The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen
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The Tuscan Child

by

Rhys Bowen

(Author)

4.2

-

100,022 ratings


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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ISBN-10

1503951812

ISBN-13

978-1503951815

Print length

351 pages

Language

English

Publisher

Lake Union Publishing

Publication date

February 19, 2018

Dimensions

5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches

Item weight

2.31 pounds


Popular highlights in this book

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Product details

ASIN :

B074QL7WNM

File size :

4625 KB

Text-to-speech :

Enabled

Screen reader :

Supported

Enhanced typesetting :

Enabled

X-Ray :

Enabled

Word wise :

Enabled


Editorial reviews

A Goodreads Choice Award Semifinalist, Historical Fiction

A New York Post Must-Read Selection

“Pass the bread, the olives, and the wine. Oh, and a copy of The Tuscan Child to savor with them.” ―NPR

“The next best thing to going to Italy right now.” ―HelloGiggles

“Readers who enjoy World War II historical fiction and rural Italian culture will appreciate this story by a master of her genre.” ―Library Journal

“The alternating narratives keep the story moving along, and the pastoral setting is transporting.” ―Booklist

“Besides being an action-packed story that is intense and haunting, Bowen also brings to life the setting where the reader can smell the cooking scents, see the brilliant olive groves, and hear the Italian chatter.” ―Crimespree

“This novel is well plotted with characters that are so compelling, with their attributes and flaws, that the reader can almost feel as if they had sat down and shared a glass of vin santo with them.” ―Historical Novel Society

“The interwoven mystery is expertly crafted and unravels at a pace that will keep readers guessing until the end. This is an overall enjoyable trip to the Tuscan countryside and readers will be reluctant to leave this charming and intriguing place.” ―RT Book Reviews

“That Rhys Bowen is the consummate storyteller is a given―from her insightful characterizations to her plotting wizardry, she is a wonderful writer. But now Rhys has outdone herself―The Tuscan Child is a poignant story of love in wartime, woven into a compelling search for the truth when mysteries consigned to the past begin to unravel. The Tuscan Child presented me with a conundrum―didn’t want the book to end, yet I couldn’t put it down. Best read with a glass of Chianti beside a roaring fire. Brava Rhys Bowen―brava!” ―Jacqueline Winspear, New York Times bestselling author of the Maisie Dobbs historical mystery novels

About the Author

Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of the Royal Spyness, Molly Murphy, and Constable Evans mystery series, as well as the #1 Kindle bestseller In Farleigh Field. She has won the Agatha Award for Best Novel and has been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel, among numerous other awards, nominations, and starred reviews. Bowen was born in Bath, England, studied at London University, married into a family with historic royal connections, and now divides her time between Northern California and Arizona.

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About the authors

Rhys Bowen

Rhys Bowen

Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of two historical mystery series as well as several internationally bestselling historical novels, two of which were nominated for Edgar Award

Rhys was born in Bath, England and educated at London University but now divides her time between California and Arizona. Her books have been nominated for every major mystery award and she has won twenty of them to date, including five Agathas.

She currently writes two historical mystery series, each very different in tone. The Molly Murphy mysteries feature an Irish immigrant woman in turn-of-the-century New York City. These books are multi-layered, complex stories with a strong sense of time and place and have won many awards including Agatha and Anthony. There are 19 books so far in this series plus three Kindle stories, Rhys’s daughter, Clare Broyles, now cowrites the series with her

Then there is Lady Georgie, She's 35th in line to the throne of England, but she's flat broke and struggling to survive in the Great Depression. These books are lighter and funnier than Molly's adventures. They poke gentle fun at the British class system--about which Rhys knows a lot, having married into an upper class family rather like Georgie's.

As a child Rhys spent time with relatives in Wales. Those childhood experiences colored her first mystery series, about Constable Evans in the mountains of Snowdonia.

Her books have been translated into over 30 languages

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Reviews

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

100,022 global ratings

Mama Cheryl

Mama Cheryl

5

Tuscany Amid the Olive Groves

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2024

Verified Purchase

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.

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2 people found this helpful

Carolyn G. Manuel

Carolyn G. Manuel

5

History of WWII

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2024

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Joanna’s father has just died and she’s back to bury him and settle his estate. In his belongings she finds a letter that had been returned to him from Italy. Wanting to learn more she goes to the small village to try to understand what had happened to her father during the war. A wonderful mystery and historical novel. Great read.

Kathy Rascon

Kathy Rascon

5

A beautifuly written historical story of WW2

Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2023

Verified Purchase

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.

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3 people found this helpful

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