The Bookseller's Daughter

by Daniela Sacerdoti

‘Many years ago, at a time when the world was on fire, a young girl hid priceless manuscripts where they could not be destroyed. She protected them on this island, but she paid a steep price for it. This is her story…’

Present day, New Heartbroken after the end of her engagement, Francesca is desperate for a new beginning. And when her boss unexpectedly asks her to travel to Italy to acquire a rare and very valuable book from a collector, she leaps at the chance.

When she arrives on the beautiful Italian island of Santa Caterina , the last thing Francesca expects is to meet handsome and enigmatic Thiago , an Italian collector also there to buy the manuscripts. But the pair soon realise that the books were hidden during the Second World War and have never been found. With just an old diary to guide them, they begin to piece together the mystery…

As Francesca and Thiago uncover the secrets hidden in the diary, they read the story of Helèna , a young girl who lived on Santa Caterina during the war, and who risked everything to protect the island and its treasures from the Nazi invasion.

When Francesca finally discovers what happened to Helèna during the war, it will change her life forever. But will she be able to take strength from the young girl’s story, and embrace not only her destiny, but also heal her heart?

An unputdownable and emotional story of bravery, love and sacrifice from the author of million-copy bestseller, Watch Over Me , and Amazon No. 1 bestseller, The Italian Villa. Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Victoria Hislop, and The Letter by Kathryn Hughes, readers will be absolutely hooked on The Bookseller’s Daughter .

What readers are saying about Daniela

‘ Mesmerising! I was totally hooked … absolutely perfect and just flowed endlessly with such ease. I really can't praise this OUTSTANDING book enough! ’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘ Truly amazing . The story had many heart-warming moments and a few heart-wrenching… I was completely charmed .’ One Page at a Time ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘ Absolutely outstandingly beautiful … Above and beyond anything I have read this year… Glued to every page … I really can't praise this book enough and warrants far more stars than I can actually give . A work of a true genius.’ Red Headed Book Lady ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘ WOW! Could not put it down once I started … Highly recommend.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘ All I can say is wow, to the twists and turns I never expected ’ Merrick Library ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A fantastic read, which I devoured … this is a book you are not going to be able to put down .’ The Book Blog ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: Historical Fiction, Books About Books, World War II, Italy

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2023

About the author

Daniela Sacerdoti is a mother and a writer. Born in Naples, but brought up in a small village in the Italian Alps, she lives near Glasgow with her husband and sons. She steals time to write when everyone has gone to bed, or before they wake up. She’s a Primary teacher, but she chose to be at home with her children. She loves being with her boys, reading anything she can get her hands on and chatting with her girlfriends. But she also adores being on her own, free to daydream and make up stories.

Reviews

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why is it that when we feel we’ve been waiting so long for a beloved author’s next book to be available, we binge-read it only to discover that the cycle continuously repeats itself?! Sadly, Sacerdoti’s latest is not one to be read slowly and savoured….it’s bingeable!

I loved:
✔️Well-written and equally engaging dual timeline
✔️Italian setting
✔️enigmatic characters
✔️mystery
✔️old diary
✔️Mysterious history that kept me engaged
✔️Books
✔️Following clues through manuscripts
✔️Ghosts
✔️Italian village life during wartime
✔️Strength of women

Sacerdoti reminds us of the power of books and the power of strong women to hold us together. Her two timelines are connected through love and sacrifice and encourage readers to embrace destiny on our journey toward healing.

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

[Monika Armet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francesca Lombardo lives in New York and slaves in a gallery specialising in manuscripts and books. Despite having a PhD, her boss and his daughter walk all over her and make her do menial tasks, such as booking hairdresser appointments and picking up the dry cleaning.

