I do love a good book by Tessa Harris and this one didn't disappoint. As a fan of historical fiction and fiction about the wars this one was right up my alley. Set Tuscany 1942 this is a story based on true events and it is a story that you will not want to put down. It is heart-breaking, emotional read which will grip you, take you on a journey you will not forget.

A well researched and written story, which unfolded easily and flowed well. I enjoyed reading this story and it brought war, Italy and an English girl to life. I couldn't put it down and felt the emotion and drama of life and war in these times.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ/HQDigital for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Another book to love, especially as it is set in a place i visited a few years ago, Lucca in Italy.
Based on a true story around 1942 -1944, Lizzie is British and moves to Italy before the war to be a tutor to a boy, whose father is Italian and a fascis. We see through the eyes of Lizzie about the work of the resistance and partisan. As this amazing story unfolds, we learn that Lizzie’s fiancé is missing in action, presumed dead and she must come to terms with this grief. And so the journey begins,

An amazing story of bravery, resistance and love. As you read you will experience every emotion you can enágüense, so have a box of tissues with you as you read.

The story is set in and around Tuscany, Italy during the Second World War As the story cantering around two teachers develops we have the opportunity to learn through the eyes of Lizzie about the work of the resistance and partisan.

as this amazing story unfolds, we learn that Lizzie’s fiancé is missing in action, presumed dead and she must come to terms with this grief. And so the journey begins, from valued teacher, through tolerate foreigner in Mussolini{s Italy, resistance worker, she is isolated in a monastery before finding out te gait of her fiancé and valued partisan leader, wife, Mother and leader of woman{s rights in post war Italy.

I fully recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the advance copy. thanks to Tessa Harris for penning his amazing story. this review is given voluntarily and freely.

The Tuscan Daughter is an inspiring, powerful story about an English woman who during World War 11 finds herself in Italy as the tutor of a young child while still mourning the death of her fiancé who was shot down and missing in action. It follows her journey and her courage as she decides to fight against the Fascism not only in the town she is staying, but in the house she is living. She discovers strengths she never knew she had but will also face great loss and heartbreak. But her determination will save not only herself, but many others.

Elizabeth Thornton is getting over the loss of her fiancé and decides to take a job tutoring a young boy named Cristo in Italy. Although she adores Cristo, she is not very pleased with his father, Antonio de Falco who is an avid supporter of Mussolini's regime. Lizzie can barely look at him.

When a second tutor comes to assist in Cristo's learning, Vincenzo Baldini, Lizzie is thrust into a love, hate relationship with this secretive man. She decides to follow him to discover just what he is up to.

Lizzie's life changes when she realizes what Baldini is doing. She decides she must assist him thus thrusting herself into a world of covertness, fear, suspiciousness, and death. But she knows she's on the right side of the war. Lizzie and Baldini become more than just allies until what they are up to is discovered.

Lizzie's life explodes around her as she must go on the run, leave her beloved Cristo and fight the fight with not only other men, but women who too believe Fascism is wrong. What she witnesses will not only break her heart but make her stronger. She will show the men that a woman can be just as smart and strong as any man.

With all that is happening, her main goal is to get back to Cristo and make sure he is okay. Throughout this arduous trek, fighting for freedom for the women of Italy, she feels this is her home now and has earned to be known as one of them.

The Tuscan Daughter will keep you spellbound and, on your toes, as you become immersed into a life no one, especially a woman could ever imagine. As she fought side by side with the soldiers, she realized that the women who fought and died were just as important. And she would do everything she could to make that known.

Thank you #TessaHarris #HarperCollins #TheTuscanDaughter for the advanced copy.

Look for the books release in March of 2025.

Like another reviewer I really struggled to get into this one. The intro chapter about the kidnapping rescue started the book well , but then the rest of the book dragged and I skimmed through. If this was a true story the telling was over long and the main character more than a little irritating . Not a patch on a Kate Quinn book.

I really loved this book of war and resistance. The characters were vivid and beautifully done. A very good read!

I really struggled to get into this one. The intro chapter about the kidnapping rescue was exhilarating, but then the beginning of the story came and really dragged. I read about a third of the book but didn’t continue because I didn’t feel much connection to the characters or between them.

Between 1942 and 1944, this is a novel about the struggles of the Italian people and others who are caught up in the conflict, it gets worse when Mussolini is dismissed and the Germans search the valley’s and hills for partisans and threaten to kill anyone who helps them.

Set in war torn Tuscany, from the olive groves, to the Apennine Mountains and the beaches of the Tyrrhenian Sea a historical saga about fighting for freedom and having, resilience, courage, endurance, fortitude, qualities to be a leader and women wanting to be seen as equals. Five stars from me, I highly recommend The Tuscan Daughter.

