The Italian Villa cover art

The Italian Villa

An Emotional and Absolutely Gripping WW2 Historical Romance

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The Italian Villa

By: Daniela Sacerdoti
Narrated by: Lisa Rost-Welling
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About this listen

Inspired by true events, and for fans of The Beekeeper’s Promise and The Tuscan Child, comes a passionate, heartbreaking and absolutely pause-resisting story of two remarkable women, separated by history, finding the courage to look for light in the darkest places.

As she staggers through the woods towards the smoky remains of her village, she sees the wounded, all those familiar faces covered in blood and ashes, and remembers she isn’t just a woman; she is a doctor, and she is needed...

1938 - A young Italian couple cling to each other in the shadow of the Montevino mountains, Mussolini’s call to war ringing in their ears. They vow to stay together, no matter what, and hatch a plan to wed in secret before fleeing to the woods to join the resistance.

Present Day - Callie Di Giacomo, a waitress from Texas, is still reeling from the discovery that she is adopted when she arrives in Montevino in search of answers - the keys to the stunning hillside villa she just inherited clutched tightly in her hand. In her birth mother’s wardrobe grief-stricken Callie finds a diary belonging to a woman named Elisa Stella, one of Italy’s first ever female students of medicine, wrapped in pale blue ribbon.

Page by page, Callie unravels the story of a passionate young doctor who risked everything to marry her sweetheart, who was betrayed by her own people, and forced into hiding as Montevino was invaded. Elisa knew she must survive against all odds to see her loved ones again. But history had other plans…

As the diary ends, a startling revelation about who Elisa was offers a chance for Callie to heal past wounds and spark a new future. But is she brave enough to take it?

This unforgettable story of love, loss and resilience by the author of million-copy Amazon number one best seller, Watch Over Me, is perfect for anyone who loved The Letter, The Tattooist of Auschwitz or The Dressmaker’s Gift.

©2020 Daniela Sacerdoti (P)2020 Bookouture
Historical Fiction Resilience Women's Fiction Fiction Italy
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What listeners say about The Italian Villa

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping.

Loved every minute, thank goodness for Audible that opens the world of wonder ful author's,stories, & narrators.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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captivating

really nice good. really good story, I think it did come to a very abrupt end but i was lovely didn't want it to end

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Listener received this title free

Easy listen

A dual time frame novel set during the 1930's and the present. Callie living in Texas discovers her past is not what she thought and travels to Italy to discover the truth. With a diary belonging to the mysterious Elisa can she discover the truth and will the locals tell her what they know.

The writing brought to life the town and villa, painting a picture of the setting and some of the food (which sounded delicious). A story of secrets, heartbreak and romance it was an easy listen which swept you along with the story.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Dual time period story with romance and mystery

This is a story set with two time periods and follows the stories of Callie, an orphaned young woman from Texas who discovers her family roots in Italy, and Elisa with a story told through her diary and set in the late 1930's as Mussolini's power set Italians against each other.
There was much to enjoy in this tale with romance and family secrets but I think I might have enjoyed it more without the slightly jarring Italian 'sing song' accent from the narrator - having stayed in Italy many times I found it unconvincing and I think I would have preferred it without the accents.
It has some touching moments and is an easy listen - a good book for your holiday case as well.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Couldn't put it down

This was a book I couldn't put down. The characters all had their own secrets from the past that they had to come to terms with. Really enjoyed it.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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A good read

This is a bit of a nagging reminder that many Americans long for a European, preferably French or Italian romantic connection. It’s a pleasant story and the writing is similarly pleasant, but it doesn’t sparkle or have terribly much depth.

Nevertheless, I did listen to the end and found the book to be pleasant and undemanding.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Good story.

The narrator was good. Loved the Italian accents. Enjoyable story. Going back in the family to the present day makes it entertaining.

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Great story

The accents ruined this book for me
I couldn't believe how awful they were !
The story was brilliant

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Easy, light listen

The Italian Villa is told in dual time frames – the present and during the Second World War (using diary entries). It is a tale of romance and family secrets and I loved the descriptions of the glorious Italian countryside, the village of Montevino and life in an Italian village. This was an entertaining, light and easy listen, though perhaps a bit too much romance for me!

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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terrible

An awful book and I so hate the fake Italian accents. I live in Italy so this is clcouod not be so unlike whsyvi know of living here.

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1 person found this helpful