Francesca still lives with her ex-fiancé, Isaac, who is a real piece of work. Just before the wedding, he declared he didn’t want to marry her because their routine was too predictable. Now they take turns to sleep on the sofa in Francesca’s apartment (the lease is under her name). She still hopes that her and Isaac will get back together…

When Francesca is headhunted to appraise medieval manuscripts of Ippolita Von Oswen (much to dismay of her bosses), she heads to Italy to an island of Santa Caterina.

There she meets another potential bidder from Florence, Thiago Palladini (who happens to be quite good looking, which always helps!).

It turns out that Ippolita’s manuscripts are hidden somewhere on the island and it’s Francesca’s and Thiago’s job to find them. Their only clue is a diary dating from WWII, belonging to Helèna Masi, who lived on the island. What’s the connection?

I really enjoyed this book. I finished it in two sittings! I became engrossed in Helèna’s story and was desperate to discover what happened next.

I liked Francesca’s transformation whilst on the island: from the timid pushover, she become more assertive and self-assured. The mystery of the hidden manuscripts and the budding romance between the two main characters also meant that Francesca could start looking forward, rather than backwards.

The second theme in the story is the love of books – the nuns had an amazing library on the island, and Helèna loved books, hence she did everything she could to preserve and protect the precious manuscripts.

It was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last. I definitely recommend it.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francesca and Thiago who work for separate companies travel to the Island of Santa Caterina in Italy to a convent in order to bid on a book their employers wish to purchase.
They find out that the book has been hidden for many years and they have to follow clues written in a diary to find it.
A dual timeline story with some interesting characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[linda hole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It had the atmospheric italian vibe I crave. It had strong resilient characters, you Will fall in love with them , fight along with them. The love story was spot on. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

[Audrey Haylins · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

It’s been many years since I read a book by Danielle Sacerdoti, but the intriguing blurb immediately drew me to this one: WW2 fiction set in Italy, a hunt for precious manuscripts, a possible love story. It just sang to me. And did it hit all the right notes? Absolutely!

Set across two timelines, The Bookseller’s Daughter is a beguiling story within a story, following the present day quest for a priceless set of illuminated medieval manuscripts hidden within the grounds of an Italian island convent and set against events there during the war.

Francesca has been sent from New York to acquire the manuscripts for her boss’s art gallery, only to find herself in competition with local dealer Thiago. The only information they have to go on is a set of diaries written by a young Hungarian girl, Helèna, who lived with the nuns on Santa Caterina towards the end of the war and hid the books from the Nazis when they took over the island.

This was a thoroughly engrossing read, with both threads equally compelling. I loved the way Helèna’s story was embedded within that of Francesca and Thiago, who grew increasingly close, as together they pored over Helèna’s diaries, searching for clues as to the hiding place of the manuscripts.

Sacerdoti’s writing is hauntingly atmospheric; beautifully evocative of Santa Caterina, the lake that surrounds it, and the mysteries they hold. The storytelling, especially in the historical timeline, is absolutely wonderful, and I adored the hint of the paranormal that wove its way through.

The twist at the end was entirely unexpected but at the same time a delightful way to round off this hugely enjoyable piece of escapism.

The perfect summer read for all historical fiction fans.

[Emma Crowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Bookseller’s Daughter is the new book from Daniella Sacerdoti which has two main themes. Those being the determination of women to rise again after they have fallen and also a love of books and knowledge shines through at every opportunity. I found this to be a very quick read so much so that despite enjoying the story I did find myself wanting more. At times I felt it only scratched the surface of things where a little more in-depth analysis or description was needed as I found some of the events were rushed through. But look, that’s me being super picky because really Daniella Sacerdoti has written an atmospheric and intriguing story with a twist at the end which had me reeling. In fact I’d love to chat to people who have read or will go on to read the book as it was quite an ambiguous conclusion.

