“The Cypress Maze” is a dual-timeline historical fiction book by Fiona Valpy. This book is told in both the 1940s and 2015. In 2015, one of the main characters, Tess, is grieving the death of her husband. She goes to Villa delle Colombe, in Italy, to stay with Beatrice, her grandmother’s good friend and custodian of the villa. While there, Beatrice relays a story about the villa during WWII. For once, my attention was more focused on the 2015 story as, like Tess, I recently lost someone from my immediate family and reading about Tess’s healing journey was both comforting and hurting. I know that if I’d been in a better mindset that Beatrice’s story, during the 1940s war-torn Italy, would have held my attention more. Ms. Valpy, again, does an excellent job of explaining what happened during the war and also tying the two timelines/stories together. It was obvious, to me, that Ms. Valpy also did research on MND (sometimes referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease) - and her Author’s Note explains this. This is a story of survival - physical, mental, and emotional. For me, this story pulled me in, but there are lovely touches - from Dante quotes to including the wonderful Siena horse race. In some ways, this book was a bit predictable but overall it was sweet with a good solid ending. If you’ve read Ms. Valpy’s previous book “Storyteller of Casablanca” you will probably differently enjoy this book too.

I enjoyed this dual timeline tale set in contemporary and WWII Tuscany, Italy. Tess is a young, grieving widow, who is still processing her husband's painful battle with a degenarative disease and eventual death. When Beatrice, an old childhood friend of Tess' grandmother, requires assistance, Tess is happy to escape the UK to go to Tuscany to aid the elderly woman.

Beatrice is living in a grand but decaying villa in the lush hills of Tuscany. Beatrice left Scotland years ago and has resided her entire adult life in Italy - and, since WWII, in the stately villa. Throughout the pages of this dual timeline, Beatrice reminisces about the painful war years. Back then, Beatrice assisted Francesca, the villa's owner, as they took in evacuated children from the bombs that rained down on Italy's industrial north.

The son of one of those children is now set to take over the villa, and as time runs out, Beatrice reveals to Tess her story of love, loss, secrets, guilt and lifelong hope. In doing so, Beatrice also helps to ease Tess' aching heart.

This was the beautifully told story of love, loss and the hardships of war. The location was lovely, and as someone who often visits this region, I enjoyed the details and history. A highly enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy - all thoughts are my own.

"The Cypress Maze" is a dual timeline novel from Fiona Valpy which i set in Tuscany. It is the story of Beatrice, who was working in Italy when WW2 broke out and ended up staying there. The 21st century strand is the story of Tess, grand-daughter of one of Beatrice's school friends, who visits Beatrice to aid her recovery from a traumatic situation back in the UK.

As Tuscany woks it's magic on Tess we get to know more of Beatrice's story, and how the area was impacted by the war. The situation in Italy was quite complex, and is well explained in this book. There is the added benefit of romance in both timelines, and some wonderful descriptions of the local countryside, villages and towns. A great read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

Set between 1943 and 2015, this is the storu of two very different women. Beatrice is trapped in her homeland of Italy where she finds her dreams being shattered. When she seeks refuge in a gorgeous walled garden, she thinks she's safe but nothing could be further from the truth.

Meanwhile grieving Tess finds herself in Italy where she meets Beatrice. Can a place that had once seen so many horrors, become her place of refuge. Or will she find herself having to face the past in order to give the cypress maze its future....

A beautiful novel by Fiona Valpy that will make.you want to come back for more.

The Cypress Maze by Fiona Valpy is such an interesting story.

Told in two parts one is the story of Beatrice Crane set in 1943 the other is of Tess in 2015. Each chapter title is the particular character and year and recounts their story. In other words it jumps around from 1943 to 2015.

This story beings in 1943 with Beatrice Crane an English women who goes to italy and works as an English Teacher. War suddenly begins in Italy and Beatrice finds herself stuck unable to return home to England in time.
She seeks refuge with Francesca and Edoardo at Villa delle Colombe, - showcasing a beautiful garden and it's Cypress Maze she is hidden amongst it's walls along with all it's secrets.

Beatrice is not the only one hidden amongst the Cypress Tree Maze, Francesca and Edoardo also bring Jewish children and adults alike to the safe haven of the Cypress Maze and gardens....but are they truly safe?

Fast forward to Tess in 2015 who arrives to the Villa after the loss of her Husband. Beatrice is now the caretaker of the Villa. She assists Tess to find inner peace in the sanctuary of the Villa. Then arrives Marco the estate absent owner, who is not interested in the Villa and wishes to sell the estate to developers and turn it into a luxury golf course and resort.

