I’ve mentioned before that Tessa Harris’ wonderful books are now firmly on my “must read” list, and I’m delighted today to share my publication day review of The Florence Sisters – published by HQ Digital today (24th April), it’s now available as an ebook on all major platforms, in paperback, and as an audiobook. My thanks to the publishers for my advance reading e-copy, provided via netgalley.
It was December 2020 when Tessa joined me on the blog to share the story behind her first book for HQ, Beneath a Starless Sky (you’ll find that post here) – and, when I read it, I found it a wonderfully sweeping wartime story, blending fiction and fact, filled with drama and intrigue, and quite beautifully written (you’ll find my review here). She followed that with The Light We Left Behind – a romance, a developing mystery, and a fascinating slice of wartime secret history (here‘s my review). The Paris Notebook followed – stunningly original, built around a kernel of truth (the author’s afterword is almost as fascinating as the book itself) with an added layer of “what if” that made it a totally compelling story (and one of my 2023 Books of the Year – you’ll find my review here). The Tuscan Daughter took us into the mountains with the partisans, and was an intense and gripping story of determination and bravery, of danger and hardship, along with a compelling and moving romance (you’ll find my review of that one here). And this was another I was really looking forward to…
A war-torn city. A stolen masterpiece. Two lives in the balance…
Italy, 1940. With Florence on the cusp of war, Il Scorpione, the no-nonsense Englishwomen of the city, find their genteel livelihoods under grave threat by the approach of the Nazis. Tea rooms and bookshops are closed by the Fascists, and the women are forced to join the war effort.
Desperate to help in any way that she can, Angelina Leone, expert art-historian and the half-Italian niece of Il Scorpione’s founder makes a deal with the devil. To guarantee her beloved Aunt Agatha, the only family she has, safe passage across the city, Lina must authenticate the art ruthlessly stolen from Jewish families. But when she comes across a priceless portrait – one that she cannot bear to see seized by the Germans – Lina declares the masterpiece a fake. But in doing so, will she set off a chain of events with consequences more deadly than she could ever imagine.
I always particularly enjoy a book that sends me down my own research rabbit hole – the Ponte Vecchio, the Scorpioni, the Uffizi, the Shinnie maps, the Kunstschutz, the art of Cranach, and so much more – guided by the fascinating letter from the author that ends the book. Goodness, I even watched the two films she mentions, I became so engrossed in the subject. Wonderfully researched and beautifully written as always, this book – a work of fiction based on fact – really was history brought to life, as well as being a very involving romance and an edge-of-the-seat read that gathered pace throughout and left me breathless.
Essentially, this is the story of a group of women, living in wartime Florence – the Scorpioni – whose love of art found them helping prevent the destruction of the city’s treasures both during the Nazi withdrawal and the bombing that followed. It also tells how the Nazis looted the city’s many works of art, taking them out of the country – and the efforts of art historian Lina, working with the partisans, as she attempts to save them, particularly one previously undiscovered work by a favourite of the Fuhrer. It’s a rather moving love story too – as she works with art dealer Edoardo, who’s won her heart but has an unfortunate reputation and a complex past, and who she’s not sure whether to trust. And as the story builds, it becomes rather a thriller too, with lives risked to prevent the destruction of one of the most iconic sites of Florence.
The characterisation is excellent – not just Lina and Edoardo, but the whole supporting cast, sympathetic or otherwise. And particularly the ladies of the Scorpioni – all distinctive characters including Lina’s wonderful Aunt Agatha, women who’ve lived a little and all have their own stories, and who play their own parts in the story. The world-building is wonderful too – wartime Florence vividly recreated, making the reader feel very much part of it. And I thought the pacing was superb – quieter moments in the early book, experiences shared, discoveries made, secrets uncovered, then that major gear change that was so tremendously exciting, life-threatening and with an uncertain outcome, everything in the balance.
This book really has a bit of everything – romance, the art world, the impact of the occupation, the plundering of Florence’s treasures – and really captures the immense bravery shown by those who sought to make a difference and change the course of events. It’s such an immersive read, filled with suspense, and a well-told story that had me gripped throughout – and that fast-paced and heart-pounding climax really was stunning. Very much recommended.
About the author
Tessa Harris read History at Oxford University and has been a journalist, writing for several national newspapers and magazines for more than thirty years. She is the author of nine published historical novels. Her debut, The Anatomist’s Apprentice, won the Romantic Times First Best Mystery Award 2012 in the US. She lectures in creative writing at Hawkwood College, Stroud and is married with two children. She lives in the Cotswolds.