The brief prologue opens in Venice in 1930 as Helena, one of the main female characters, tells the reader how her father and mother were lost in a fire that consumed their bookshop. She firmly believes that her sister Hanna survived, although how she did so and her whereabouts now are not known so Helena is not aware of her beliefs regarding the outcome for Hanna are true or not. Helena was adopted by a well-to-do family in Venice although the matriarch of said family didn’t treat her the best believing she should stay in the home and receive no education and instead wait on her in her hour of need. Her adopted brother Jacopo has always been her protector but the nightmare of what happened to her family lingers over her haunting her whenever given the opportunity.

Once the story proper begins the chapters alternate seamlessly between Helena in the war years and Francesca in 2022. Francesca lives in New York working in a gallery. She is an art historian and palaeographer specialising in manuscripts and books. She loves her chosen profession but in the job she has the daughter of owner treats her like a dogsbody and she isn’t able to do what she has been employed to do. So despite being in a job that she should love, given the work that is involved, she is not at all happy and neither is she in her persona life. Her engagement to Isaac has been broken off yet she still shares an apartment with him as he needs her for her share of the rent. Francesca still harbours deep feelings for Isaac and throughout the book the reader can tell that she really wants to get back with him and make a go of things. Whereas it’s evident that Isaac is of the complete opposite opinion. I really wanted to give Francesca a good shake and say why are you moping around after a man that has clearly moved on from you even if he still uses her for money. Throughout the book as she navigates the ‘quest’ that she has been sent on thoughts of Isaac still linger on and I just wanted her to get a grip and move on.

But this is not the story of Francesca and Isaac and to be honest I didn’t want it to be as I was keen to delve back into the past. Francesca is given the opportunity to secure a famous set of illuminated medieval manuscripts, which if she is successful will change the fortunes of the gallery. Soon, she finds herself in Italy, specifically the lakes where lies Santa Caterina island. Lavinia is caretaker of the manuscripts at Santa Caterina which once was a convent for nuns. Francesca and Thiago, who has arrived from a different gallery and also wants to bid for the manuscripts, are both tasked by Lavinia to find the manuscripts. Whoever does so first will be the one to secure them for their gallery.

So sets in motion a quest or challenge of sorts and through this process Helena’s story is revealed piece by piece. To be honest when we reached this point and it was fairly early on in the book, I completely forgot about Francesca and what she was going through personally as I became so engrossed in Helena’s developing story. Yes, there are things that happen to Francesca which start to make her open her eyes and see where her life path should be going and she does become very good friends with Thiago as they share the reading of Helena’s diary in order to find clues as to where the famed manuscripts could be hidden.

Helena’s story had me completed engrossed right from the moment Francesca and Thiago turned to the very first page of the diary. Helena is writing to Hanna, as if she is still alive, and she reveals her experiences and how she came to be on the island. When Helena’s adopted mother died and the war came calling at her door she knew given her past experiences that she would need to seek refuge and sanctuary. Being a Hungarian Jew during World War Two meant she had a price upon her head. After escaping the massacre which killed her parents Helena is determined that she will survive the war. She gets work at the Santa Caterina convent and pretends to be a nun where she will help the small community with the heavy jobs. If the war wasn’t raging this would seem like an idyllic existence but Helena always has a sense of fear and unease shrouding her. She is filled with anguish that she may be discovered and the community of nuns will be disrupted and the worst befall them.

What really intrigued me was how Helena fell in love with the library at the convent and particularly the illuminated manuscripts written and designed many years ago by Ippolita, a nun who fought to express herself in a world that wanted to put her into a box a bit like I could envision Helena doing if given the chance. Helena really connected with her, as did Francesca, which highlights the power of women which is one of the main themes throughout the book. The education and knowledge that had been previously been denied to Helena was coming to the fore and I loved how she engaged with cataloguing the library. She seemed happy in her life there knowing that the war was near but that she remained safe although at times she does long for normality and to find some love.

