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Tuscany #2
A Tuscan Memory: Italian journeys
A lovingly researched account about Giuseppe Starnucci, a young Italian boy, at the start of the twentieth century, as he journeys on foot with shepherds from his mountain village in the Tuscan Apennines to the coast. His adventures are tracked by his great grandson one hundred years later and we learn of present day problems mirroring those of his ancestors. A story of hardship, secrets and passion which brings to light the customs and people of rural Tuscany in a troubled period of history, when the dominance of Mussolini is always lurking in the background. The author's writing has been praised as: "a great combination of a true account and fiction." This is sequel to the author's first novel, "Tuscan Roots", praised by Julia Gregson for its "vivid, natural and direct...writing. Moving and interesting with lovely touches of humour." Both books are stand-alone.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 15, 2017
About the author
Angela Petch
19 books225 followersBorn in Germany on account of my father being stationed there in the British army, post-war, I have not stopped travelling and collecting stories since. The remainder of my childhood was spent in Rome, I married in Italy, worked for a Dutch company, lived in Tanzania, East Africa and now divide my year between Tuscany and West Sussex, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
November 2, 2020
In 1917, Giuseppe Starnucci a young village boy is adamant to not return to his seminary school and instead opts to become part of the transumanza a yearly five month migration that the poor villagers living in the mountains undertake, with their flock of sheep, to the coastal areas of Tuscany in the hopes of earning a better monetary livelihood.
In present day Tuscany we find 10 year old Davide Starnucci trying to figure out how to cope with the bullying he faces at school because of his mixed Italian/English heritage while trying to successfully complete a project work focusing on the now obsolete practice of 'transumanza', it's importance and the affect it had on the lives of their village ancestors. While researching, the Starnucci family uncover a secret kept hidden by their great grandfather Giuseppe and his wife Marisa.
What I really liked about the Tuscan Memory was its description of Tuscany....not the tourist version but the actual raw beauty of Tuscany with its mountain villages, coastlines, the village people, their lifestyle, and the economic hardships they lived through in the early days of the 20th century. Also, I had never heard or read about the transumanza and the author has done a wonderful job of describing this important piece of Italian history.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Angela Petch for the e-Arc of the book. The book was published on 7th September 2020.
Rating:⭐⭐⭐✨💫
In present day Tuscany we find 10 year old Davide Starnucci trying to figure out how to cope with the bullying he faces at school because of his mixed Italian/English heritage while trying to successfully complete a project work focusing on the now obsolete practice of 'transumanza', it's importance and the affect it had on the lives of their village ancestors. While researching, the Starnucci family uncover a secret kept hidden by their great grandfather Giuseppe and his wife Marisa.
What I really liked about the Tuscan Memory was its description of Tuscany....not the tourist version but the actual raw beauty of Tuscany with its mountain villages, coastlines, the village people, their lifestyle, and the economic hardships they lived through in the early days of the 20th century. Also, I had never heard or read about the transumanza and the author has done a wonderful job of describing this important piece of Italian history.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Angela Petch for the e-Arc of the book. The book was published on 7th September 2020.
Rating:⭐⭐⭐✨💫
September 1, 2020
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
A Tuscan Memory by Angela Petch is a beautiful and fascinating tale of family hardships from 1917 onwards in Tuscany, Italy and also present day life for the Starnucci family, it's the sequel to A Tuscan Secret.
Present Day - We revisit Anna & Francesco who now have four children including Alba who is now eighteen and who we met in the previous book. Anna is worried about her health and their son Davide is being teased at school for his family being part English. A school project uncovers some hidden family secrets.
In A Tuscan Memory we follow their family descendants and the practice of the ‘transumanza' (yearly migration of stock from the mountains to the lowlands) and the families separated for five whole months during this time! It would take ten days of walking to reach the coast, this practice went about until the 1950’s.
The characters in this novel are interesting and relatable and the history of the area is well researched by the author. This historical fiction tale captivated me, a wonderful story.
I wish to thank Netgalley & Bookouture for an advanced copy to read in return for an honest review.
A Tuscan Memory by Angela Petch is a beautiful and fascinating tale of family hardships from 1917 onwards in Tuscany, Italy and also present day life for the Starnucci family, it's the sequel to A Tuscan Secret.
