The Tuscan Child
From New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Rhys Bowen comes a haunting novel about a woman who braves her father's hidden past to discover his secrets...
"Pass the bread, the olives, and the wine. Oh, and a copy of The Tuscan Child to savor with them." --NPR
In 1944, British bomber pilot Hugo Langley parachuted from his stricken plane into the verdant fields of German-occupied Tuscany. Badly wounded, he found refuge in a ruined monastery and in the arms of Sofia Bartoli. But the love that kindled between them was shaken by an irreversible betrayal.
Nearly thirty years later, Hugo's estranged daughter, Joanna, has returned home to the English countryside to arrange her father's funeral. Among his personal effects is an unopened letter addressed to Sofia. In it is a startling revelation.
Still dealing with the emotional wounds of her own personal trauma, Joanna embarks on a healing journey to Tuscany to understand her father's history--and maybe come to understand herself as well. Joanna soon discovers that some would prefer the past be left undisturbed, but she has come too far to let go of her father's secrets now...
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Community Reviews
30 years later, we find Hugo's daughter, Joanna, who is returning home due to her father's sudden death. She and her boyfriend, Nigel are already on the outs. Upon returning home and going over her father's things, she sees just how far apart their relationship is and she also finds a letter addressed to Sofia who lives in Italy. Tuscany to be more precise. After reading her father's letter, she doesn't know who this man is. The father she knew was a defeated man who was just emotionally distant. The man in the letter is full of love and life. She decides she must go to Tuscany to find answers about her father and especially when she reads in her father's letter, "Take care of the beautiful boy," it dawns on her, she might have a brother.
There in Tuscany as she asks questions, she finds the people are not welcoming her queries. It is her hostess that is lovely to her and Joanna is treated to all kinds of delicious Tuscany cooking. All the while, she knows there is something foreboding hanging in the air when she is there. She meets many interesting characters and she doesnât seem to know who to trust. One thing is certain, nobody there wants her to find out the truth.
Slow start until maybe less than halfway, that's when it really picks up.
Tuscan Child is told in two narratives: Hugo and Joanna's. Hugo is Joanna's father.
The characters were all really well developed but the storyline was a bit implausible. Joanna was more relatable whereas Hugo was a stiff upper personality like the British.
Fun, guilty read. Great flow. It's a historical cozy read. It's not on the same level as Louise Penny. Louise Penny goes more into detail. This book was more romantic, historical fiction, mystery all rolled into one.
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