As someone who deeply loves art, not just the beauty of it, but what it represents, the memory it carries, the way it survives, this story hit me in the heart.

The Keeper of Lost Art is one of those novels that reminds you just how powerful art can be, especially in times of darkness. Set during WWII, it tells the story of Stella, a young girl sent to a Tuscan villa where priceless masterpieces from the Uffizi are being hidden from the Nazis. The stakes are high, but what really moved me was the emotional core: a coming-of-age story wrapped in history, memory, and beauty.

Watching Stella form a bond with Sandro, a boy whose artistic gift seems to bloom even in the shadow of war, was incredibly touching. Their connection, built in the quiet sanctuary of the “treasure room” surrounded by Botticelli and other masters, felt so tender and real. It reminded me how art can be a kind of lifeline; something that connects us, anchors us, and gives us hope even when the world is falling apart.

I especially appreciated how the book was inspired by true events, that made it even more powerful. I won’t lie, there were moments I wished we had gone just a little deeper into some of the side characters or historical details, but overall, this was such a beautiful and moving read.

Big thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC. I’m giving this one 4 stars and I’m so glad I read it.

An amazing, attention keeping book. This is a family story set during WWII. There are several characters and settings. The author did a great job managing all of these moving parts. Several moments when it was difficult to put down. The author paints a vivid picture of the struggles for Italian citizens during war. Highly recommend if you enjoy unique Historical fiction.

I was blessed with an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.

The lost art is not the only secret this book holds. Strangers turned to friends & Family throughout this story, many storylines however they all intertwine with each other.

The Keeper of Lost Art slowly draws you in with its blend of art, secrets & the stress and emotions that come with war. I really enjoyed how the story unfolded between the two timelines. The pacing felt a little slow in parts, but the ending more than made up for it. I loved the way everything came together. Would definitely recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of The Keeper of Lost Art! I truly enjoyed this captivating work of historical fiction, which transported me to Italy during the Second World War. The novel beautifully weaves together art, history, and emotion through the intertwined stories of two women—Siena and Alessia.

As the narrative unfolds, themes of love, sacrifice, resilience, and the search for family come to the forefront. Both women endure great hardship and danger, each in their own time, while preserving pieces of art and identity that war threatens to erase.
Rich in historical detail and emotional depth, The Keeper of Lost Art is a story of courage, connection, and the enduring power of legacy.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary acts of bravery and sacrifice. Two women, Alessia and Siena are united by their passion for art and ensuring that it doesn't fall into Hitler's hands. As they learn to trust each other and their relationship deepens, we are given an insight into the extremes people faced and the measures they were prepared to take in order to protect their country and their culture.
There was a surprising plot twist at the end, which, although it didn't work for me, didn't detract from an enjoyable read. This was an atmospheric read of secrets and friendships which will stay with me for a while.

The Keeper of Lost Art by Laura Morelli is a captivating historical fiction read. Very interesting book which addresses the saving of masterpiece artwork during WWII. With its beautifully crafted story and captivating characters, it leaves a sense of hope. I really enjoyed it.

The Keeper of Lost Art is based on historical events in the Second World War in the southern Italian port city of Bari. Siena Innocente, a young woman on the run from wartime Rome, arrives at the home of noted artist Aurio di Bari in search of sanctuary. He’s away fighting in the war, but his family, led by his daughter Alessia, welcome Siena into their home. As war proceeds and its horrors unfold, we learn not just of Siena’s past but also the truth about the family in which she has been welcomed.

I really loved the setting for this story. It’s an unusual twist on the usual wartime tale and I liked that. Lelita Baldock depicts both the beauties of Italy and the privations of war, and her descriptions of how the community came together (and, just occasionally, fractured) in its desperation to survive, are utterly absorbing. The historical detail, including the historical context of the struggle against fascism, was fascinating.

The story is told from three different points of view: Alessia, Siena and, in a jump back in time, Eva, a young woman studying art in Florence in 1921. I thought the story was very busy, perhaps overly so, and I did find myself wondering whether it all hung together quite as well as it might. Some of the turns in the plot were well-worn and came as no surprise, though I did find the twist at the very end extremely satisfactory.

To make something so complicated work (and with so many apparently unconnected characters somehow coming together at the end) while maintaining some sense of credibility is quite the challenge and to do that while keeping secrets from the reader is more complicated. I wasn’t sure it worked. With two characters changing their name in the course of the book I felt the author was trying too hard to have everything hinge on coincidence. (I guessed one of the changes and suspected the other.)

In another, less well written book, I might have found that more frustrating, but this is elegantly written and the characters are human, both likeable and believable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I enjoyed the story set in two timelines, 1921 and 1940s in Italy. The descriptions of Bari has inspired my interest in visiting this part of Italy. The suffering of the population of Bari & Rome during the wars is heart rendering. Most of the female characters are strong individuals who are surviving in difficult times. It is interesting to read how the works of art were protected during these times. The twist in the story was unexpected. I found the story easy to read and interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this brilliant novel by Lelita Baldock. It kept be captivated throughout the entire book!

Told through two timelines it's the story of aspiring painters after WWI and those dedicated to saving precious art from the Nazis during WWII. A blend of family and friendship amidst the darkest days when food is scarce and peace is tenuous.

One of my favorite books this year!

Books like this always win me over in the end. The storyline felt slow at times and confusing between the three different time periods and vast amount of characters, at times it felt very sporadic but the ending tied it up neatly and beautifully.

I do feel like some characters and parts of the story could have been left out. Like James, I understand Alessia had her own things to work out but it felt like we were led down the path with James for it to be left off half way and totally forgotten about until the very last page. And even with Sienna’s experience with the smuggling and stealing of crops, I think it took too much of a detour of explanation than was needed. Overall it made the story feel like a lot when it didn’t need to be.