Present Day - We revisit Anna & Francesco who now have four children including Alba who is now eighteen and who we met in the previous book. Anna is worried about her health and their son Davide is being teased at school for his family being part English. A school project uncovers some hidden family secrets.
In A Tuscan Memory we follow their family descendants and the practice of the ‘transumanza' (yearly migration of stock from the mountains to the lowlands) and the families separated for five whole months during this time! It would take ten days of walking to reach the coast, this practice went about until the 1950’s.
The characters in this novel are interesting and relatable and the history of the area is well researched by the author. This historical fiction tale captivated me, a wonderful story.
I wish to thank Netgalley & Bookouture for an advanced copy to read in return for an honest review.
August 12, 2020
A Tuscan Memory is a spectacular description of Tuscany, accurately portraying its rich culture, festivities, and people . The story is intertwined between the 1920's and Present day. The raw, often heart-wrenching feelings and hardships of Guiseppe, his family, and Marisa are recounted in memory. A different type of situation and circumstance, with a different family in Tuscany is written in the present story. But how are old Tuscan Memories linked to the present day Tuscan story?
Nostalgic and well written, however, I felt there was a true lack of cohesiveness at the book's conclusion.
3 STARs.
I wish to thank Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. These opinions are my own.
Nostalgic and well written, however, I felt there was a true lack of cohesiveness at the book's conclusion.
3 STARs.
I wish to thank Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. These opinions are my own.
September 10, 2020
So good to be back in Tuscany.
As I began reading this fabulous story, I felt that my feet were being eased into a comfortable pair of old slippers; Angela Petch has a canny way of drawing the reader in from the very first page.
This brilliantly written and researched multi timeline goes back to the early 20th century with recollections of the hard life the people of East Tuscany led, and their connection to people in the present. The characters were totally credible, with some being familiar to the reader from other stories.
There are a few secrets revealed, mouth watering descriptions of the food from the region, and Tuscany's wonderful vistas are described so vividly, that I could well imagine being there.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and can't recommend it highly enough.
As I began reading this fabulous story, I felt that my feet were being eased into a comfortable pair of old slippers; Angela Petch has a canny way of drawing the reader in from the very first page.
This brilliantly written and researched multi timeline goes back to the early 20th century with recollections of the hard life the people of East Tuscany led, and their connection to people in the present. The characters were totally credible, with some being familiar to the reader from other stories.
There are a few secrets revealed, mouth watering descriptions of the food from the region, and Tuscany's wonderful vistas are described so vividly, that I could well imagine being there.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and can't recommend it highly enough.
March 4, 2018
I must begin this review with a confession. I haven’t read Angela’s first book, Tuscan Roots: A tangle of love and war in the Italian Apennines. I came, therefore, to the sequel with no preconceptions or expectations. What I found was an engaging and gently compelling dual story of two different generations of the same Tuscan family. A delight to read, it was something I looked forward to picking up as soon as I got home from work, certainly not something I could say about every book I’ve reviewed!
The historical detail is excellent. It presents an important aspect of Italian history of which most of us are unware. The author’s enthusiasm for the story of the Transumanza, the seasonal migration of men, sheep and cows from the mountains to the coast, really comes across, particularly with the contemporary recipes included in the book, and I would encourage her to give some thought to embarking on a non-fiction work to give herself full rein in this area.
The theme of a journey runs throughout the book. Giuseppe’s journey is the strongest of these but more could have been made of his change of direction and how he truly felt about it. In the modern strand of the story, I identified three separate journeys: Anna, Alba and Davide. Those of Anna and Alba work quite nicely though I think Davide’s, being more emotional and involving a younger character, is a little too easily resolved.
Nevertheless, I believe this book deserves every one of the four stars I have awarded it. It was a genuine pleasure to read. The writing style is warm and accessible, the family scenes ring true and, as a one-time student of Italian, I loved the Italian songs and phrases scattered throughout the book and I found the reference to the plants used as medicines fascinating. The natural descriptions are beautifully evocative (Tuscany is back on my holiday list) and increasingly poignant as the once close-knit community changes, initially for economic reasons, and, with the politics of early twentieth century Italy casting an increasingly long shadow, not necessarily for the better. These are characters I grew to care about and will continue to think about for a long time to come.