Some sinister and almost ghostly things occur as they do too for Francesca in the present and normally I would scoff and roll my eyes to heaven at this but here it all worked perfectly and that’s what made the story so atmospheric, moody and dark at times. There was a fascinating story unfolding as to how the manuscripts came to be hidden and how Helena through pretending to be someone else must confront what she fears the most. The last quarter or so of the book became very tense and my heart was in my mouth as I read and there were plenty of twists and turns. I didn’t expect things to turn out the way they did for Helena as with the war and sides etc everything in my mind seemed pretty clear cut especially given her heritage but Daniela Sacerdoti made it work and it came across as real and genuine.

Despite at times as mentioned feeling the story needed a bit more depth, overall I really enjoyed The Bookseller’s Daughter. I am glad it wasn’t an all out World War Two book instead this was merely the backdrop for a different story unfolding. A hunt for manuscripts turns into much more and in a delightful and escapist manner which has you turning the pages rapidly. It’s another enjoyable story from Daniela Sacerdoti and I’m already looking forward to reading her next book.

[Lisa M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniela Sacerdoti is a new to me author, but the book looked very interesting and I was eager to read it. This book takes place in two time periods--the older time period is during WW2 and is represented through a series of diary entries. It also is contemporary with the lives of Francesca and Thiablo who are READING the diary entries. I have done some research on the Illuminated documents from the Medieval era and it's fascinating to learn about them.

The book did well peeling back the story of Helena through her diaries. We got pieces added in every chapter until we knew her whole story by the end. There is a sense of...supernatural? Through the "coincidences" that kept happening. But that was intended for the story. I definitely wanted to go experience that island and abbey for myself!

For those who would want to know--there is mention of premarital sex, rape, and one F- at the very end. Nothing is described in detail and is just mentioned more in passing.

The history was beautiful. The story was fabulous. The things mentioned above--well, I don't think they were needed for the story. Without them, it would have been just a clean historical fiction read.

3 stars--but only because I didn't love it. It was just a solid story but nothing really jumped out at me. It ended up fairly predictable.

**I received this ARC from Netgalley and was not required to share a positive review. All opinions are my own!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!!! I couldn't wait to read this because I loved the previous books by the author. This one was no exception. It took me awhile to warm up to Francesca. It was easy to see Isaac's manipulation of her, but Francesca had blinders on. Isaac could do no wrong in her eyes. She would bend over backwards for him, even though they were no longer engaged. The trip to Italy was perfect for her. My favorite part of the book was Helèna's story. I couldn't wait for Francesca and Thiago to finish reading her diary. The island of Santa Caterina, sounded like a beautiful and mystical place. I probably wouldn't want to walk around outside alone at night, especially with the fog and ghosts. Francesca and Thiago were destined for each other. Loved learning the truth about everyone.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the the characters, writing style and story. Daniela Sacerdoti's books are so magical and always draw me into the story. I felt like i was right there with Helèna. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Wendy Storey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, but not as much as Daniela's previous books. The historical story was really good and I loved the characters, but the current day story was less engaging.

[Caroline|Page~Turners · Rating 5 out of 5]

Francesca arrives at the beautiful Italian island of Santa Caterina. The secluded island is owned by Thiago who is a book collector. As Francesca and Thiago soon discover, the books were hidden during World War II by a bookseller's daughter named Helèna. She sacrificed everything to keep the books from being taken and destroyed by the Nazis. One of the books they have in their possession is Helèna’s diary. It is their road map to finding and locating the books, and the more time Thiago and Francesca spend together the closer they become. As they read through the pages of the diary, the resilience and they are finding out about Helèna and the things she experienced during such a horrible time in history. And as the diary comes to an end, both Francesca and Thiago lives are completely impacted and will never be the same.

