I’m delighted today to be joining the blog tour for The Tuscan Orphan by Siobhan Daiko, and sharing my review. Published on 14th November by Boldwood Books, it’s now available as an ebook (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. Thank you, as always, to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading e-copy, provided via netgalley.
Siobhan is rapidly becoming a particular personal favourite. In her pre-Boldwood days, I very much enjoyed her independently published The Flame Tree – a moving romance set in Hong Kong during the Second World War, a fascinating slice of history, and the most wonderful story-telling (you can read my review again here). And then came her first book with Boldwood, The Girl from Venice – and I was totally caught up in the experiences of the individuals at the story’s core and the harsh realities of life for the partisans, and learned a great deal about the whole Italian wartime experience (you’ll find my full review here). I was looking forward to reading more from this talented author…
1944 – When an air raid strikes the hospital she’s been working in, Carrie’s life irrevocably changes. But as a nurse in the middle of wartime, she has no time to grieve, as she has too many people relying on her.
For resistance fighter, Vito, nothing is more important than seeking vengeance for the atrocities his fellow comrades have suffered. But when he liberates a convent, finding a group of Jewish children in hiding, he suddenly has even more to fight for.
Little Mimi is injured, scared and alone. Together Carrie and Vito vow to find her parents, a loving home. But under the shadow of war, is it wise to make promises you’re not sure you can keep?
Heartbreaking and immersive, this powerful story of the strength of the human spirit will delight fans of Kristin Hannah, Fiona Valpy and Rhys Bowen.
Not a dual-time story this time, instead a really intense and focused wartime read, supported by what must have been such extensive research which the author uses so well to recreate the horrendous experiences of her characters engaged in their efforts on the front line in Italy during WW2.
The story begins in 1944, where we meet Carrie, a Texan nurse, working first at Anzio under constant bombardment – the fear is something you can really feel, but also the determination to deliver – when her dreams of a happy future are shattered by a devastating loss. Vito is a partisan from Florence, who helps in the liberation of a convent where his sister is a nun, leading a group of hidden Jewish children to safety. Young Mimi – the Tuscan orphan of the title – is injured, and helps repair Carrie’s broken heart as both she and Vito, as they grow closer, attempt to find out what happened to her parents.
This is a thoroughly immersive story that really doesn’t hold back on its depiction of the horrors of wartime, or on the descriptions of medical trauma – I’ll admit I found it very difficult to read at times, but was stunned by the authenticity of the detail. But it’s also a very touching love story, and the wartime story is set against the author’s wonderful descriptions of the Italy she loves – the stunning landscapes and the heartbreaking damage to the fabric of its cities – and the found family story that unfolds is superbly done.
The characterisation is excellent, the story told in the third person, but from the viewpoints of both Carrie and Vito – we share their emotional journey, and the challenges they both face. It’s a story of endurance and bravery, and the personal stories entirely engaged me at an emotional level – but I also learned a great deal about the moving theatre of engagement as the hospital moved with it, and the stages of Italy’s long and hard-fought liberation. It’s a story filled with hope, and there are moments of lightness – but there’s plenty of factual content to satisfy those who might not be quite as engaged by a more straightforward wartime romance.
I do have to say though that this wasn’t my favourite book from the author – only a personal preference, but I just found it rather too traumatic an experience. But it certainly wouldn’t stop me from recommending it to others – the storytelling is as excellent as ever, it’s gripping and compelling, and it would make an excellent book club read with its multiplicity of engaging themes and richness of historical detail.
About the author
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.
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