I love finding novels like this and discovering a new favourite author. The dual timeline is intriguing and beautifully crafted, it was well described and the pace of the story kept me interested as we flitted between timelines.
The exploration of women's roles in an overlooked period of history was fascinating, and this novel opened my eyes to Sicilian history and culture in a dramatic, well-paced narrative driven by well-rounded characters. Overall it felt like I got the story I was 'sold' in the book's description and the cover.

Novel set in Sicily

Sara has been a feted restaurateur over the years in Philadelphia, but her success has ground to a halt. She has to sell her beloved restaurant, La Macellaia, and she is seeking custody of her daughter. She has experienced life’s highs but now she is on her uppers, fighting for every cent, whilst maintaining her dignity. Her soon-to-be ex-husband, Jack, is all part of the sorry picture.

Her Aunt Rosie has died and it is her wish that Sara decamps to Sicily – to the fictional village of Caltabellessa (based on the author’s family village of Caltabellotto) – where Rosie was born. There she Sara to lay claim to a parcel of land that Rosie wants to pass on to her, listed in the name of Rosie’s mother, Serafina Forte and she is also to look into the family history. The hotel is booked, she has a pick up from the airport and Giusy will host her at her hotel in the village. The trip is all set.

Sara feels she has no choice but is hopeful that a sale of the land will help ease her financial burdens and so she sets off from her home in Scranton, Philadelphia and heads to Sicily.

This is very much a story of family backstories and the echoes of footsteps past. This will be a very appealing novel for anyone heading to Sicily and wanting a good story and a little more about place and history – it is set in the present but also trawls back to the early 20th Century and Serafina’s story. She was a woman who got married at an early age, bore her children but as her husband had to leave her – as many menfolk did at the time in order to find work elsewhere, either in Palermo or in the United States. Poverty was rife. She had no choice but to rely on herself, and thus she found her vocation as a healer. She had some casual training in the art but given that formal medical infrastructure was non-existent, she found a good level of work; but prejudice grew, citing potential witchcraft. She was a woman in a man’s world, where the Camorra held sway, at a time when northern Italy plundered the rich produce of the land (God’s kitchen) to sell up North in the now unified Italy.

There is a lot of insight into the life of women and how the reach of the Mafia, both then and now, influences the lives of locals through acts of brutality and coercion. The feel of the island is beautifully brought to life and I was invested in the storyline right to the end, although I was not totally taken with the way the novel concluded. When you have penned a good story it must be a huge challenge to find the ending to match. As an overall read it is very good.and I enjoyed it.

I listened to this in part as an audiobook (great narration by Rachel Hirsch and Carlotta Brennan) and switched to hardback, depending on circumstance. This is a very good way to pace out a novel and maintain continuity.

great holiday read set in US & Sicily, follows the path of immigrants and desperation to find work. Many other threads to the story, love, family, betrayal. Enjoyable. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

I listened to the audio version of this book and loved the narrator. The cover first caught my eye but upon reading the description I knew it would be right up my street. The book truly has it all: mystery, history, drama, romance, family secrets, strong female lead character and it all takes place in the stunning Sicily.

I think that this book will be loved and highly spoke of and I cannot wait to see this.

I tried to get into thisbook but just couldnot manage it. I think I was not engaged with the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley aan the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It only took me 24 hours to get through the audiobook since I was so hooked.

Modern day character Sara’s own life is in shambles and then she learns there is a plane ticket to Sicily for her along with an inherited plot of land in her family’s hometown. She goes to Sicily and ends up in her own mafia true crime drama while unraveling family secrets.

This book had it all: gorgeous scenery, love, historical fiction woven with a current day story, and a murder mystery.

The author based this book off of her own family history. As a fellow American with Sicilian ancestry, this story reminded me of my own family lore. Jo Piazza, the author, read some of the same books on Sicily that I have in my own quest for information on where my ancestors were from and her research shines through.

This was just what I needed. I have never read anything by Jo Piazza and I really enjoyed this audio book.

What a wonderful story told through the eyes of Sara (modern day) and her great-grandma Serafina who has long since died.

The characters were like friends and I was really invested in both Sara and Serafina, such brilliant women and I would love to read more of them.

This novel is really moving, very well rounded and I loved all the descriptions of the Sicilian scenes.

