My Review:

What a Page Turner, following the Letter from Italy and its dual timeline was quite exciting. Set in the 40s telling Betty’s story and in the 70s telling Sadie’s story.

Betty a strong and supportive daughter with great aptitudes for many things. Promised to her childhood sweetheart, in love with a POW, grabs the chance to escape and join the ATS which takes her to Italy and a whole lifetime of adventures. Spending the War with her new friends Lily, Deborah and Susan. She embarks on her time in Nepal’s with pride. Her heart longing for Gianni and her sensible side knowing she cannot break her promise. War makes everything magnified and complex. Lives full of hope, loss, trauma and responsibilities. Surrounded by scenery. Betty’s return eventual return home is a wakeup call and a time she ends up handing over the most precious thing she could ever imagine.

Sadie discovers a secret to her identity she never would have dreamt of, proof she was adopted. The search begins, with little to go on but the journey takes her from London to Yorkshire to Italy. Will she find who and what she is looking for? You’ll have to read the book to find out. I will admit to being more invested in Betty Bean’s story. However, I fully recommend this wonderfully written story.

Book Description:

A heartbreaking wartime promise. A family torn apart. A letter that could change everything.

1945. The tiny bundle in her arms barely stirs as she hurries out into the dark street. Remembering Villa Teresa, a thousand miles away in sun-soaked Italy, Betty thinks of the letter she had to write to stop the bombing and save Gianni. Instead it cost her everything… And she will never see her beloved again. Now, letting her little baby go will tear her apart, but she knows it is the only way to keep her child safe…

Naples, present day. With nothing but the name of crumbling palazzo Villa Teresa scribbled on the page, Sadie clutches the scrap of a letter she desperately hopes will help her find her birth mother. It’s her only clue to go on. But with the heady scent of fresh lemons carrying on the breeze, and handsome local guide Luca by her side, she knows in her bones this is the right place.

Then, lost in the local newspaper archives, the pair makes a shocking discovery about the woman Sadie believes is her mother… How she did something terrible during the war. Shattered, Sadie must ask herself if she should continue searching for a woman who did her best to disappear.

Deep down, Sadie knows she can’t give up. But what really happened in that beautiful palazzo all those years ago? What led a mother to give away her baby? And will uncovering this devastating secret destroy Sadie’s heart for good?

A Letter from Italy is an emotional and gripping tale about a tragic love affair in World War Two and how a daughter lost for decades finally follows her heart home. Perfect for fans of The Letter, Fiona Valpy and Angela Petch.

Author Bio:

Rose Alexander has had more careers than she cares to mention and is currently a secondary school English teacher. She writes in the holidays, weekends and evenings, whenever she has a chance, although with three children, a husband, a lodger and a cat, this isn’t always as often as she’d like. She’s a keen sewist and is on a mission to make all her own clothes.

https://www.rosealexander.co.uk

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Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CQLY9R94social

Audio:

UK: https://ow.ly/mWgi50QVqWQ US: https://ow.ly/30sm50QVqWS 🎧https://ow.ly/SP2X50QVqWR

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