The Tuscan Child

Where do I begin. Joanna finds herself tossed into a mystery after her father passed away. She must find the answers in a small village in Italy where her father's plane was shot down by the German army. There are,so many int loeresting stories that come out of war. Mrs. Bowen has done a wonderful job painting the picture of the Tuscany countryside, and especially describing the food. I could almost taste it. Love, drama, mystery, tears. Enjoy this journey.

WWII set between Tuscany, Italy and then modern day 1973 in England. I felt as if I was in Tuscany, the beauty of the olive groves, the food, good wine, happy people despite the war and love and loss. Ms Bowen is a master story teller. I have enjoyed this story. Her characters are deeply crafted by her pen. I ate with Paola in Tuscany, Sir Hugo Langley and Sofia to name a few. An excellent read.

This is basically a book about love; and war; and suffering; and sadness. And also about finding out the truth about something that happened many years ago. It is a story about a daughter who braves her father’s hidden past to discover his secrets.

It was an interesting story that I found myself drawn to. A story that made me want to come back to and to finish. That said, it was not outstanding - but it was good. 3 ¾ Stars.

Enjoyed the contrast between England and Italy. Enjoyed the picture depicted of life in a small, somewhat remote, village in Italy. Especially liked the differences in food and values between those in a city in England vs a village in Italy. The simple pleasures that didn’t really depend upon money or things.

While the author tied up all the loose ends, I did think there were a few too many coincidences. For example: How many times did an earthquake happen at just the right moment to reveal hidden treasures; to kill a “bad man.”

I also liked how the story showed how events can so change the outcome of a life - of a whole family. We all like to think that we are in control of our own destiny - but such is not always the case. In fact, more often than not we are not masters of our universe. It is how we react/handle these situations that really determine how our life will be.

I liked how the details of Joanna’s life before her father died are not revealed early on but rather later and then not all at once.

I loved how the mystery of “the child” was so casually revealed. While Joanna had every reason to believe the mystery was about a real, live child, when it was really about a very special painting of a very special child - the baby Jesus. When this painting was first discovered I read close to a page more when all of a sudden it dawned on me that this painting was “the Tuscan child.”

I mostly read advance reader copies of recent novels, but sometimes I like to pick up something a little older. The Tuscan Child was a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Historical Fiction in 2018, so I thought it was worth a try.

Rhys Bowen's novel weaves together the lives of two characters: Hugo Langley, a British bomber pilot in 1944, and his daughter, Joanna Langley, in 1973.

During World War II, Hugo's plane is shot down over German-occupied Tuscany. Badly injured, Hugo is found and hidden in a ruined monastery by a local woman named Sofia Bartoli. As they work together to ensure Hugo's safety, a deep connection forms between them despite the dangers surrounding them.

Thirty years later, Hugo's estranged daughter, Joanna, returns home to the English countryside to arrange her father's funeral. Among his personal effects, she finds a returned, unopened letter addressed to Sofia. In it is a startling revelation.

Intrigued, Joanna travels to a charming village in Tuscany to discover who her father had once been. While learning to appreciate the beauty of the Italian countryside—especially the fresh, simple food—Joanna tries to unravel the mystery of her father’s time in Italy.

I've read several of Rhys Bowen’s books and have liked them all. I remember enjoying The Victory Garden (5 stars) much more than The Tuscan Child, but I didn't write book reviews back then. This book slogged along at times, but the pastoral Italian countryside and frequent references to local cuisine were transporting.

It seems like I keep reading books about Tuscany... maybe that’s a sign I need to go on vacation!

In the end, this book was good, but not great. 3 stars.