I was unexpectedly charmed by this book! It’s a story that takes place in 1900 Sardinia and is filled with drama of all sorts. Even though the stories are based off of real events, you’ll think they can’t possibly be true. I was always waiting to see what would happen next and it definitely kept me entertained.

There were so many vivid characters in this story! I loved the era, the setting, and the clever plot.
Many thanks to Harper Perennial and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story transports us to the twentieth century Italian island, Sardinia, to a society divided by wealth and class. And in this world, our unnamed protagonist is born into poverty but does hard, honest work as a seamstress. She has her nonna to thank who taught her independence and instilled strong values in her so that she didn't have to be a damsel in distress, waiting for her knight in shining armour to rescue her from the poverty.

Through her eyes, we see different families living on this island and learn their secrets, struggles, and scandals. It is not only a commentary on class, this book is also peppered with the feminist undertones. The latter made this book quite a breath of fresh air when it comes to the genre of historical fiction.

It's a simple and gentle story, without any frills or complications. Do not expect big things to happen as it's a story of the (not so) mundane lives of people in the pre-war era. It is something you might enjoy on a cosy winter day with a cup of coffee.

Thanks to Harper Perennial for the e-arc!

The Seamstress of Sardinia is the story of a young woman in early 20th century Italy whose profession weaves her into the fabric of her community. It was fascinating to see how much exposure she had to the private lives and intrigues of her clients. And it was satisfying to root for a young woman striving to make a life for herself.

This book starts off with the main character as a young girl who loves with her nonna. Her Nonna teaches her to be a seamstress, at a time when people still got their clothes handmade, and not purchased at commercial stores like today.

As the story goes on, it follows the life of the young girl as she encounters hunger, poverty, difference of social classes, disease and more. The way the story is told captivated me, and kept me wanting to read more. What i thought added an extra touch, was that this story was loosely based on the stories the authors ancestors told her about. I think that was a great touch.

If you like a good historical fiction, definitely give this one a read,

Thank you Harper Perennial and Netgalley for providing me with this #gifted ARC in return for an honest review.

A gem of a book! I'm now hoping that more of this author's books are translated to English as this was very engaging and well-written. A little like "Real Housewives" of a 10o years ago, it almost feels like a compilation of short stories from small town life but then develops into a murder mystery and romance. I really enjoyed this book and it was a good read. I also liked that due to it in the beginning almost being a compilation of short stories it was easy to put down and pick back up. Perfect for reading during carpool and little pockets of the day.

This was a fun historical fiction read. Set in Italy in the early 1990's, this novel follows the life of a young seamstress. We watch the main character grow her business and social network, provide for herself, and even care for others. I really enjoyed the story up until the last 10% of the book about the love interest, just didn't feel like the story needed that to be successful.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

From humble beginnings, a young Italian seamstress learns to survive using the talents bestowed upon her by her grandmother. Her profession allows her to become immersed in the privileged lives of the families she works for, and she quickly learns that they are not as perfect as they portray themselves to be.

This atmospheric historical fiction dives deep into Sardinia’s division of wealth during the early 1900s and paints a visually compelling picture of a country shaped by the passion and ambition of the lower class that held them together.

I really enjoyed this story and all of the unique characters, but most of all, I loved the protagonist. She was so determined and resilient, despite the limitations many woman had during that time.

Definitely recommending this one!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for providing a copy of this book to review.*

I quite frankly am a sucker for any book about a seamstress. My Italian grandmother was a seamstress so I’m always drawn to the subject and this did not disappoint.
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This book transports you to a different time and place with a colorful cast of characters all showcased from the seamstress’ careful hand. What an enjoyable novel.

Thank you #harperperenial and #netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

This was a delightful book. I came knowing little of Sardinia and less about the work of seamstresses- and finished feeling as though I hade been given a glimpse into a fascinating world and culture. Compelling character vignettes woven together by the narrator are skillfully written. Really enjoyed this book!

This book was written by an author internationally known, but new to an American audience. The setting is Sardinia in the early 1900’s, a time when the class structure restricted people from moving up, where education was reserved for wealthy males. The young seamstress lost her family to a cholera outbreak, except for her grandmother, who teaches her the trade. With talent she is able to work in the homes of the wealthy, tries to educate herself, but is not allowed to cross strict borders, seen as a trade person, equal to maids. The book follows her life as she encounters all different kinds of people and makes for a very absorbing story. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Not sure this is a definite first round purchase for every library, but I believe it's a solid purchase for my mid sized system

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for accepting my request to read and review The Seamstress of Sardinia.

Author: Bianca Pitzorno
Published: 12/06/22
Genre: General Fiction (Adult)--Historical Fiction

I enjoyed the storytelling. A child is taught by her grandmother the skills of a seamstress. She goes on through life working in this capacity. Poverty, hunger, disease, laws suited for men, and prostitution are all addressed. In addition, child abuse, starvation and class differences are touched on.

While sadness and despair are present, the storytelling makes this an enjoyable read. Albeit fiction, most of what was written I could relate to. I had one issue, given the times, and that was a class friendship I couldn't see happening. However, I liked the book.

The cover is beautiful.