But again, I think the story was a beautiful telling of family, tradition, societal expectations and judgements that affect personal decisions, war, etc.

Still worth the read, thank you NetGalley for the chance to read the story!

This book has it all! War, resistance, love and family. Beautifully written and set in three different timelines in Mussolino’s Italy, it tells the tales of Eva and her twin brother Elio and Alessia and Siena. Eva, studying art in Florence with her twin brother in the 1920s, falls for her professor, while Elio joins the Fascists.

In the midst of war, fierce Siena flees to Bari where quiet and calm Alessia lives with her Nonna and younger brother. Why has she turned up at Alessia’s door and what secrets does she hold? How are their stories intertwined?

The tragedy of war-torn Italy is vividly described and the story is so moving that the ending is almost sure to make you cry! I will certainly look for more books by Lelita Baldock.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Rome pre 1944. Siena works in an art gallery, working for a man she has come to care for as a grandfather and who has inculcated in her a love for art, and the need to protect what they have against the foreboding shadows of Nazi Germany. When the inevitable happens Siena flees to Bari seeking safety for one book containing details of paintings.

What follows is the death and deprivation that followed wherever the Nazis went. It also highlights the resistance displayed by ordinary citizens who against the odds, worked in insidious ways to hinder the enemy progress. Books written about this period of history are stark and destructive and it never fails to unnerve because it happens again and again.

The three timelines were difficult to follow (at times) but overall the story was a good one, well told.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read The Keeper of Lost Art by Lelita Baldock a beautifully written novel covering two timelines, meticulously researched.

Art, War, Scandal and one gutsy woman. Welcome to the Keeper of Lost Art by Lelita Baldock.

The story is a gripping historical fiction set in World War II Italy, following Siena, a woman fleeing Nazi occupied Rome with a ledger of stolen art and a secret of her own. The story is told from multiple POVs of Siena, Alessia and Eva, and also from two different timelines, years before World War II and during World War II in Italy.

i love how the author blends fact with fiction seamlessly, this sent me down the rabbit hole to read more about the actual historical events like the bombing in Bari, the rise and fall of Mussolini and Italy's role in World War II.

The story is not all War and Art, it explores the harsh judgement faced by unwed mothers, conveniently forgetting that they did not get pregnant on their own 🤷🏿‍♀️, the suffocating traditional values of the time and the quiet rebellion of women who dared to live freely. One character I was furious with even though he later found redemption was Elio, his actions and decisions towards his pregnant unwed twin sister lead to so many avoidable consequences. Even after she dies, he sealed up her memory and Art like she never existed all in the name of family shame, it was heartbreaking.

Are you a fan of:
📌 Art and Intrigue

📌 Art Heists

📌History that hits hard

📌Women fighting back the patrichal system with courage

Then this book is perfect for you 🫵🏿. I rate this book an 8/10, Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advanced readers' copy of this book and I have this author on my radar ☺️☺️

Once I started this book I could not put it down. It really brings to life what life must have been like for ordinary families in occupied Italy during the war. The mystery of Siennas past is gripping and there are twists and turns right the the very final chapters.

A beautifully crafted story which very cleverly is told on two timelines which only reveal their relevance at the conclusion of the book.
Set in Italy during the Second World War it deals with how people manage to exist in times of hardship and shortages of the basics of living.
The courage to act up against the suppression of the invading army and take action to prevent the loss of Italys inheritance.
It is a story of love and loss with a beautiful conclusion
I can’t recommend it enough

With thanks to Storm Books for the ARC.

WOW, I LOVED this book set in Italy in multiple timeline (pre, during and post WW2 Italy. I loved learning a little bit more about wartime Italy, the hardships the people endured, their strength and the resistance efforts, all told through an arts lens. The characters are well-developed and though it took a while to get into the flow of the multiple character POV and timelines, once I did, I devoured this book in just a couple of days. My first read by this author but not my last!

This is a story of a family in Italy during World War II with ties back to World War I. Alessia lives in Bari with her Nonna and brother, Nicco. Her father is away fighting. One night a young woman, shows up at the door. Alessia allows her to come in and to stay the night. Siena is running from Rome with a book of where the hidden art has stored to save it from the Nazis. The story is interesting. There seem to be multiple story lines that intercept.

I was asked to read this by Storm Publishing. I enjoyed the story more than I thought I would. I would recommend this to others even those who say “not one more WWII book”. #Netgalley

This is my 1st book by Lelita Baldock and I'll be looking for more of her books.
This WW II historical novel with a dual timeline is set in Florence, Italy in the 1920's, post WW I and in Bari, a small coastal town in the 1940's. It opens with a young woman fleeing Rome, to Bari, to the home of Alessia, her grandmother, younger brother as her older brother and father are away at war. The author's historical research strength shines here, with so many details about the war in relation to Italy, Mussolini and her ties to Hitler, Facism and the cultural norms of family, food and community, I learned quite a bit. Her descriptive language of the area, draws you in, making you feel cosmopolitan Rome and the beauty of Bari, along with the emotional states of the various characters of love, fear, betrayal, despair, hunger and romance. The women are the strongest protagonist's in the story, facing their struggles with grace, generosity, loyalty and strength.
There is some violence, appropriate for the era of war, some non-graphic sexual scenes and family conflict. The timelines were a bit clunky occasionally, but the unveiling of the various ties between the characters was well done.and kept me engaged to the satisfying end. If you are looking for an engaging and intriguing WW II dual timeline story filled with empathic characters, art, community, danger, suspense, love and reconciliation, I highly recommend this book.
A deep note of gratitude to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the privilege of the ARC, it was my pleasure. All opinions expressed are my own.