This is a fabulous story set in an Italian village alternating between the Second World War/ present time. It is an intriguing story of love, hate, laughter and tears and the search for answers to family relationships. It kept me enthralled until the very last page, many thanks to the author, Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Love a mystery and this book delivers. Luce an only child to an Italian born mother is in the search for her heritage. She is recently separated from her husband Ethan but they are still friends for their son Eli who is starting University. Luce decides the time is right to travel to Italy and visit her only cousin that she has recently discovered and to learn about her family and their history. Luce”s mother Angelina is not happy about the trip as she has never wanted to return to the little village she grew up in and to see her brother or mother and she certainly doesn’t want Luca to know anything about the past. Luce learns more than she bargains for as her Uncle doesn’t want to know her and although her Nonna welcomes her with open arms there is a lot about the family’s past that doesn’t ring true.
A gripping tale of family secrets and lies. Couldn’t stop reading till I found out the truth of the family’s past. So many surprises!

Make sure to have no distractions because this one will keep you glued to the pages all the way. Let's visit Italy!

Fast paced from the start, The Lost Village takes the reader to glorious Bosconero in the hills just outside Rome.
Empty nester Luce travels to her ancestral home in search of her roots. The sights, smells and people draw me right in and put a huge smile on my face. What a feelgood start!

But soon disaster strikes and the book seems to speed up even more. Holding my breath through chaos and tragedy, I watch the story unfold. Family secrets, twist and turns and a sea of emotions. Wow, what a ride!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

This was an interesting book as it has a WWII in Italy twist but it really centers around a more modern-day plot. I really enjoyed this take on historical fiction/mystery. The author keeps the plot moving and you really care about the characters. The plot centers around a woman traveling to Italy alone to find her family after having spent a lifetime not knowing why her mother was estranged from her own family. The descriptions of Italy are really beautiful and transport the reader. I recommend this book to my fellow historical fiction readers.

Sacerdoti’s heartwarming story, The Lost Village, to be published November 16, 2020, will transport you to a little Italian hilltop village ravaged by a terrible disaster. This master storyteller focuses on what happens when we keep secrets to protect the ones we love. Luce Nardini, a 43y old New Yorker separated from her husband, embarks on a quest to find answers.

Luce grew up without knowing her father nor her grandparents. Since her only son has left for university and her mother refuses to talk about the past, Luce is determined to fly to Italy and search for answers. Sacerdoti expertly weaves the past with the present through Nonna Clelia’s stories and Luce’s adventure into self-discovery through family ties. Luce and her family soon learn that they can’t move on with their lives until they face and accept the past. Readers will be reminded that we all have a less than perfect life and few of us find it easy to move forward. Pain is a common thread in our lives; whether caused by loss or by a choice we’ve made. How ironic that Luce finds clarity and peace amidst the disaster - but here? and now? and him? The author will quietly captivate you with rich, real characters and a beautifully penned poignant storyline. It will make you laugh and cry and then stay with you for a long, long time.

Thank you to Daniela Sacerdoti, Bookcouture and Netgalley for this amazing gift of an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Daniela Sacerdoti is one of my favourite authors and I was delighted to receive a copy of her new book The Lost Village.
Luce Nardini has always wondered about her mothers family in Italy. Her mother never talks about them and won’t answer any questions.
Looking for clues online Luce finds she has a cousin Matilde and travels to Italy to meet her and connect with the grandmother she has never met.
This visit has far reaching consequences for her family and uncovers secrets and lies from the past.
I really enjoyed this story and I am eagerly waiting for the next book from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

From the first page to the last, when you open this book you are in Italy. Raised by a single mother, Luce knows nothing about her family's history...what caused the heartbreaking rift in her family and what made her mother flee from her little village in Italy. As you read this novel you are anxious to know the family's history, you are held in suspense, eager to find the answer(s). This book was well written, the character development excellent, the story itself kept me involved and entertained until the last period on the last page. Everything you ever thought about these small Italian villages leaps off the pages of this novel. You too are sitting in the town's square sipping wine, watching people, listening to the music of a festival. Molto bene! My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

All of her life Luce Nardini was kept in the dark about her mother’s family. She grew up not knowing who her grandparents were, who her uncle was or the fact that she had a cousin. Her mother kept telling her, some things are best left in the past. But...Luce couldn’t let it go. She wanted to know her family and as her son has become a young man and shes separated from her husband...now is a great time to set out on a quest to find her family. She knows her mother is from a small village in Italy and thanks to the internet, finds a cousin she never knew she had. But upon meeting her cousin at an Italian airport, she learns that’s there’s bad blood between her mother and her uncle. Luce is determined to find out why. And then an earthquake destroys the village and her family is gravely injured. It becomes all the more important to learn the truth about her family before it’s too late but what she learns is a tale of secrets and lies.

This story makes me want to visit Italy. The pictures the author paints of the villages and the festivals before the earthquake is something I’d love to see with my own two eyes. I love how determined and strong Luce is...from wanting to know the truth but also wanting to be of use as the village digs out of the rubble. In discovering her past, Luce builds new relationships and strengthens old ones. I do wish it touched a little bit more on WWII and the story of Luce’s grandfather but I really enjoyed the book! Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Daniela Sacerdoti for the chance to read this early! It was truly a great weekend read