The Bookseller’s Daughter written by author Daniela Sacerdoti was a heart-breaking, unputdownable story of resilience, strength and endurance, was amazing. I love that this story was a time-slip novel, as those are a favorite of mine. I love books that bridge the past and the present. The detailed description of the beautiful Italian island of Santa Caterina, was mesmerizing. I could see the beautiful tranquil water and the blue sky above, as I sat on the shore. I was completely connected to Francesca, Thiago and of course Helèna. Her story was incredible as I flipped through the pages of her diary. I loved everything about this story from beginning to end, and I highly recommend it. An absolutely must read.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love Daniela's books, but I just couldn't get into this one or love the characters. Normally, I like the slightly supernatural part of the story, but with the subject matter, it just didn't flow.
So only 3 stars

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniela Sacredoti’s The Bookseller’s Daughter is a poignant, powerful and emotional tale readers will be completely captivated by.

Francesca arrives on the charming Italian island of Santa Caterina in search of buried treasure: rare books that had been hidden during the Second World War by Helena, the daughter of a bookseller, who had risked everything in order to keep the Nazis from getting their hands on this cherished collection. But Francesca is not alone on the island because the enigmatic owner of this Italian paradise has asked local book collector Thiago along as well and he wants the two of them to find this collection and uncover a secret that spans generations.

With Helena’s diary to guide them, Francesca and Thiago find themselves spending lots of time together and as initial reticence gives way to a friendship neither one of them was expecting, they begin to grow closer and closer. Might this be the second chance Francesca had been hoping for? Or should she tread with caution before putting her heart on the line again?

However, when Helena’s shocking secret come to light, the repercussions from this discovery could end up having serious consequences for Francesca and Thiago. Will the two of them find the courage to fight for their relationship? Or will a future together be out of the question for the two of them?

Daniela Sacredoti’s The Bookseller’s Daughter is an immersive, passionate and intriguing tale of love, courage and sacrifice that sweeps the reader to Italy and into a beautifully rendered and brilliantly evoked world which will be a struggle to leave. Full of nuanced characters and plenty of emotion, intensity and romance, The Bookseller’s Daughter is a superb historical novel that is impossible to put down.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Sharon Valler: Live Love Read Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bookseller’s Daughter, by Daniela Sacerdoti

A beautifully written book, set on a small island in Italy and told across two timelines. This book was absolute escapism and I adored it!

In the modern day, Francesca has been dumped by her fiancé, Isaac, who wants it all his way. Francesca is still hopeful he’ll change his mind as she heads to Italy to bid for valuable manuscripts for her employer. There she meets Thiago, who, as he is also there to bid, should be her rival in business.

The pair are given a diary belonging to Helena, which was written during WWII and they need to work together to decipher the clues within and find where the manuscripts are hidden.

The evocative descriptions of Santa Catarina captivated my imagination and made me feel as though I could really be there. I enjoyed observing Francesca and Thiago’s personal growth, as they work their way through the diary and learn from those who lived before them.

In the past, Helena’s story was heartbreaking to read. As a six year old girl, Helena watched her parents perish in a fire that also destroyed their home and their bookshop. She finds herself on Santa Catarina as a young woman, helping out at the convent and in particular, cataloguing their library. The war changes everything and turns their quiet lives upside down in so many ways. I especially loved Aurelie, with her warm humour and my heart really went out to Fabio - doing his duty and in an impossible situation, as must have been the case for so many men during the war.

Every character was well developed and the pace of the book was steady throughout. An absolute winner.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