I received a copy of The Tuscan Daughter by Tessa Harris from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I chose this because I recalled reading The Paris Notebook, also by this author, and I enjoyed that one.

This is a WWII thriller set in Tuscany. After reading just a few chapters, I found this book had an atmosphere that I loved, and I began to lose myself in it. The protagonist, Lizzie, was a wonderful character, and I loved the bond that she shared with her pupil, Cristo. I became very emotionally invested in this story, and felt compelled to read it in one sitting. As I carried on reading, there were some moments when I became slightly tearful, and I wondered if Lizzie may have some difficult choices to make. I really liked this, and if you like historical thrillers, I would recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

I have read previous books by this Author and was looking forward to reading The Tuscan Daughter and I wasn't disappointed I loved it .Set in Tuscany between 1942 and 1944 it told how Italian people were caught up in the conflict and their struggle to survive .Their courage was extraordinary especially the Partisans who had a lot of women join them wanting to be seen as equals .The characters are engaging ,the story is fast paced and gripping there is sadness but the ending was perfect .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Another great war story from Tessa Harris. This one centres on the rise in fascism in Italy during the 2nd World War..It highlights the plight of the general population during these turbulent times. The partisans trying to free the country from both the fascists and the Germans had a torrid time. The conclusion ticked all my boxes.

After reading The Paris Notebook I was eager to read this latest book by Tessa Harris. The Tuscan Daughter is set in Italy, Fascism is on the rise and Lizzie Thorton sees the changes. She is a tutor for Christo and his father Count Antonio de Falco one of the top men under Mussolini.

Originally born in England, Lizzie decides to take a position in Italy so she can say she has done something before settling down to get married. World War II has other ideas, as it did for many millions of people. Fascism is increasing and everyone is more watchful and alert. Even though Lizzie holds a position of trust, she is still English and therefore an enemy.

She is a little put out when another tutor, Vincenzo Baldini is employed to give Christo a more manly education including sports such as rowing, swimming and science. The two tutors work well and soon form a friendship. Christos' father is a powerful man and he does expect perfection and total loyalty. He is a bully and his son is desperate for his approval but never really gets it. Naturally, he looks to his tutors for parental support.

This story is amazing and based on true events, this makes the reading more emotional and there is something about it that makes the whole plot feel very real. The fighting between the partisans and the fascist government was well documented, but I feel that when it is put into fiction as a story it becomes more understandable. It is a way of understanding more about what ordinary people felt and what they did to survive.

The fight that Lizzie finds herself embroiled in is one of her own choosing, she is forced to choose a side and finds herself in the midst of battles and ambushes. There is a romantic side to this story and Lizzie was to be married, and because of events out of her control, she starts to form a bond. Things do take an unexpected turn and the author dealt with this so well. While it makes Lizzie look weak I think she had to go through with what the author had in mind to be where she needed to be later.

This story does have a moral and the author includes this at the end, it is not a moral actually it is a statement and one that needed to be made. It would shape things for later generations.

A fabulous story and one that shows how determination to do the right thing is one of the most difficult things to do. If you are a fan of historical fiction then this is one you should really have a look at. It is one I would definitely recommend.

In this fantastic World War II historical fiction novel, readers travel to World War II Italy where Lizzie works as a tutor for Christo, the 8 year old son of Count Antonio de Falco (a high-ranking man in Mussolini’s government), despite technically being an enemy of the Italian state. When a new tutor, Vincenzo Baldini, arrives, resistance activity seems to follow as anti-Mussolini pamphlets appear around the villa. Lizzie, indirectly supporting Baldini’s group, gets caught up in the resistance as the Allies grow stronger on the continent and faces the consequences of resistance activity. Providing insight into the Italian partisans and the resistance effort in northern Italy, readers explore the world of the Italian resistance and the roles that downed Allied pilots and escaped prisoners played as part of the Allied efforts in the Italian peninsula. Harris’s characters are fantastically developed, and Lizzie is a strong, interesting, compelling heroine, and readers will enjoy following her growth from silent nonparticipant to active partisan over the novel. The other characters, drawn from the historical record and inspired by historical figures, bring this element of European resistance to fascism to historical fiction, and Harris has done a fantastic job bringing this world and Lizzie’s time as a partisan to life.

what a beautiful cover thst attracted my eye.
This novel by Tessa Harris is full of brave characters and is full of twists, secrets and intrigue.
It was a good read.

I enjoyed reading this WWII fiction that is based on a true story. It has everything that is needed for a good story- courageous characters that are well-built, history, romance, and unexpected twists and turns all incorporated in a good flow. I couldn't put it down until the end. I'm looking forward to reading this author's future books.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Collin’s Publishers for the advanced copy of this beautifully written novel.

