The Italian Village in the Hills by Victoria Springfield

  

The Italian Village in The Hills   

By Victoria Springfield

SUMMARY:

Stella has spent decades trying to forget the heartbreak that made her flee the Italian village of her childhood. But when her new fiancé surprises her with a trip back to Liguria for her upcoming birthday, she is forced to confront the past, her first love and a tragic family rift.

Amy is mourning her beloved grandpa and curious to know more about the old coin necklace and mysterious postcard that he left her. Following his trail to the Italian Riviera, a chance meeting leads Amy to Stella’s village in the hills and to secrets that have lain buried since the war.

Against a backdrop of cobbled medieval streets, sunlit piazzas and rustic olive groves, both Stella and Amy make surprising discoveries about their families – and themselves.

By facing up to the past and opening their hearts, can Stella and Amy find happiness in the Italian village in the hills?

 

MY REVIEW:

When Victoria Springfield promises you romance, love, and family bonds all wrapped up in Italian sunshine, she absolutely delivers.

It starts with quite a hook, with characters navigating uncertainty in their lives. Three separate and unrelated stories, which will somehow amalgamate. We don’t know what the connection is, but it compels the reader to continue reading. The first narrative is from fifty-nine-year-old Stella, still hoping to find love. She suffers an uncomfortable dinner date with Joe, a man whom she met online, because she thinks he is going to dump her. However, not only did the food from the nine-course tasting menu make her feel thoroughly stuffed and bloated, but the ‘handsome, well-mannered’ Joe is actually about to declare his intentions by resurrecting a medieval tradition of chivalry and courtly love. The scene is humorous and cringeworthy in equal measures.

‘The sound of violins, something Stella recognised from a perfume advertisement, drifted towards her. The music was a pleasant distraction from Joe, who was shifting awkwardly in his chair. A waiter set a boat shaped dish in front of her. The squidgy pink desert was decorated with swirly chocolate piping. It looked like writing. Merry something? Beads of sweat bubbled on Jo’s forehead despite the near glacial air conditioning. He sank to the floor. Stella gasped, alarmed. Joe rummaged in his jacket pocket, producing a small square box.’

Stella was brought up in Italy, but at this point, the reader does not know why she left. There is a beautifully written sentence of reflection that describes her heritage. For anyone who knows Italy, Italian food is a cornerstone of cultural identity, rooted in family and tradition, rather than just sustenance.

‘Once she and Joe were married, she’d gently take over the cooking. She’d make mesciua with chickpeas and grains, veal belly stuffed with vegetables and cheese, and she’d chop green bunches of basil to make bright, fresh pesto the way she’d learnt it back in the village. Back in the days, when her mother's kitchen was still a place of energetic endeavour, warmth, joy and love.’

The narrative moves on to a party for Amy’s grandpa Lance, who is celebrating his one hundred and second birthday with his family. Amy is a really likeable character, family-oriented, artistic, but suffering a "post-grad crisis," and simply feeling lost. The opportunity to explore her options comes when grandpa dies and leaves her with a memory box of postcards and mementoes that represent cherished life moments. One of these is a lira coin strung on a leather thong with a letter etched on the back. This was a story which started in Italy, in Alessio on the Italian Riviera in Liguria, where grandpa grew up.

The third scene is in Italy, and the devout Fernanda is cleaning the church of St Agata. She is ostracised by the villagers because of something that happened many years earlier but Father Filippo, the new priest has something to discuss with her.

‘She was so frail that her eighty-seven-year-old body creaked and groaned as she bent over her broom.’ She is clearly a lady with a past as she ‘sweeps away her sins, praying for herself and her dear departed sister.’

A memorial is being carved by Fernanda’s grandson Leo, to commemorate the return of recently discovered bones belonging to Pietro Parodi, a young Italian casualty of war.

The narrative moves at a gentle pace to a village in Italy called Leto.

‘This was a place that held its past close, where alliances and feuds could endure for generations. Like the bitterness between her family and Gino’s’

Our characters drive the story forward, even though they are at different stages in their lives and different starting points, but we follow the journeys of the characters simultaneously, often intersecting. The author weaves them together into a layered, rich and emotionally uplifting story that touches your heart.

