Italy, 1945. As war rages through Europe, a crumbling family villa that becomes a vital safe space for the people of Cortona during the war. But that sanctuary is lost the day its owner, Vivi, mysteriously vanishes…

Manhattan, 1953. Francesca feels smothered by lace as she tries on wedding dresses in an uptown boutique. Can she really start a new life with her fiancé without first answering the questions she has about her childhood in Italy? Confronted with the news that the bougainvillea-covered villa she grew up in is for sale, and the lavish gardens her father designed and cultivated are destined to be razed, she buys a plane ticket and doesn’t look back. She can’t stand by and watch it all turn to rubble.

Fran chokes back a sob as she finds the gardens wild and overgrown and the once-pristine follies crumbling under the baking sun. But the lingering scent of the Italian basil from the kitchen garden brings Fran closer to the father she lost. To save this sacred space she must uncover what really happened when Vivi disappeared.

But while standoffish locals treat Fran like an outsider, she knows she is closing in on a secret at the very heart of the gardens she ran barefoot through as a young girl; a tragic love triangle that plagued the villa, defied the authorities, and might change everything Fran thinks she knows about who she is. One thing is certain: what happened to Vivi was no accident.

And just when Fran thinks she’s uncovered a truth that will shake the little village of Cortona to its foundations, she discovers a letter that changes everything once again. Can Fran find a way to save the gardens before they are destroyed? Or will she be forced to return home to a future in New York that no longer fits?

From bestselling author Ella Carey comes an utterly heart-wrenching and gripping World War Two historical novel that will transport you straight to the Tuscan countryside. Fans of Kathryn Hughes, Fiona Valpy and Victoria Hislop will be utterly  enchanted.

**Each Daughters of Italy book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone**

What readers are saying about the Daughters of Italy series:

“Oh my goodness!… What a fantastic story… I had tears coming down my face… Emotional… Heartbreaking… Beautiful.” Dee100309 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Wonderful… Unputdownable… My heart broke… Amazing… I highly recommend this!” Page Turners ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“On the edge of my seat… Beautiful… A heart-wrenching story that I won’t soon forget… Heartbreaking.” Cindylspear ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Ripped my heart right out of my chest and made me cry so much… My heart ached… Incredible.” The Book Lover’s Boudoir ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Ohhhhh this book… I love this book… I was crying like a baby. That darn plot twist. I WASN’T READY OKAY?” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Wow, wow, wow, wow!!!! I read this book in less than twenty-four hours. It was so gripping, it had me hooked and unable to put it down until I finished the last shocking page!… I was flipping the pages so fast to see what would happen!” DianeLikesToRead