Secrets of the Italian Island by Barbara Josselsohn #BookReview #Mystery #Historical

What’s it about (in a nutshell):

Secrets of the Italian Island is a heart-wrenching and mysterious search for the truth that had been long since hidden away. When Mia’s grandmother passes away, and Mia finds items among her grandmother’s belongings that she has never seen before, she sets out on a journey to discover the truth about how her grandmother came to have them. This journey takes her to a small island off the west coast of Italy, where she learns more about her grandmother and herself.

My Reading Experience:

I love mysterious family histories, much like exploring my family’s past. And when you add a mystery and intrigue around that history, let’s say my attention was fully grabbed. I became instantly immersed in the story. 

The past storyline (during WWII) where the mystery unfurls gripped me from start to finish as the stakes, personal and war-related, were always high as lives were in peril. My only critique is that the book left me hanging concerning some side plots and characters. So many questions were left unanswered, and I still want to know the what’s and whys of Lucy’s (the grandmother) story.

I also loved how this quest for Mia ended up as much a journey of self-discovery as it was to find the truth and clear her grandmother’s name. I loved watching her bloom into the flower she was always meant to be and shed the toxic relationships in her life. Taking a risk and learning more about her grandmother helped her see herself more clearly, which is just so rewarding.

And that setting! The setting initially called to me, as I love spending my time off the Italian coast, even if it is just in book form. The descriptions took me to that island in every sensory way. The writing is so fluid and transportive that I can feel the sun beating down on me, see the turquoise waters surrounding the island, and smell the sea air fragrant with native flora.

Characters:

The characters are developed so well that they leap off the page, especially the ones in the past timeline. Their story took me on an emotional journey as I empathized with them, worried about them, and rooted for them to survive. They are all unique and interesting in their personal endeavors.

Narration & Pacing:

The story is told in two timelines – 2018 and 1943. I found that the past timeline flowed much better than the present, which suffered from some awkward dialogue and a lack of the things that made the past timeline so utterly compelling. The narration is told in third-person narration, focusing on Mia in the current timeline and Annalisa in the past. Since this is such a solid character-driven story, I wonder if first-person narration would have been a more emotional story with a much quicker pace. The pace stayed consistently medium throughout, which didn’t bother me since I was so engrossed in the story. I was thankful it was not weighted down by too much exposition or a lack of action and mystery.

Setting:

The setting is one of the most memorable aspects of the novel. I love a beautiful setting, especially one on the water. And if it’s an island with only a castle at the top, how could I not entirely fall in love with it. And I definitely did fall in love with this little island.

Read if you like:

• Family history stories
• WWII stories
• Historical mysteries

Overall Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