Beatrice is heart broken by this decision and along with Tess fight to maintain the Villa as is. Saving the painful, precious history it holds along with it's secrets during the war. Tess understands it was not just a refuge for the difficult times endured by those who seeked a home, but a place for hope, peace and survival.

Tess tries to persuade Marco not to ruin the history and story of the Villa. Will the Villa be saved for future generations and will Tess's find her own happy ending?

I really enjoys this book. Fiona has written a desciptive book that captures the story of the Villa and brings it to life. I received this book from NetGalley for a review. This is my review, honestly a great read. 4 out of 5 stars.

A totally mesmerising read,this author has you turning the pages to find out what happens she never fails to deliver. Can highly recommend.

Fiona Valpy always writes with great heart and soul and this latest book I think is one of her best so far. As always it’sa story of strong women in hard times. This time in Italy during WW2, much of the story is based on fact and beautifully researched and told, leaving you with a true sense of time, locations and emotions. It’s a book that stays with you, I’m sure for a long time after you’ve finished reading it.

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely loved this book, but to be honest anything by Fiona valpy is a win.
The story is excellent and draws you in super quickly so it make reading a joy as you don’t feel like you are reading the same thing over and over again, Fiona Valpy´s writing is a pleasure to read

I loved the descriptive imagery in this book, allowing the reader to feel like you were right there with the characters in the gorgeous backdrop of the villa. It was a beautiful story with rich intriguing characters. Very hard to put down, beautiful writing. A really absorbing read.

I first discovered Fiona Valpy through Netgalley and thoroughly enjoyed her novel - and so when another of her pre-release copies came up I jumped at the chance to read it. I am a big fan of historical fiction and I especially love Italy + WWII so this was an ideal read for me.

The plot is a dual narrative which is split between Beatrice's story in war years in Tuscany, and Tess, a grieving young widow in 2018 who is processing her husband's death after a long illness with Motor Neurone Disease.

Both strands were written beautifully, and the characters were believable and likeable! The descriptions of the Italian countryside were idyllic during peacetime, contrasted perfectly with the harrowing experiences of what it was like under German occupation. I definitely found myself tearing up during some of the more emotive scenes where Tess is simultaneously trying to remember and move on from her losing her husband at the same time.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction! Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an early release copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I was introduced to the books of Fiona Valpy by a friend at the end of Covid, and was excited to read this ARC.

Her books are always fascinating and make me want to dig into the historical background.

This is another one that I wasn't sure where it would go - the stories of Francesca, Beatrice and Tess interlaced across the book, back in the timelines and in real time, as Beatrice told the tale of the house, its inhabitants and its secrets, and as Tess started to heal.

The secret of the Cypress Maze was not what I was expecting!

I can't even say more as it will ruin the story.

I would definitely recommend this book!

Set in beautiful Tuscany, Italy and sharing the lives and stories of two women from two different times - during the second world war and in 2015.

1943. Beatrice has escaped Scotland to teach English in Italy but the war forces her Italian host family to let her go. After some time in police cells and prisons she is granted shelter at the Villa delle Colombe, run by Francesca and Edoardo. The estate is almost completely self sufficient with everyone working together to ensure survival during testing times.

2015. Struggling to come to terms with the medical struggles of her husband and his decision to take his own life at a clinic in Switzerland, Tess arrives in Tuscany to be the companion to Beatrice, an old friend of her grandmother's. Beatrice helps Tess find calm and healing with the help of the amazing gardens at the villa. Unfortunately all comes crashing down when the real owner of the villa appears - and it's not the one Beatrice expects, but rather his son who's already planned the destruction of the estate to build a golf course.

Realising that time is running out, Beatrice starts telling Tess the story of Villa delle Colombe and what happened there during the war. The struggles, they joy, the deception, the challenge of not taking sides, the impact of the war and the many personal struggles for Beatrice and the other living there.

A beautiful, gripping story, historically well researched and thoroughly enjoyable read.

I think I found a new favourite author. I have so far read only two books by Fiona Valpy, but both of them were fantastic! I really like the combination of modern times and historical events which are included in the book. I think the book enriches the knowledge of such common periods like the WWII, as the author shows new aspects that are not so much talked about. This is quite interesting even for a history nerd like me. I also liked the contemporary storyline which is included. The characters are likeable and well developed. But the most interesting „character“ in the book was the place where the story takes place. I really loved the descriptions and the idea of the gardens and the maze.
I highly recommend this book.