The Tuscan Daughter by Tessa Harris is a historical fiction based on true events, set in Italy during the 1940s. It starts out just before WWII erupts and continues through that time period with Italy entering the War.

Lizzie who is British goes to Italy to become a tutor to the young son of a high ranking facist. There she meets another tutor who is a member of the resistance. Together they forge a bond that will prove both exciting and dangerous, with unexpected twists and turns. Lizzie must make some heart wrenching decisions that will affect the rest of her life and the people she loves.

I enjoyed this gripping story and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I learned about Italy’s involvement during the war.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ Digital for an advanced copy of this book.

The Tuscan Daughter is based on true events. Tessa narrates a story of courage & determination. Women played a key role in the Italian Resistance Movement. Their role is recognised in this telling of the Italian war years. There are so many twists & turns. Edge of your seat, page-turning all the way to the exciting end. The story is utterly riveting, totally captivating. Highly recommend

Based upon true events, the setting for this war time novel is 1940’s occupied Tuscany.
Lizzie Thornton moved to Italy before the outbreak of War to become a governess to Cristo, a 9 year old boy. She was engaged to Hugh, who joined the RAF, and he made plain his feelings that Lizzie would get her wanderlust out of the way before she married him and settled to a life of domesticity. Lizzie receives notification that Hugh’s plane was shot down over Tobruk, and she has mixed feelings , she was going to break off her engagement , Italy has made her aware that there are more opportunities available to her than marriage and nappies.
When war is declared, it is only the fact that her employer, Count Antonio de Falco, is a leading fascist and loyal friend to Benito Mussolini, that keeps her from being placed under arrest as an enemy of the state. His wife died some years ago and the staff believe there were suspicious circumstances surrounding her death.
A male tutor Vincenzo ,has recently been engaged to teach ‘ manly pursuits’ to Cristo, these involve science and sport. All young men under the age of 30 have been called up, and youngsters are enrolled in the GIL, Italian Youth of the Lictor, the junior branch of the National Fascist Party of Italy.
Lizzie is initially distrustful of Vincenzo, but when she learns he works for the resistance, they both become involved in local groups, helping to run escape runs for shot down Airmen, trying to get back home, run underground newspapers and are engaged in sabotage works. These endeavours put both of them in great peril.
A fascinating look at the Wartime Resistance work at the time of the Italian Campaign. There are many examples of the work done by the women, being largely invisible, their contributions were taken for granted, and after the war, despite their efforts, they were not honoured or even allowed to take part in Victory parades. They made great sacrifices and showed such bravery, but equality takes patience and determination. Only now, has their story been told and acted upon. A wonderful read of a campaign that is not often written about.
My thanks to Netgalley and HQ Books, for my advanced digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review.
I hate rated this a 5 star read. I will leave a copy of this review to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

Always feeling there was more to life than waiting for the return of fiancé Hugh from his time with the RAF, Lizzie Thornton’s independent spirit takes her to Lucca in Tuscany. At first employed as a governess, she also becomes tutor to Cristo, the son of Count Antonio da Falco. But it’s now 1942, and she finds herself isolated during wartime in a hostile country – her employer a prominent fascist, a supporter and friend of Mussolini.

Her sense of isolation is intensified with the news of Hugh’s death in combat – although it also feels like something of an escape from a future of domesticity that she was never sure she wanted. A second tutor, Vincenzo Baldini, joins the household at the Villa Martini, and she fears for her future – but he proves to be an unexpected friend and ally, working with the resistance, and editing an anti-fascist newspaper. They grow closer as she helps him with articles, but their activities are uncovered – he finds himself imprisoned, and she is sent away to a secure convent.

But that’s only the beginning of the story – they finally find each other again, when she joins his partisan unit and supports the fight for liberation. What follows is an intense and gripping story of determination and bravery, of danger and hardship – along with a compelling and moving romance, not without unexpected complications from the past. The book’s focus is very much on the roles played by women – their courage as equals in the struggle, through the actions of a number of quite wonderfully drawn individuals (Lizzie included) who fight shoulder to shoulder with their comrades.

The landscape is vividly drawn, the detail impeccably researched and brought to life, the emotional content harrowing – but the author is also a wonderful storyteller, and the book’s pages turn ever faster. She makes you feel present in the moment, making choices with the brave individuals, facing the danger and feeling the same fear – the writing is superb, combining a slice of very real history with a smaller, more intimate story I found intensely moving.

The whole book is a wonderful tribute to the individuals – especially the women – who believed in their cause and were both strong and selfless in fighting for their freedom. But it’s also a quite unforgettable read – and one I really couldn’t recommend more highly.

