The Lost Gift to the Italian Island
Barbara Josselsohn
Italy, 1943. With tears in her eyes, Giulia listens out for the sound of bombers flying overhead and thinks of the baby growing inside of her. Through the fabric of her lace dress her fingers touch the cold bullets carefully sewn into the seams. Luca might never forgive her, but she has to do this…
New York, present day. When Tori Coleman discovers that her mother was adopted, her whole world shatters. Jeremy, her boyfriend, wants to get married, but how can Tori commit when she doesn’t know who she truly is? The only clue to the identity of her biological family is a mysterious postcard with a photograph of an ornate wedding dress her grandmother Giulia made, which she’s told was gifted to a museum on an Italian island…
Tori arrives on Ciani island, surrounded by turquoise Mediterranean waters, with the sweet smell of orange blossom filling the air. She soon finds the museum and learns that Giulia was Jewish, and secretly lived there during World War Two. She thought her grandmother abandoned her mother, but was she forced to leave and give up her child?
Just as she’s getting closer to answers, an unexpected call from Jeremy stops Tori in her tracks. As he passionately urges her to find out the truth, suddenly Tori wishes he were in Italy by her side, ready to propose again.
But then Tori is shocked to find bullets sewn into the lining of one of Giulia’s dresses and a notebook claiming she did something terrible during World War Two. Will the secrets in her family help her follow her own heart, or send her home from Italy with it finally broken forever?
An enchanting, unforgettable novel about desperate decisions in the dark days of war and the uplifting power of true love. Perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Soraya Lane and Victoria Hislop.
What readers are saying about The Lost Gift to the Italian Island:
“Captivated my heart from the very first page to the last… wonderful and heart-warming… I loved everything about this book… This unputdownable book was a wonderful escape. I will recommend this story over and over.” Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A beautiful story… You will fall in love with all the characters… Heart-warming… you won’t want to end because you will want to stay in Italy with Giulia… DON’T MISS THIS ONE!!” Silver’s Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Totally captivating… As I read parts of the story through blurry eyes full of tears, I was completely engaged in the heartfelt journey of the characters. Perfect… Please read the first book in the series. Then continue on with book 2. You will not regret it.” @shortbookthyme, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“It’s been days and I still can’t get this breathtaking story out of my head. I honestly don’t think there are words adequate enough to describe how hard I fell for this book and the beautiful story it holds!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A heart-warming story… I couldn’t put the book down… I was completely engrossed.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“The author absolutely writes from the heart… I could have easily been there watching the story play out… you can feel the emotions the characters are feeling… highly recommend.” Vegan Book Blogger, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Pulled me in from the very first page… contained so much and was impossible to put down.” Robin Loves Reading, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I absolutely loved this book … You feel like you’re right there in the story… so amazing… A story like no other… This was an absolutely phenomenal book.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