This one was a bit of a rollercoaster. The Lost Secrets of the Italian Post Office centers on two childhood friends—Nina and Ambra—whose lives diverge dramatically in a small Italian village during WWII. Nina is a principled, anti-fascist young woman, secretly in love with Nicolo, the seemingly pro-fascist son of a powerful family. Ambra, on the other hand, is petty, jealous, and eager to climb the social ladder—even if it means cozying up to German officers and trading secrets for lipstick.

The book adds in giving the post office itself a narrative voice… and I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of that. Giving objects human feelings is just not for me, and those chapters felt weird and unnecessary.

That said, the story picks up with lots of twists: Nicolo is actually secretly working against the fascists, helping Nina smuggle food and uncensored letters into internment camps. Meanwhile, Ambra is betraying them, intercepting Nicolo’s letters and handing them off to his controlling mother. Her jealousy reaches an all-time high, but after witnessing horrific violence—including the public hanging of a local cheesemaker—Ambra finally has a change of heart.

Nina ends up arrested while pregnant, gives birth, and flees to a mountain village. Ambra follows her and ends up being captured herself. Eventually, Nina discovers the hidden letters Nicolo wrote to her—ones Ambra kept from her—and confronts her. Despite everything, they find a fragile way back to each other.

The story wraps up with Nina reuniting with Nicolo in a hospital, and Ambra marrying someone else and moving to Montreal where she eventually marries again, finally for love. Together, they publish their story—Nina as the journalist, Ambra as the photographer—and manage to remain friends, complicated as it is.

This book has plenty of drama, betrayal, and shifting loyalties. While I personally couldn’t get into the personified post office (seriously, why), the emotional and historical weight of the story—and the 5-star love it’s getting from others—make it worth the read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Oh my—how can I possibly capture the depth and beauty of this novel? Perhaps I’m biased, being a female Italian American with a passion for historical fiction, but this story completely consumed me. It stirred every emotion and turned me inside out. The coming-of-age journeys of Nina and Ambra echoed my own, especially the twists and turns of friendship that reminded me of my bond with my best friend, Heather. The falling in love, the secret ambitions—we’ve all been there. And now, with the current political climate in America, I couldn’t help but see the parallels to the inner turmoil Italy once faced. This novel hit so close to home. I didn’t want it to end—and really, what higher praise is there than that?

Unfortunately, I feel the book fell short. It was slow until about halfway through, and I found certain parts unnecessary as they did not add depth to the story. Set in a small village, I enjoyed reading about the friendships and perspectives within the close-knit community. The Lost Secrets of the Italian Post Office based on true events, is filled with emotions such as jealousy, betrayal, strength, and hope. I did find learning more about fascism interesting. For me, an avid reader of WW2 novels it didn't hit the mark. 3 stars

I would like to thank the author, Embla Books and NetGalley for my free copy of this novel, in exchange for my honest review.
#TheLostSecretsoftheItalianPostOffice #NetGalley

A fascinating and captivating story set in a small village in southeastern Italy during World War II. Nina and Ambra, two best friends with very different personalities, face the circumstances of war in contrasting ways. Nina, with her selfless spirit, risks everything to help prisoners of war, while Ambra is driven by a certain egocentrism and selfishness.

The story comes to life through the post office building, which becomes a silent witness to the atrocities and crimes the village endured during that dark time. The narration is so masterfully crafted that it feels as though you are watching every scene unfold on a movie screen.

Thank you to Embla Books, Amanda Weinberg, Silvia Mazzola and NetGalley for the ARC

This WWII novel is the story of the friendship of two young women and the story of their small village in Italy. The book is narrated interchangeably by each young woman, Ambra and Nina, and also by the post office itself, a device that actually works well.

Ambra and Nina make a friendship pact when they are 12 and then 6 years later, Italy is at war on the side of the Axis. Nina's mother works for a prominent fascist family with a summer villa in the town, but Nina and her brother sympathize with the anti-fascist cause. Ambra is the daughter of the postmaster and dreams of leaving the town and being able to afford luxuries. The war takes each woman in opposite directions, which impacts their friendship, especially after Nina becomes involved with the son of the town's prominent family.

I've read a lot of WWII era fiction, but this is the first book I've read set in Italy. There's a lot of historical detail I hadn't known before. All in all, it's a very good book, well researched and somewhat engaging in the second half. I'm rating the book 4 instead of 5 because I felt like it dragged in parts, especially in the first half.

I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley.

In a war-torn Italian village, where secrets are deadly and loyalties can cost lives, two best friends must decide where they stand—and what they're willing to sacrifice.