I will be looking to get some other books by Jo Piazza as I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, normally an avid fan of crime/thriller I loved it and will be enjoying more of this genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was definitely an interesting book and had a unique premise which is what drew me to it in the first place. It gave me a great insight into the lives of Sicilian women during the early 1900s and I found the blend between the past and modern day well-done. My only criticism was the book's predictability as I foresaw the ending from a mile away, and didn't experience any shocking moments or "grand reveals" that mystery books typically excel at.

A wonderful dual timeline story that will transport you to Sicily, past and present. The rugged landscape, the sea, the cliff edges, the heat, the food...it is all so sensory and evocative. Then there is the darker past, one of a mafioso driven place, with crime and poverty, men ascaping to the Americas to find work, women left behind and vulnerable amongst the remaining men. The protagonist Sara is swept into all that history as she finds herself at a crossroads - work and relationships have failed, and she has been willed a possible piece of land in Sicily rumoured to have belonged to her great grandmother, who she is told was murdered for witchlike practices. She discovers a great grandmother with such inner strength, passion, and a skill for medicine and healing, in addition to a tangled history. Sicily likes to hold on to its secrets and not everyone is pleased by her arrival. The dangers posed are just as real for her as they were to her ancestor. It is amazing that this story derives from an ancestral story in the authors own family. It is an incredible saga and legacy brought to life in this superb audiobook narrated by Rachel Hirsch and Carlotta Brentan. They embodied the protagonists, their loves, losses, struggles and triumphs. #thesicilianinheritance #jopiazza #audiobook #netgalley #HQ

I really loved this book. Historical fiction can be such a beautiful genre and when done well, like this was, is ethereal. The dual narratives worked really well and created a wonderful accessibility into the historical world Jo Piazza was introducing us to. It had genuinely shocking twists, beautifully visual descriptions, and an incredibly emotive narrative. The final epilogue and author’s note did brilliantly at drawing the story to a close and accentuating the emotions of it. I am now desperate for a trip to Sicily and to read more about my family history!

THE SICILIAN INHERITANCE by Jo Piazza

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Apart from the resources mentioned in the Author’s Note, it is evident extensive research went into writing this book. The Sicilian Inheritance unfolds as a multi-layered narrative with dual timelines, which captivated me from the outset and kept me on edge with a succession of suspense-laden scenes.

I listened to the audiobook version which was narrated magnificently by Rachel Hirsch and Carlotta Brenton. While the initial chapters offers a generous dose of humor, the deeper I got into the book, the more it took on an edge of despair as I was thrown into the life of Serafina in the early 1900s Sicily. The author deftly describes the lives and struggles of rural Sicilian women during a time of mass migration and the stresses, conflict, and divisions it created between migrant men and women, and the hardships faced by the women who were left behind to fend for themselves and their children.

In modern-day Sicily, the reader experiences suspense of another kind in nail-baiting chapters in which Sara tries to unravel a centuries-old murder, a contested inheritance, and a family secret that threatens her own survival.

The plot of this book is intricate and filled with countless twists that took me by surprise. I was captivated until the very end when all the different plot points seamlessly weave together to reveal a breath-taking ending.

Beyond the fictional narrative in which Serafina transforms into a healer and martyr, and the profound impact of her life-altering choices that has a domino-effect on the lives of subsequent generations, I was fascinated and deeply intrigued by the shifting economic-, social, and family dynamics in marriages where young husbands and wives suddenly found themselves on opposite sides of the ocean. The author also doesn’t spare the reader from the horrors men had to endure working in the coal mines.

That brings us to Sara’s narrative arc in which she attempts to solve the murder of her great-grandmother, and vindicate her heritage, while trying to survive her time in Sicily, but to also have a second chance at redemption for all the mistakes she had made up to that point in her life back home in America where her own daughter is waiting for her.

The Sicilian Inheritance is a testament to the resilience of extraordinary women defying patriarchal norms, an epic love story, family, sacrifice, and survival, underscored by themes of friendship and compassion. It’s told beautifully and with empathy, and is one that will resonate deeply with many readers long after the final page had been turned.

All my thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for this phenomenal read in exchange for an honest review.