I was sucked into this book immediately not just because of the time period but the way in which the story was told. It felt like a diary, like being entrusted with all of the character's secrets and I loved it. For me, historical fiction can be a bit slow but this was an incredibly fast read and I highly recommend it. I never thought about the caste system in post-cholera Italy and this was definitely a primer in the same. I definitely recommend!

The Seamstress of Sardinia came out last week on December 6, 2022, and you can purchase HERE!

I was seven years old when Nonna began entrusting me with putting the finishing touches on the garments she sewed at home for her clients, during those periods when she had no jobs that sent her to work in other people's homes. She and I were the only members of the family left after the cholera epidemic that had taken from us, indiscriminately, my parents, my brothers and sisters, and all my grandmother's other children and grandchildren— my aunts, uncles and cousins. How the two of us managed to survive, I've never known.

3.5 stars

Through six connected chapters which each contain an individual story arc, Bianca Pitzorno and her translator (Brigid Maher) paint a picture of the island life in Sardinia at the end of the nineteenth century through the eyes and days of our young unnamed sartina (seamstress) who must fend for herself once her nonna who has raised her and trained her unexpectedly passes away. A coming of age narrative simultaneous with a comedy/drama of manners makes this a very engaging read for the most part, though I do personally feel that the final two chapters were weaker and more rushed in pace, and the story didn't quite stick the ending as much as I'd have expected given the strong start and the confident, sparkling way it led the narrative till then. It's a storytelling style of narration, with lots of telling in the sartina's first-person perspective; and this has its pros and cons. It makes for a very smooth read, but once you're done you realise it didn't have as much depth in its characters or nuance in its world as you initially thought.. Another con is that the narrative voice can read, increasingly, as passive. Two of the most interesting characters are women who go against the grain and don't fit into the definition of what was expected - and there are moments when the story goes beyond the surface and deals with questions of feminism, patriarchy, agency, identity, and a woman's place back then (actually, who am I kidding, still now many times and in many places), as well as when it delves into questions of social class and etiquette in 1900s Sardinia. Still, I would recommend this if you enjoy historical fiction with strong feminist undertones and good world-building.

This is the bestselling-Italian-author's English debut, and I'd definitely want to give her future translations a try.

What a remarkable book how these women were so strong and how they had to provide for themselves and they're really interesting way of sewing. The little girl grandmother told her how to sew and do things because she did not want her to become a maid in people's houses because apparently they were abused and used. Little girl became a very remarkable woman because she was so strong and so independent of everything around her and she fought for everything. When a grandmother died she still continued to work with her sewing at these people's homes because she did such a beautiful job She lived in the basement just like her grandmother did when she was raising her and she continued this by cleaning the apartment for free rent. This is a girl named ASS UN Tina Was the landlord's little girl she used to run wild all over the place but she was very smart. She took care of this little girl as well because her Her mother got very sick. There's so many different parts of the story want to make you cry sometimes. Her friend EST ER has a very wealthy woman and she was so kind to her and she has a very interesting story as well. These women were very abused by these men In this story it did not be rich or poor. There was an American involved too called miss Lily rose she was very interesting character as well. This book is like part Of a murder mystery and how these women were very forward thinking. And this was pretty interesting the coast was like in the 1900s and Italy where they really didn't have much but they may do She was almost arrested for some crazy law saying she was a prostitute. But her friend Esther got her out of there. These women have to struggle for everything other being maids being attacked by men or being charged with prostitution. What saved her was the sewing machine Esther gave her and they realized she had a real job. This woman's trouble remarkable how she went through all tlisten to tribulations in life even a man she wanted to marry he was very wealthy you'll find out what happened with him. I think this would be a great book to reading women's studies because it shows how women could survive and deed themselves and fight these men off in a very different society in the 1900s

A compelling read of a seamstress narrating the path of her life and it's ups and downs. Starting from learning how to sew from her grandmother, the seamstress then navigates making a living and the odd situations that crop up with her clients, of whom some turn out to be great lifelong friends and others take a turn for the worse. Focused primarily on women, it also highlights the difficulties of being a young, poor tradesperson dependent on their craft.

This was an interesting glimpse into early 19th century life on the island of Sardinia. I was fascinated by the detailed descriptions of how clothing was created by dress makers for the upper and lower classes. The first part of the book describes the early life of the protagonist, who learns to be a seamstress and tailor from her grandmother. This portion dragged on, and I was not sure that my interest would be held to complete the book. The rest of the novel is written in a diary format, and flowed more easily, and we watch as the seamstress learns to navigate the world. I think the book needs better editing, and perhaps a different translator/writer to work the original language into a more compelling read in English.

The Seamstress of Sardinia by Bianca Pitzorno is a great story. A story of resilience and belief in oneself. While tragedy sometimes seems to follow the Seamstress, she always finds a way to move forward. While she encounters several enemies, jail time and many setbacks, she also has great friends like LaMiss, Ester and Zita who cared for her and remained loyal. The Seamstress is a delightful read. I would recommend it.

The book is an easy and enjoyable read. Set in Italy during the early 20th century, it follows the life of a young seamstress who is trying to better her life through her craft. We get an insight into the life of her upper class clients, as well as the struggles of the working class.