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.

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.