Sunflower Publishing Book Reviews

    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: Wh...

      The Missing Half (La Meta D’un Soldo) By Cinzia Zuccarini SUMMARY When an archaeological dig uncovers the remains of a young girl, the fragments of her short life are pieced together to reveal a rich and evocative picture of eighteenth-century Venice. Abandoned at birth, with only one half of a broken coin to identify her, the young Prudenza is raised in the Conservatorio della Pietà, the famed Venetian orphanage and music school. Her virtuosity as a violinist earns her a place in the household of the Palazzo Grimani, where her story unfolds through the pages of her poignant diaries. We hear first-hand her intimate accounts of life in one of Venice’s most powerful families – the intrigues, loves and scandals – as well as the artistic and social frustrations suffered by women of the time. Blessed only with musical accomplishment in a society where family status and connections are all, Prudenza must find her own identity in an alienating world. Winner of ...

    The Girl From Sicily   By Siobhan Daiko    SUMMARY: Sicily, 1943:  Lucia and her twin brother Dinu have always been inseparable, but their bond is threatened when Gero, the son of close family friends in America, arrives in their village. Although she finds herself developing feelings for him, Lucia worries about Gero’s dangerous connections and their influence on her brother. As the chaos of World War II closes in, Lucia must navigate love and loyalty to make a difficult choice. Will she risk that the consequences of her decision could bring untold horrors and affect her family for decades to come? 2005:  When Jess inherits a baglio, an ancient feudal farmhouse in Sicily, from the grandmother she never knew, she’s determined to uncover the truth about her family’s hidden past. Following the death of her parents and on the brink of divorce, Jess travels to the island alone. There, with the help of a charming Sicilian, she embarks on a...

    An Italian Island Secret By Victoria Springfield     SUMMARY: Escape to a beautiful Italian island with this wonderfully romantic story, threaded with secrets and intrigue. It’s time to return to Ischia.  Alessia knows her grandmother grew up on the beautiful Italian island off the coast of Naples. But Ornella seldom talks about her life there – or why she never went back. So Alessia is amazed when Ornella reveals that, in the months before she left Ischia, she had worked on the set of a famous 1950s movie filmed on the island. Is there a link between the film set and the tragic death of Ornella’s teenage sister? Ornella has kept her past – and the heart-wrenching promise she made – a secret for over sixty years. She has tried not to think about the love she gave up. But now, perhaps the truth should finally be revealed...Travelling to Ischia together, Alessia falls in love with the utterly captivating island. Meeting handsome journalist Robert...