Amy is searching for clues to uncover her grandpa’s past from an old postcard. She is offered a spare room in the house of the devout Fernanda and meets Leo.  Although Stella is with Jo, she is remembering her teenage love with Gino, a raw unfiltered emotion, but there are things in her past that haunt her. A chance accident suffered by Domenico, her father's brother, leads her to look after his shop while he recovers.

“‘What happened to Arturo – your papa – it wasn’t your fault.” Domenico murmured.

‘What I never understood is why Papa hated Gino’s family so much.’ Stella had pondered the schism for years.’

Against the backdrop of cobblestone streets, medieval architecture, old mule tracks, panoramic views of vineyards and olive groves, ghosts haunt this beautiful village. Unresolved past traumas, secrets, or "wounds" that will deeply influence current actions and choices, but the characters are forced to confront buried truths in order to bridge the gap between the past and the present.

 

Why I Recommend this Book:

Highly recommended. I loved this book.

The story celebrates the interwoven lives of families and timeless tales, revealing connections that the main characters never thought possible. Each chapter uncovers new details, guiding the reader on a journey of discovery through the present and the past. The flashbacks and character backgrounds illuminate a challenging period of Italian history, reminding us of resilience and the strength found in shared narratives.

‘The villagers had become more impoverished with every passing year. Crops were requisitioned by Mussolini’s troops, rations reduced, stocks of stewed fruits, bottled tomatoes and olive oil all ran down to nothing.’

The author’s level of research and attention to detail does her credit. It gives authenticity, credibility, and emotional depth. Italy was profoundly divided during the Second World War, and the Italian resistance (The Partisans) played a crucial role in sabotage, rebellion and spying on the Germans. The conflict pitted brother against brother and parent against child, tearing apart the traditional Italian family structure, yet bravery and fortitude existed as well as misery and sorrow. 

Something insignificant is discovered that has an incredible outcome to the story. As Stella looks through the stock of her uncle’s shop, she comes across a hat belonging to Violetta, Ferdinanda’s older sister, a supporter of Mussolini and a Nazi sympathiser. Her life was brutally cut short by a bomb.

‘A hat, fashioned from leaf-green felt, flattened almost beyond recognition. This had been a pretty thing once, decorated with a delicate spray of silk violets, the centre of each fashioned from a tiny jewel. It had a lining of patterned silk.’

The book explores misunderstandings that occur when messages are misinterpreted and secrets which act as hidden, often isolating, burdens. The complexity adds to the richness of the story. It keeps the reader invested through varied perspectives and suspense.

The details of daily life are superbly captured. Any reader will really enjoy the charming setting.

‘Archways, narrow passageways, walking on stone steps bowed from the tread of the thousand feet. Post-lunch sounds emanated from lace curtains, televisions humming, the clatter of washing up.’

The author does an amazing job of drawing you into a whirlwind of emotions, from moments of sorrow to bursts of joy. As you immerse yourself in the laid-back pace of life in an Italian village, you can soak up the gorgeous weather and truly embrace "la dolce vita." It’s a narrative that leaves a lasting impact.

It’s a lovely story which reinforces the idea that sometimes we must connect with the memories of our past to find clarity in our own lives. Though we cannot rewrite the chapters that have already been written, the book gently steers us toward a rich tapestry of perception, understanding, and the healing power of forgiveness. Love may flicker like a candle, not enduring forever, but within the pages, there is an enduring promise that hope and happiness are not just distant dreams—they are treasures waiting to be discovered. This is a book to get lost in, to be absorbed by, because it sparks our imagination and stirs our emotions, all the while providing a serene escape.

 

AUTHOR BIO:

Victoria Springfield writes contemporary ‘wish you were here’ evocative women’s fiction set in Italy. Her feel-good books follow unforgettable characters of all ages as they deal with love, loss, friendship and family secrets. Readers can feel the sunshine!

BOOK BLURB:

Published by Boldwood Books (Jan 2026)

OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR:

One Summer in Italy

The Italian Holiday

The Italian Island Secret

Invitation to Italy

A Farmhouse in Tuscany

The Italian Fiancé