Angela Petch knows how to write 5-star historical fiction! Her continued success rests on the fact that she can effectively combine history with dramatic plots, high emotional engagement, fluid writing, thought-provoking prose and most importantly, she can breathe life into history. Her craft stands out because she immerses herself in the setting. It’s not just researched online from afar, it’s experienced through her 5 senses and transposed into a prolific story. Petch takes us to the easternmost point of Italy, Puglia, on the Adriatic coast and helps us envision the wild coastline, dotted with stone trulli and masseria. She almost enables us to bask in the sunshine, smell the salt air, taste the variety of fish, and see the multitude of trabucco where the land meets the Adriatic Sea.

Knowing the magical ingredients that will make her historical fiction unforgettable is, without a doubt, important to Petch. Time again she creates an experience of the time period she’s writing and sweeps readers away with her carefully crafted characters. I always feel like I’m experiencing the story right along with them. Every time I reach for one of her novels, I’m assured that she can effortlessly and accurately transport me to a different time period. Her writing is like a perfectly seasoned dish; the spices are consistent throughout.

In her most recent novel, Petch shows that she can weave a contemporary timeline with a historical one. I was swept away in both believable worlds with characters in whom I was invested. From the first few pages where her historical fiction protagonist falls from the sky with ‘wings’ to the last page that had me crying happy tears, I was hooked. This character awakens to discover that he doesn’t know who he is, where he has landed, and that he must rely on strangers to nurse him back to health. The mystery about his identity drives this story and Petch knows exactly what to withhold and when to enlighten readers. Mystery is also a large part of the contemporary timeline. The protagonist journeys to Italy to uncover secrets in her family history. Susannah’s quest takes her to Puglia in search of the person who left a message for her grandmother on the back of a postcard. Susannah (contemporary) and the soldier with amnesia (historical) are forever linked by a plucky girl with a kind heart. You’ll need to read this story to find out who it is and why they are linked. Cheers to Petch for another unique wartime read complete with passion, seaside locales, wine, food and scenery….and lots of mystery!

The inspiration for this historical fiction was an old black and white family photo of her Uncle Billy, a rear gunner, dressed in his RAF uniform before his Lockheed Liberator was shot down over Yugoslavia.

I was gifted this advance copy by Angela Petch, Bookouture, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.