[loopyloulaura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francesca's personal life and career are disasterous so she jumps at the chance to travel to Italy to purchase some rare books. She has a competitor who also wants to secure the deal but they must work togther to find the hidden books.
The Bookseller's Daughter is a dual timeline novel set in the present day and the 1930s-40s. I have previously reviewed The Lost Village by Daniela Sacerdoti.
Francesca has been dumped by her fiance but is still living with him (mostly sleeping on the couch and hoping for their love to reignite). Her career is in tatters due to unpleasant associations with fraud that she was innocent of. Both situations had me gnashing my teeth in rage at the unfairness! She has a chance to prove herself in Italy but finds herself on a quest rather than a simple transaction.
Helena has written a diary in 1944 to chart her experiences of being orphaned but also joining a convent. She has been through a lot of pain and grief due to the deaths of her family when she was younger before subverting the power of the Nazis.
The strength of women is a recurring theme in this book. There are also ghosts to add an extra dimension to the plot. I enjoyed the historical detail included in the book as well as the emotional and supernatural aspects. The writing style brings both timelines to life and the setting is described vividly to underpin the plot and characters.
The Bookseller's Daughter is an engaging and often emotional book.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a beautiful story. What happens when you fall in love with the competition? After a broken engagement Francesca needs to get away from the memories and what could be better than going off to the exotic location of Italy? Asked to go there by her boss she is to purchase a rare and very valuable book from a collector. She is not the only one though who wants this book, a handsome young man is also after the same book. Arriving at her destination she is made aware this will be like a treasure hunt she and Thiago, the Italian collector, will have to locate the manuscripts using clues written about in an old diary. In this time slip we get to experience the diary of Helena a young girl who lived on the beautiful Italian island of Santa Caterina during WWII. She has hidden the manuscripts to ensure their safety during the Nazi invasion. I enjoyed reading both time periods equally. The descriptions of the island and the search has an almost mystical quality to it that I enjoyed very much. Helena and Francesca’s story are similar in the sense that they both fall in love with who you wouldn’t expect them to. The words just flowed as I read, and I had such a hard time putting this down. Such unexpected twists and turns in this book I just loved it.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.

All opinions expressed are my own.

[Permanently_Booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sacerdoti has a beautifully vivid writing style that transported me to the shores of the Italian island of Santa Caterina. The story is told through two POVs. The first is from Francesca's perspective who has arrived to purchase rare historical books from WWII. When she arrives, she meets her bidding rival, Thiago, and they both learn they'll have to search for the bound treasures using the diary of Helèna.

Helèna is the second POV and takes readers back to the invasion of the Nazis and Helèna's heroic fight to save the treasured works from Nazi hands.

I highly enjoyed how both of the main and side characters in this book were so well rounded and relatable. They each add to the stories narrative with emotion, tragedy and a plot drive towards the ending reveal. There is an atmospheric undercurrent that pulls the theme into a ghostly realm. I loved that part so much! It fed into the tragedy and wonder of the island. Seriously, this was so freaking good!

If you love historical romance with dual timelines, building chemistry, apparitions and a historical flare that leaves you tapping kindle pages faster than ever, than you'll definitely want this on your TBR. Thank you, Bookouture, for the gifted digital copy! All thoughts are my own.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bookseller's Daughter is nothing like the title implies. However, it is very good and does have booksellers in the story. Francesca Lombardo was working for a company that buys and sells sells artistic items. They are on the trail of a set of manuscripts illustrated by women. If they are real, they are worth a fortune and her company needs that and her reputation needs the boost it will get from them. The night before her boss's daughter is set to go to Italy to get the manuscripts, she decides flying to the Caribbean to find her fiance is more important than getting the manuscripts. Her father hates flying so Francesca volunteers to go in their stead. So, off to Italy, she flies.
When she and one other buyer, Thiago get to the convent of Santa Caterina on an island in the middle of a beautiful lake in Italy, they find they are the only buyers and they have to find the manuscripts. Whoever finds them, gets them. However, they must work together to find the clues found in Helene's diary. What have they gotten themselves into?

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bookseller's Daughter by Daniela Sacerdoti was a beautifully written Historical Fiction book that was just magical from the beginning till the very last page. Daniela always writes from the heart and captivates her audience and new audience by the way she writes. She tells a story that will take you away to that period of time,
The Bookseller's Daughter is set on a small island in Italy and told across two timelines. one in the Present day, New York: and the other in the the Second World War which was mesmerising from start to finish and the twist at the end was entirely unexpected - I loved it!