The Tuscan Daughter was the second book that I had the pleasure of reading by Tessa Harris. This one was based on true events. The Tuscan Daughter took place in a town called Lucca that was located in Tuscany, Italy right before the outbreak of World War II and then as Italy entered the war under the leadership of Mussolini. I was initially drawn to the gorgeous cover of The Tuscan Daughter but Tessa Harris’s impeccable research and masterful storytelling captured my full attention as I began to read it. The characters in The Tuscan Daughter were compelling and so believable. Tessa Harris touched all my emotions as I read The Tuscan Daughter. It was heartbreaking yet hopeful and brought suspense, mystery, impossible choices, dangerous situations and romance to life throughout the book. The Tuscan Daughter was another well written historical fiction novel by Tessa Harris.

In 1942, Lizzie Thorton, found herself employed by Count Antonio de Falco, a starch and loyal supporter of the facist leader of Italy, Mussolini. He had hired Lizzie to tutor his eight year old son, Cristo in his elaborate home in Lucca, Italy located in the lush countryside of Tuscany surrounded by its plentiful olive trees. The Count had lost his wife a short time ago. Lizzie was living in England when she applied for the position of tutor. She had a strong command of the Italian language and was excited about this new adventure. Lizzie had just accepted an engagement proposal to Hugh Codrington and even though he didn’t want her to travel to Italy, Lizzie was intent on honoring her commitment as the tutor for an eight year old boy. Even though Lizzie accepted Hugh’s proposal, she began to doubt her decision almost immediately after accepting. Shortly after he and Lizzie became engaged, Hugh became a Flight Lieutenant in the British Air Force. It wasn’t long afterwards that Lizzie learned of Hugh’s death. Hugh had died during a combat mission shortly after he had become a flight lieutenant. Lizzie was saddened but relieved when she learned of Hugh’s tragic death. She discovered that she had not truly been in love with Hugh after all.

Shortly after Lizzie began her duties of tutor to Cristo, two things occurred. The first was that Italy had entered World War II and sided with Germany. As a result, England declared war on Italy. That act made Lizzie an enemy of the state and endangered her own life by remaining in Italy. The Count decided to ignore that fact and continued to employ Lizzie as Cristo’s tutor. Being employed by the Count, kept Lizzie safe from scrutiny and any attempt to imprison or hurt her. The second thing that happened was that Count Antonio de Falco decided to hire another tutor for his son. He employed a male tutor named Signor Vincenzo Baldini whose main role was to teach young Cristo the sports which included swimming and riding lessons. Lizzie was suspicious of Baldini when she first learned of his employment. She was afraid that he had been hired to take over her position but soon learned that her position was safe. The more Lizzie observed and got to know Signor Baldini the more she found herself intrigued by him. Lizzie suspected that Signor Baldini was hiding things and Lizzie was intent upon finding out what those things were.

As Lizzie and Signor Baldini worked together on Cristo’s behalf, they started to form a friendship and an understanding. Lizzie was finally able to discover that Signor Baldini was a member of the Democrat Action Party for whom he wrote, printed and distributed an anti-facist magazine. As Lizzie got to know Baldini better, she discovered that she admired his ethics as a man who was determined to end fascism for all people in his beloved country of Italy through the Italian resistance. Lizzie wanted more than anything to help Baldini with this dangerous endeavor. Signor Baldini finally accepted Lizzie’s offer. She had to be extra cautious that Count Antonio de Falco did not become privy to her involvement. First Lizzie helped with printing the magazine, delivering messages and later she even wrote some of the articles for the magazine. Lizzie was on her way to earning her place as a member of the Italian resistance. Even though she was an English citizen, her allegiance leaned towards the Italian resistance and its people. During this time, Lizzie and Signor Vincenzo Baldini started to discover that they had feelings for one another. Their mutual caring and affection for Cristo was growing stronger as well.

The Tuscan Daughter by Tessa Harris was about the courage and determination of the Italian resistance to rid their country from the Fascists who ruled them. Among the resistance fighters were a great many women and girls. They joined for personal reasons but they all sought freedom and victory over Mussolini and the Germans. Even though the female resistance fighters performed side by side with their male counterparts, they were often still regarded as inferior. However, without their brave acts and involvement, victory would have been harder if not impossible to achieve. I for one applaud their courage, bravery, dedication and determination even when it would have been easier for them to hide behind the confines of their safe homes. They were willing to risk their lives and take the same dangerous risks as the men they fought beside. I am so glad that Tessa Harris chose to inform her readers about this important part of Italy’s history during World War II. The Tuscan Daughter was a most compelling book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to HQ Digital for allowing me to read the advanced reader’s copy of The Tuscan Daughter by Tessa Harris through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Publication is set for April 23, 2024.