The Lost Secrets of the Italian Post Office is a moving and suspenseful WWII story about friendship, betrayal, and quiet acts of rebellion. Told through the eyes of Ambra and Nina—two childhood friends bound by a painful past—it captures the impossible choices ordinary people faced in extraordinary times.

I was especially drawn to the moral complexity of Ambra’s arc: torn between loyalty, survival, and her longing for a better life, her choices are never simple. Nina’s strength and conviction add fire to the narrative, and as secrets unravel, the tension builds toward a heartbreaking reckoning. The writing is evocative, the setting richly painted, and the emotional stakes run high.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Gripping, emotional, and beautifully layered. Fans of Fiona Valpy and Soraya Lane will devour this.

A gripping war story set in the beauty of a small Italian village. This is great story of love, loss, and strength during one of the World's most horrific wars.

Nina and Ambra are young when they forge a friendship due to loss. As war tears apart their small town, their relationship is put to the test in ways they never imagined. I fell in love with the characters in this book. Even though, I didn't like Ambra much in the beginning, she grew on me as I began to understand her character and the reason's why she has the personality she does. The author did a great job showing the community and togetherness that a small town usually shares. I learned things about Italy and WWII that I did not know and I love that about historical fiction. The book was a bit slow to start but once you get invested in the story between these two friends and their small village, you don't want to put it down.

The backdrop is Fascist Italy. The plot explores the lifelong friendship of Nina and Ambra and some of the colorful characters of their fictional hometown of Bastiani and how they survive Mussolini’s Fascist regime. Ambra works at the Post Office which her father oversees, and her role there puts her in a position to obtain information about people in the village and the surrounding area. Ambra longs for a glamorous and sophisticated life anywhere outside of Bastiani and will do anything to achieve her goal. In direct contrast, Nina seeks a way to aid the underground resistance (along with other villagers) and to smuggle food and uncensored letters to the internees in the local internment camps. Ambra discovers that Nina has been aiding the internees and, feeling betrayed that she was not included in the plan, uses the information to benefit herself.

Interspersed throughout the book the Post Office weighs in with its observations written in very thoughtful, heartfelt and descriptive prose. The friends’ paths collide when Nina discovers that Ambra has betrayed her, but they ultimately reconcile when they join forces to expose an injustice committed by the Allied forces.

This is an incredible novel that will grab you from Page 1 and will cause great angst when you are finished. Indeed, I was sorry to see it end. Give this a read but be forewarned...you will not be able to put it down.

***My review is being made without fear or favor to any individual, company or NetGalley***

An unforgettable WWII taking place in Italy. A strong friendship between Ambra and Nina, who go through many obstacles to remain friends. I loved it!

this was such an impressive and emotional punch of a read. i new it would get to me even as i read the blurb. i was already in my head going "ohhhh" at what was to come. but dont you just love it how a book can give you that much trepidation but its all the more making you want to pick it up immediately! and im so glad i did. so glad.
this novel takes place in Italy when the war is very much in motion. and you could very much believe what these people were going through and some of their thought processes surrounding what they wanted to do, what they should do and sometimes what they needed to do. the choices peoples made around that time (as long as not evil obv) must have been so hard and sometimes flawed in others eyes. the need for survival can make us do dangerous or risky things.
the two main characters are great friends of Ambra and Nina. they have grown up together. but the war makes them different. or gives them different outlooks and view. they both have to consider different things. and this might be what pulls them apart. and it could be in the worst possible of ways.
i was worried for both our girls in the book. i did indeed come to care about them. at time i wanted to shake one of them a little. and at time scoop them up so they didnt make the choices i saw them heading to. survival changed so much about so many community at that time. and when love comes in to things like that it just adds so much heart wrenching emotion to it all.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This impressive novel takes place in Italy during the background of the second World War. It's impressive because the emotions some of these characters give off about the war are very believable. They were tired of the fascism that Mussolini was displaying in the country. Overall I am a sucker for a good war two novel so I was not disappointed.
Two important characters in the story are two very close friends Ambra and Nina who have been friends their whole lives. However, the war has brought on so many differences that these two girls could end up jeopardizing their friendship over a difference of opinion. Can they work out their problems or will it end up being the end for them.
As mentioned before this novel was indeed impressive. It goes to show that even today we still have these problems but knowing that if we can take the time to resolve them then we can accomplish just about anything.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

A layered, emotional story of friendship, betrayal, and impossible choices in wartime Italy.

This novel beautifully captures the tension of divided loyalties in a village where survival means secrecy. Ambra and Nina’s friendship is the heart of the story — complicated, raw, and deeply human. As war creeps closer, every decision they make carries weight, especially when love and loyalty collide.

Though it starts a bit slow, once the stakes rise, I couldn’t put it down. A strong, atmospheric read for fans of Kate Quinn and historical fiction with moral complexity.