A fabulously written gripping story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book, it was brilliant, I did receive the book to read review, but listened to the audio book

This story makes me want to pack a case, book a flight and head out into the Sicilian countryside. I’d find a deserted beach and dive into the crystal blue waters, then emerge for a late lunch with friends, under a shady vine at a rustic table, piled high with bread, cheese and local produce.
It’s a beautiful story, perfect for a summer read, set on the island. It’s rich with Sicilian characters, history and mafiosi and follows two timelines: Sara’s and that of her great-grandmother, Seraphina. Sara is dispatched to the island as her own life is falling apart around her; a failed business, failed marriage and husband fighting for custody of her beloved daughter, with no money to hire a decent lawyer to fight her case. Her aunt Rosie’s dying wish is that she find out what really happened to Seraphina, who never joined her husband and children when they left Sicily for America.
If you’re looking for a gripping summer read with plenty of intrigue and a touch of romance, you won’t go far wrong with this.
Five stars from me, with thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK audio for the chance to listen to an ARC.

I picked this as my summer read for the reading rivalry group. It is not a happy summer read but I was addicted. I loved it so much! The narration was perfect!
I loved the family history stuff but I especially loved the history stuff in general! Here in America we rarely thinks about the villages left behind when people immigrated for a new life/money here.

I found this book really compelling, I really enjoy a family drama with a little mystery, romance and rebellion thrown in and this didn't disappoint. The characters felt really well developed and the descriptions of Sicily transported me straight there. A great book!

I really enjoyed this one! The narration was wonderful and really immersed you in the story! An excellent summer thriller if you're looking for something twisty, turny, and burning with feminine energy and rage. Piazza writes her female characters so well, and you really find yourself swept away with this thriller spanning generations and the Sicilian diaspora.

A wonderful book.

I really enjoyed this audio book - once I'd got into the story (which didn't take long) I wanted to hear more and kept having to find jobs to do to justify my listening along. This is a dual time line thriller - Sara (short for Serafina)'s beloved Aunt Rosie has just passed away. Aunt Rosie has paid for her to travel to Sicily to scatter her ashes in the land where Rosie was born and Rosie's mother is buried. What Sara doesn't expect when she gets to Sicily is to have a decades old murder to investigate, a cast of characters surrounding her who are allegedly friends, but definitely can't be trusted, and potential threats from the Casa Nostra (mafia). As a fan of Kate Morton's dual time line books, this book perhaps unsurprisingly reminded me of Kate Morton's books - the most recent of which also involved the modern day protagonist finding and reading a diary written by her deceased relative.

This story is told in two timelines. Firstly we have Sara Marsala in the current day. She has just lost her business, her marriage and custody of her child. When her great aunt Rosie died she finds that Rosie has left her a document. Its a deed to a plot of land in Sicily. The family's homeland.
As Sara travels to Sicily she finds that is not going to be easy claiming her inheritance. The locals have already taken over the land and will not acknowledge her as the rightful owner. In order to claim the land she must discover what happen to Serafina Marsala. Rosie's mother. Rosie always believed her mother was murdered and did not die of an illness. By uncovering the truth can Sara take her land
We also flash back to Serafina Marsala. Growing up it a small village. Married early with a young family. Times were not always good. Especially when her husband travels off to America to make his fortune
This is a beautifully told story. The author reminds me very much of Victoria Hislop. A perfect holiday read

This book is a beautiful ode to Sicily. The fabulous plot - switching between the lives of Sara and her great grandmother Serafina alone makes for a fabulous read but in addition you have layers of history from a female perspective, medicine, mythology, a travelogue and a mouthwatering food journal to enjoy.
Think tiramisu in book form. And it certainly did pick me up, I want to book a trip to Italy right now!

- Dual Timeline
- Dual Perspectives
- Multi Generational Story
- Feminism
- Family Mystery

The writing is so compelling. I connected with the characters. I liked the characters of Serafina , Rosie and Sara. The novel will take you to Sicily and a century old unsolved murder with a letter notifying about the inheritance received to Sara by her Great Aunt. But the mystery of Sara’s grandmother Serafina and family secret is connected with the land in Sicily. The characters backstories were poignant. I felt the mystery of Serafina was so deep and heartbreaking. Sara gets tangled in a murder mystery, secrets, and the anatomy of identity with powerful story of women and making a better life for herself and her family . The book is powerful, moving, thought provoking and poignant. I loved that Sara made a difference in her life. I loved the Author’s note and the inspiration behind the Serafina’s character

The narration was so good. I liked the Italian setting and characters. I like how the narrators distinguished the voices and how Sara dig in the past to solve the mystery of a century old murder.

Many Thanks to Harper Collins publisher, Author and Narrators