The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza

 

Title: The Sicilian Inheritance

Author: Jo Piazza

Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: Sara Marsala barely knows who she is anymore after the failure of her business and marriage. On top of that, her beloved great-aunt Rosie passes away, leaving Sara bereft with grief. But Aunt Rosie’s death also opens an escape from her life and a window into the past by way of a plane ticket to Sicily, a deed to a possibly valuable plot of land, and a bombshell family secret. Rosie believes Sara’s great-grandmother Serafina, the family matriarch who was left behind while her husband worked in America, didn’t die of illness as family lore has it . . . she was murdered.

Thus begins a twist-filled adventure that takes Sara all over the picturesque Italian countryside as she races to solve a mystery and learn the story of Serafina—a feisty and headstrong young woman in the early 1900s thrust into motherhood in her teens, who fought for a better life not just for herself but for all the women of her small village. Unsurprisingly the more she challenges the status quo, the more she finds herself in danger. 

As Sara discovers more about Serafina, she also realizes she is coming head-to-head with the same menacing forces that took down her great-grandmother.
- Back Cover

My Thoughts

This was on my Christmas list and I was so excited when I received it as a gift from my boyfriend! From the first chapter, I knew I was going to enjoy this novel. It immediately pulls the reader in with intrigue and creates a strong relationship with Sara, the main character. I have Sicilian ancestors who immigrated to the US around the time Serafina's story is set. It was enlightening to read about what it was like to live in Sicily at that time, especially for women. 

You know I love a multigenerational story, and both Sara and Serafina's stories are full of suspense and surprises. At times, I just couldn't wait to return to the novel night after night before bed, and at other times, I needed to take a break because the intense emotions overwhelmed me as I read. I kept returning to it because I had to know how their stories would end, and I'm so glad I did. An unexpected twist completely got me, and I love thinking back like "oh, that was a subtle hint of what is to come!" 

This was a great read and a beautiful addition to my bookshelf.

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Elizabeth The Queen by Sally Bedell Smith

 Title: Elizabeth The Queen

Author: Sally Bedell Smith

Genre: Biography

Synopsis: From the moment of her ascension to the throne in 1952 at the age of twenty-five, Queen Elizabeth II was the object of unparalleled scrutiny. But through the fog of glamour and gossip, how well did we really know the world’s most famous monarch? Drawing on numerous interviews and never-before-revealed documents, acclaimed biographer Sally Bedell Smith pulls back the curtain to show in intimate detail the public and private lives of Queen Elizabeth II, who led her country and Commonwealth through the wars and upheavals of the last twentieth and twenty-first centuries with unparalleled composure, intelligence, and grace.

 
In Elizabeth the Queen, we meet the young girl who suddenly becomes “heiress presumptive” when her uncle abdicates the throne. We meet the thirteen-year-old Lilibet as she falls in love with a young navy cadet named Philip and becomes determined to marry him, even though her parents prefer wealthier English aristocrats. We see the teenage Lilibet repairing army trucks during World War II and standing with Winston Churchill on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on V-E Day. We see the young Queen struggling to balance the demands of her job with her role as the mother of two young children.

Sally Bedell Smith brings us inside the palace doors and into the Queen’s daily routines—the “red boxes” of documents she reviewed each day, the weekly meetings she had with twelve prime ministers, her physically demanding tours abroad, and the constant scrutiny of the press—as well as her personal relationships: with her husband, Prince Philip, the love of her life; her children and their often-disastrous marriages; her grandchildren and friends. - Back Cover

My Thoughts

I loved following and learning about Queen Elizabeth II and English Royal Family history in general, so when The Queen passed away in 2022 I felt sad. It was the end of an era. With Charles, William, and George there won't be a reigning queen in Britain for generations. On my next visit to my parents' house following her death, my mom had this book waiting for me, understanding how I felt. I started to read it then, but just didn't feel ready. So now, over two years later, I picked it back up and thoroughly enjoyed reading about Queen Elizabeth's life. The book is well researched and written, so while it is a long book, it reads pretty quickly and doesn't feel dry. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the life of Queen Elizabeth II, especially when she was young.

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To see more from the author, visit the website linked above