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A Novel
by Jo Piazza
Book Reviewed by:From bestselling author and award-winning journalist Jo Piazza, comes a transporting novel rooted in the author's own family history about a long-awaited trip to Sicily, a disputed inheritance, and a family secret that some will kill to protect ...
Sara Marsala barely knows who she is anymore after the failure of her business and marriage. On top of that, her beloved great-aunt Rosie passes away, leaving Sara bereft with grief. But Aunt Rosie's death also opens an escape from her life and a window into the past by way of a plane ticket to Sicily, a deed to a possibly valuable plot of land, and a bombshell family secret. Rosie believes Sara's great-grandmother Serafina, the family matriarch who was left behind while her husband worked in America, didn't die of illness as family lore has it ... she was murdered.
Thus begins a twist-filled adventure that takes Sara all over the picturesque Italian countryside as she races to solve a mystery and learn the story of Serafina—a feisty and headstrong young woman in the early 1900s thrust into motherhood in her teens, who fought for a better life not just for herself but for all the women of her small village. Unsurprisingly the more she challenges the status quo, the more she finds herself in danger.
As Sara discovers more about Serafina, she also realizes she is coming head-to-head with the same menacing forces that took down her great-grandmother. At once an immersive multigenerational mystery and an ode to the undaunted heroism of everyday women, The Sicilian Inheritance is an atmospheric, page-turning delight.
In her author's note, Jo Piazza divulges that this story was inspired by her own family's history; the construction of the female characters—Serafina in particular—makes it clear that the novel is a passion project. While Serafina's historical chapters marginally outshine Sara's mystery narrative, the whole book comes together as a propulsive family saga and potent commentary on the deep roots of Italian patriarchy. Set against the beautifully evoked landscape of the Sicilian countryside, The Sicilian Inheritance is the perfect captivating summer read...continued
Full Review
(570 words)
(Reviewed by Rachel Hullett).
We may think of Sicily today as merely an extension of the Italian mainland, but the island has its own unique history that dates back thousands of years and reflects the cultural, political, and economic influence of numerous civilizations.
Because of its convenient location in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily has long been a site for merchants and travelers, notably the Greeks. Three Indigenous groups populated the island before Greek colonization in 750 BCE: the Sicels in the east, the Sicani in the center, and the Elymi in the west. The Sicels, whose origins the ancient historian Thucydides traced back to mainland Italy, spoke an Indo-European language, but the languages of the other two groups are unknown. At the arrival ...
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People who bite the hand that feeds them usually lick the boot that kicks them
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Emily Giffin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Meant to Be
Equal parts riveting mystery and engaging family saga, The Sicilian Inheritance will transport you to the gorgeous island of Sicily and keep you up all night.
