she had never met.
Jess makes the decision to go and see the property before she accepts the bequest and also to try to discover something about her family history, in particular her grandmother and her Sicilian family.
In doing so she discovers the heartbreaking story of her grandmother, Lucia, who was born in America but taken, with her twin brother Dino and sister to Villaurora, so her father could look after his ailing father. The outbreak of War sees them forced to remain there, living in grinding poverty, day after endless day.
As Lucia’s story unfolds, Jess begins to move on from her recent distressing experience and is beginning to fall in love, which she is not too sure about, with Piero, the very handsome manager of the family owned Tenuta Sacca di Melita estate, where she is staying.
While it appears that the past is long buried, as Jess looks further into her heritage, she realises that the past is still very much alive in this small area of Sicily and she, somehow, is caught up in it; dangerously.
Set over recent history The Sicilian Girl is a gentle, interesting retelling of a tale that may have been similar for many families during the challenging time of the Second World War.
The Authors Notes are well worth reading as they bring to life the people who lived and then inspired the characters captured within The Sicilian Girl.

The Girl from Sicily had me hooked. I love a good mystery and this story was full of them. The story begins with Jess inheriting a baglio in Sicily from a grandmother she knew nothing about. With her parents recently passing she would no nothing unless she took a trip to Sicily.

Her journey takes the reader into the past when the world was at war. Lucia and her family struggled to survive, like so many others. They hadn't planned on remaining in the area, but the war wouldn't allow them to return to America.

Things start looking up when Gero, a family friend from America and Sicily returns. He is working undercover for the allies. Lucia's family benefits from gifts he brings. The reader is exposed to the evils that were going on. Lucia gets a first hand view as she watches her brother get deeper and deeper.

Like in the war, there is much going on. Within the pages the reader is taken on a journey that left me crying. I experienced anger and disgust. The actions of other destroyed the innocents. Destroyed generations. I have to wonder how many actual stories there are similar to this. My heart bleeds for them all.

A light read that has you wanting to pack your bags and board a plane, bound for lush Sicilian landscapes of baglios, lemons, sunshine and vineyards.

Set in the 1940s and the 2000s across Sicily, New York and Bristol. It tells the story of three generations of Sicilian women as they navigate family, love and loss.

The storyline is also infiltrated by a Sicilian mafia narrative with fictional mafioso characters loosely based on real ‘made men’ and brings some added excitement and suspense to the overall story.

The 1940s storyline has extra interest due to the historical research carried out by the author into Sicilian separatist politics during and immediately after World War Two, and the island’s political relationship with mainland Italy. Really interesting reading about that as it was something I didn’t previously know about Sicily.

This was an easy comfort read with a few historical/political factual nuggets thrown in for some inadvertent learning for the reader.