Review: The Girl from Venice by Siobhan Daiko

June 15, 2023

Review: The Girl from Venice by Siobhan Daiko

I'm delighted to share my review of The Girl from Venice, a gripping dual-timeline story of hardship and love, by Siobhan Daiko.

It's currently on blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources. My thanks to Rachel, and to Boldwood Books, for a copy. Make sure to check out the other posts on this tour!

The Girl from Venice

Siobhan Daiko

My, what an emotional rollercoaster!

The Girl from Venice is a dual-timeline story set during the Second World War in north-eastern Italy, and in 2010.

The contemporary part of the story begins in London, where Charlotte – a history teacher – discovers a faded photograph and unopened letters in Italian in her grandmother's house after her beloved grandmother's death. Fresh after a separation from her boyfriend for cheating, Charlotte decides to take time out to do some research. Her grandmother had never mentioned Italy, so why the secrecy?

Meanwhile, the story returns in time to 1943. We are in Venice, where Lidia lives with her father, a Jewish doctor. Their gentle relationship is a caring, close one, and you get a sense of their love for each other early on. Lidia is also studying medicine – until, one day, Jews are no longer allowed to attend university courses. The little hope she has is dashed further when Renzo, the young man she considered like a fiancé, leaves for Switzerland with his parents. Yet her father remains optimistic, considering Venetians safe from the horrors of the war. Horrors that unfold at a pace none of them expected.

When the SS arrives and begins to send Jews to concentration camps, Lidia must flee her beloved city. She does need some convincing by her best friend to do so, but soon finds her in the Veneto hills with a local family who introduce her as a distant cousin. Then she uncovers the secret ways of the resistance, and she doesn't need much prompting to join them.

But to do so puts her life in danger once more...

The Girl from Venice is an absolutely immersive novel. You're right there, with Lidia, at a time when one wrong word could get you arrested, and when one mistake could cost a life, or several.

Ms Daiko has excelled herself in the research she's undertaken for the historical part of the novel. Her knowledge of the movement of the partisans, their struggles at being taken seriously by the Allies, who often let them down, and the harrowing details of Lidia's experiences at the hands of not only the Germans, but also the Italians who happily supported the killing machine – it all makes this an utterly compelling (and at times truly shocking) read. But the violence is never gratuitous; it remains realistic of what we've come to learn about World War II and its horrors.

Lidia's father is a wonderful character, kind and always the optimist. To think what would become of him, and so many others like him, was extremely sad.

I absolutely loved Lidia's story, with the realistic setting, flawed and brave characters, political posturing, and a gripping fight for survival.

In the modern part, we have Charlotte travel to the Veneto where she quickly (somewhat too quickly) makes friends with the owners of the hotel where she's staying. Both Alessandro and Francesca, brother and sister, are happy to help her with her research. Soon, she falls for Alessandro's charm, who in turn has fallen in love with her. That part of the novel went way too fast for me, and I didn't find their help too realistic. They have a business to run, so running off to help translate for Charlotte seemed a bit far-fetched; too easy.

But it's still an intriguing mystery that Charlotte slowly uncovers, with a wonderful twist at the end that sees her question her path in life.

The Girl from Venice is a harrowing read at times, but the realism of the setting, and the emotions and bravery shown by Lidia in particular make for an unforgettable read. I can highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in World War II fiction, Italy's role in it, and the workings of the resistance.

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Blurb:

1943

Lidia De Angelis has kept a low profile since Mussolini’s laws wrenched her from her childhood sweetheart. But when the Germans occupy Venice, she must flee the city to save her life.

Lidia joins the partisans in the Venetian mountains, where she meets David, an English soldier fighting for the same cause. As she grows closer to him, harsh German reprisals and Lidia’s own ardent patriotic activities threaten to tear them apart.

Decades later

While sorting through her grandmother’s belongings after her death, Charlotte discovers a Jewish prayer book, unopened letters written in Italian, and a fading photograph of a group of young people in front of the Doge’s Palace.

Intrigued by her grandmother’s refusal to talk about her life in Italy before and during the war, Charlotte travels to Venice in search of her roots, There, she learns not only the devastating truth about her grandmother’s past, but also some surprising truths about herself.

Buy Link: https://mybook.to/girlfromvenicesocial

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About the Author:

Siobhan Daiko

Siobhan Daiko writes powerful and sweeping historical fiction set in Italy during the second World War, with strong women at its heart. She now lives near Venice, having been a teacher in Wales for many years.