This is one of those styles of books which seems to be popular at the moment being set in two time frames. This is managed with the older woman telling her war time life story in Italy, to the younger decades later. This works well as a format and really makes it feel like two stories in one. I enjoyed the earlier tale more. It felt as if the later events were just there to embrace the war time recall and as such ended up a little unrealistic by comparison.
However, overall, this this was a most enjoyable and informative read. I will be looking out for more books by Fiona Valpy. Recommended!

Another truly beautiful and moving novel from the incredible Fiona Valpy!

Set in the Italian region of Tuscany, the book takes place at the Villa delle Colombe near the town of Montepulciano. A dual timeline includes the present (Tess - 2015) and the past (Beatrice - from 1940 to 1944).

After the death of her husband, Tess moves to stay with Beatrice, friend of her grandmother’s who lives at a villa in Tuscany. The villa was owned by Francesca, who bequeathed the villa in her will to a man called Alfredo, who Beatrice has spent the last 70 years trying to track down.

Through Beatrice’s eyes, we learn what happened at the villa during WWII and why Francesca chose to bequeath the villa to Alfredo. We also closely follow Tess, who is writing Beatrice’s story for her, as she begins to open up about her own grief after the death of her husband.

The story is incredibly moving, and included many aspects of the Second World War in Italy that I wasn’t aware of. Fiona Valpy always does such an impeccable job of wending fiction together with historical fact, and particularly lesser known historical fact, to create a story that draws you in and leaves you amazed with how much you didn’t know about such significant historical events.

Every time I read a book by Fiona Valpy, I feel the need to tell everyone that they should definitely read it. So, on that note, this book was a solid 5 stars from me and everyone should most definitely read it!

I really loved this book. The setting in Italy, to me, was spot on and the characters were believable in every way. It’s a while since I have been unable to put down a book as I did with this one and I shed copious tears. The subject matter was approached sympathetically and I recommend reading this wholeheartedly.

Yet another great book from Fiona.
The story flicks from wartorn Italy in WW2 and 2015..
The story centres around a villa. We read about the love, the friendships, the sorrow and the strength to fight for freedom.
Tess is recently widowed and she goes to stay with her grandmother's oldest friend Beatrice. Throughout the pages their stories begin to unfold.
This book kept me hooked from start to finish.

The Cypress Maze | 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book made me laugh, made me want to travel through the Villa and explore the maze. What a lovely story with a great setting, plot and characters.

It was amazing to accompany Tess along Beatrice Crane’s journey during the way in 1943. The way the story was told captivated me and had me wanting to know more about the story, of what happened. This books characters were lovely, all were enjoyable and left me feeling like I knew them and their stories.

This is such a sad but beautiful book, a journey that takes you through war, secrets, survival, love, adventure and more.

Harry Priestley, you have my heart. Beatrice Crane, I adore you.
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Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.5 stars: The Cypress Maze is a dual timeline story of two women’s journeys through love, loss, and acceptance, to reach freedom from their own psychological barriers.

Tess is dealing with the loss of her husband from a long-term, debilitating disease. In order to get some distance from all of the reminders that surrounded her, she travels to Italy to help Beatrice, an old friend of her grandmother, in the care of a villa in Italy. While she is there, Beatrice shares with Tess her WW II tale of courage, strength, terror, love, loss and grief. Beatrice asks Tess to document her story to ensure it does not die with her.

Ultimately, Beatrice and Tess help each other heal and find freedom, albeit in different ways. The skillful and intricate imagery in this book enhanced the intensity of and the emotional connection with the story and the characters. The way the cypress maze parallels the journey through grief loss, and darkness to find acceptance, love and light is incredibly powerful. Overall, this is a story about the strength of the human spirit and the lengths to which people will go to protect the ones they love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC copy!

I must say I am a bit of a fan of Fiona Valpy so was looking forward to reading this one. And I wasn't disappointed.

Set in Tuscany this is a tale in dual timelines and tells the story of wartime and all its horrors and of a more present time and the story of lose, grief and healing. It is a beautiful book and that ties two stories together through one villa in Tuscany.

The characters are wonderful and bring the stories to life. The setting is beautiful and also a little haunting. The writing is great and the book is easy to read and follow and was a good length and reads at a good pace.

A fine book to read and a book I would recommend.