Review: The Girl from Sicily by Siobhan Daiko

I'm delighted to welcome back author Siobhan Daiko to Ruins & Reading, with my review of her intriguing new dual-timeline novel, The Girl from Sicily. It's well worth checking out!

The Girl from Sicily is currently on blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources. My thanks to Rachel, and Boldwood Books, for a copy of the book.

 

The Girl from Sicily

Siobhan Daiko

I was very much looking forward to reading The Girl from Sicily, especially after I reviewed the brilliant, The Girl from Bologna, and I found it to be a wonderful read.

In the middle of her messy divorce, Jess discovers that the grandmother she never knew had left her a baglio, a home on the Italian island of Sicily. As her mother had refused to ever speak about her own mother, Jess has no idea what to expect. She travels to Sicily to get a clearer picture, and meets the couple who are tasked with looking after the estate. 

And whilst she quickly meets welcoming locals, there are some who are less inclined to welcome her interference, and her growing interest in her grandmother's estate. When she begins digging into her family's history, there are some who wouldn't want her to know the past.

By 1943, Lucia and her brother Dinu had moved from New York to their family's humble home in Sicily, but the outbreak of war had prevented them from returning, without being interned. When their childhood friend, Gero, appears suddenly, involved in clandestine US government work, he makes contact with the local don, the most powerful man in the area. Despite Lucia's warnings, Dinu eventually becomes involved in the don's business. And no one speaks openly about it...

Can Lucia prevent her brother from turning into a criminal? And can Jess uncover their history without risking her own life? Read the book!

 

 

The Girl from Sicily is a fascinating tale of family secrets, murky political wartime deals, and love. The 2005 part of the novel is a gentle romance, but with moments of serious suspense, which add a gritty sense of present-day reality to the often light romantic setting. The people Jess meets are mostly welcoming and friendly, but I sometimes found the constant use of endearments a bit much. 

The setting and historical background are described beautifully, and we have a real sense of 'being there', even with Lucia in the 1940s, where old-fashioned views prevailed. Ms Daiko has researched the history and language of Sicily in depth, and it shows, as the island and its secrets pull you in. But alongside, there is always a dark side that no one speaks about. The code of silence.

I must admit I preferred the historical part of this novel, as Lucia tries to save her brother from making a foolish mistake, and yet she has to watch him slide onto the dark side. Dinu's behaviour grows more and more sinister, and the siblings grow apart. Especially when Lucia and Gero grow closer...

What makes The Girl from Sicily really fascinating is that the plot deals not only with sensitive themes, such as family secrets and breakups and guilt, but also with organised criminality and the surrounding silence, which is featured in both the historical and the modern-day part of the novel. Ms Daiko deals with these issues sensitively but firmly, and it makes for thrilling reading.

The Girl from Sicily is an intriguing tale of family, secrets, heartbreak, and ultimately, love. A poignant, moving, and evocative read. Highly recommended.

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Blurb:

Lucia loved her brother Dinu to the depths of her soul, but she also worried about him. He was intelligent yet ambitious, resilient yet hot-headed, and there was a dark side to him that could lead him into terrible trouble one day.

Sicily, 1943: Lucia and her twin brother Dinu have always been inseparable, but their bond is threatened when Gero, the son of close family friends in America, arrives in their village. Although she finds herself developing feelings for him, Lucia worries about Gero’s dangerous connections and their influence on her brother.

As the chaos of World War II closes in, Lucia must navigate love and loyalty to make a difficult choice. Will she risk that the consequences of her decision could bring untold horrors and affect her family for decades to come?

2005: When Jess inherits a baglio, an ancient feudal farmhouse in Sicily, from the grandmother she never knew, she’s determined to uncover the truth about her family’s hidden past. Following the death of her parents and on the brink of divorce, Jess travels to the island alone. There, with the help of a charming Sicilian, she embarks on a quest to unearth a web of long-buried secrets.

But answers come at a price, and Jess must decide if she’s ready to confront a truth that could change everything… 

Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/GirlfromSicily 

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About the Author:

Siobhan Daiko is a British historical fiction author. A lover of all things Italian, she lives in the Veneto region of northern Italy with her husband, a Havanese dog and a Siberian cat. 

 Siobhan was born of English parents in Hong Kong, attended boarding school in Australia, and then moved to the UK — where she taught modern foreign languages in a Welsh high school. She now spends her time writing page-turners and living the dolce vita sweet life near Venice. 

 

Her novels are compelling, poignant, and deeply moving, with strong characters and evocative settings, but always with romance at their heart.

Connect with Siobhan:

Facebook: @SiobhanDaiko
Twitter: @siobhandaiko
Instagram: @siobhandaiko_books
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SiobhanDaikoNews
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/siobhan-daiko