This book is a perfect holiday read I highly recommend this book. Another 5 star book.

Biggest Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually listened to this on Audible Audio. Overall I enjoyed the storyline; there were definite twists that I didn't expect. It is also a time-split novel, that was told through diary pages. It was a nice change from some of the other formats I've read. One thing I particularly enjoy about time-split novels is figuring out the connections between the characters from the past and present. This one had great story lines and heart-wrenching connections. The reason I gave it a three star rating and not a four star rating is I felt there were times that the story moved a little too slowly -- especially at the beginning. I had a hard time getting into the book. However, I am very glad I stuck with it; it was good!

[Firetruckmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.

“The Bookseller’s Daughter” is a dual timeline historical fiction book by Daniela Sacerdoti. This book has a bit of romance, a bit of supernatural, a bit of history, and a bit of mystery. The two main characters are sent by their employers to purchase some illuminated documents from the Middle Ages, but they need to follow clues from a nearly 50 year old diary in order to find the documents. This book took me a while to get into, but it was a quick and short read with interesting historical information. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

[Nicola “Shortbookthyme” · Rating 4 out of 5]

A suspenseful story that kept me engaged throughout the book.
The story is told in 2 timelines and the location for both is Northern Italy. Mystery abounds with a diary and a manuscript….and, two women trying to save past relics.
Lots of historical reference/information throughout the story kept me very intrigued in the story.
I enjoyed the romance angle.
All in all, a captivating historical fiction book I encourage you to read. The authors writing draws you into the story in a way you feel you are right there with the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Carey Mundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the Sacerdote books I have read and this was no exception. Told both around WWII and present day, it takes place on an island in northern Italy. During the war, an orphan escapes and ends up with the sisters on the island in this convent - she helps hide precious items from the Nazis who want to take them. Present day, Francesca is heartbroken and leaves NYC to acquire a rare manuscript in Italy. There she meets Thiago and together they go on a personal and professional discovery. Very good!

[Kate Eminhizer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quaint and charming read. The overall plot had enough suspense to keep me intrigued throughout. I found that Helena was the only truly developed character. The unraveling of her story via the letter styled diary entries was on point. I felt that the more present timeline didn't capture my attention as much. Some of that timeline felt forced and largely unnecessary. The story was mostly predictable but there were some unexpected twists. I found Lavinia to be a total enigma and that was both good and bad. Readers will find themes of dedication, courage, despair, redemption, friendship, and love.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley from the publisher.

[Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Laird · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first read by this author, but what a brilliant introduction!
A story containing Italy, a dual timeline, a manuscript, a diary, a mystery about the war... honestly, this is literally my perfect premise! I couldn't sign up quick enough.
This was exactly what I hoped it would be. A wonderfully gripping story but with emotion and amazing characters. I couldn't wait to get back to the story each day.

[Ann Peachman Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francesca worked as an art dealer, although in her present job, she made coffee and picked up dry cleaning. Frustrated, she constantly felt put down and belittled. Then the impossible happened and she had an opportunity to bid for a collection in Italy. What she found there, and didn’t find, changed her life.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story but this is fiction. I don’t see this book as historical fiction. First off the illuminated manuscripts were created by monks. This is very misleading. My concern is now people will believe that women created them. The only history in this book is that World War Two happened.

[Kay Yendole · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great story

I am in Italy as I read this and the strong connection between the characters in this lovely setting ring true and historic connection binds it all together in a believable story

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, The Bookseller's Daughter reads like a four star novel, but then later there are too many coincidences that push the story into the realm of a soap opera. Nevertheless it's an
enjoyable novel about WWII that has a different twist to it.

[Reyyan Munire Yavuz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the characters of Fabian and Helena. And love the parts about ornaments and illuminations. But after all these geno cide in gaza, for almost three years, i’m sick and tired of these jewish sob stories.

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read all this authors books I felt this one was not quite to my suiting it was a very good read just not for me