The historical detail is excellent. It presents an important aspect of Italian history of which most of us are unware. The author’s enthusiasm for the story of the Transumanza, the seasonal migration of men, sheep and cows from the mountains to the coast, really comes across, particularly with the contemporary recipes included in the book, and I would encourage her to give some thought to embarking on a non-fiction work to give herself full rein in this area.
The theme of a journey runs throughout the book. Giuseppe’s journey is the strongest of these but more could have been made of his change of direction and how he truly felt about it. In the modern strand of the story, I identified three separate journeys: Anna, Alba and Davide. Those of Anna and Alba work quite nicely though I think Davide’s, being more emotional and involving a younger character, is a little too easily resolved.
Nevertheless, I believe this book deserves every one of the four stars I have awarded it. It was a genuine pleasure to read. The writing style is warm and accessible, the family scenes ring true and, as a one-time student of Italian, I loved the Italian songs and phrases scattered throughout the book and I found the reference to the plants used as medicines fascinating. The natural descriptions are beautifully evocative (Tuscany is back on my holiday list) and increasingly poignant as the once close-knit community changes, initially for economic reasons, and, with the politics of early twentieth century Italy casting an increasingly long shadow, not necessarily for the better. These are characters I grew to care about and will continue to think about for a long time to come.
May 29, 2017
If you embark on this journey of discovery then be sure to prepare some delicious crostini, in advance, as you will not be able to put the book down….
This is a story of love wrapped up in an insight into rural history and customs of Tuscany. Meet ancient craftsmen and farmers, of Montebotolino, and marvel at the tenacity of their families; see how they survived difficult times.
The history of Giuseppe, a farrier and a cobbler, is completely absorbing. Giuseppe was born at the beginning of last century. His naivety leads him down some challenging paths, but this shapes the man, and ‘suffering begins the journey to wisdom.’ I found myself wanting to shout at Giuseppe and send him in the direction of love; the loves story is beautiful.
For me, the novel unlocked secrets of the enchanting holiday destination. I have often wondered who had once walked along the ancient tracks, and who once lived in the ancient dwellings that nestle in the mountains. As the title suggests, the reader delves into rural Tuscany as it is now and as it was back then at the beginning of last century. The reader has the privilege of meeting characters from the different generations and has more knowledge than the characters: it is satisfying to fit the jigsaw together. Indeed, there is a cleverly crafted narrative, in which there are emotional parallels in the lives of the characters from the past and the present.
Giuseppe’s grandson, Francesco, and his English wife, Anna have turned the ancient houses into holiday lets. Their son, Davide, encounters some of the emotional challenges of childhood that Giuseppe, his great-grandfather, had to face. Alba, Giuseppe’s great-granddaughter, faces choices about education very different to her great-grandparents. Whilst Giuseppe’s grandson Francesco and his wife face different daily routines; this reminds us of how life has changed. However, the tenderness between the couples from both generations is crafted skilfully, and there is an exploration of love.
Life, in Montebotolino, was hard at the beginning of the last century. Yet, the people had to make the most of nature’s larder, and the peasant food is so tempting. It seems that the working people, from the past, shaped the menus in contemporary Italy, sadly many of their homes have been left empty as their lifestyle was too difficult. The charm, and majestic beauty of the Tuscan landscape is still there to seduce the modern traveller. Fortunately, we can still see:
‘Cypress tree lined twisting white ribbon roads up hills towards impressive stone buildings…trees like stakes holding down the land.’
This story takes the reader beneath the surface of the magical holiday destination, associated with a paradise for the eye and the belly.
This is a story of love wrapped up in an insight into rural history and customs of Tuscany. Meet ancient craftsmen and farmers, of Montebotolino, and marvel at the tenacity of their families; see how they survived difficult times.
The history of Giuseppe, a farrier and a cobbler, is completely absorbing. Giuseppe was born at the beginning of last century. His naivety leads him down some challenging paths, but this shapes the man, and ‘suffering begins the journey to wisdom.’ I found myself wanting to shout at Giuseppe and send him in the direction of love; the loves story is beautiful.
For me, the novel unlocked secrets of the enchanting holiday destination. I have often wondered who had once walked along the ancient tracks, and who once lived in the ancient dwellings that nestle in the mountains. As the title suggests, the reader delves into rural Tuscany as it is now and as it was back then at the beginning of last century. The reader has the privilege of meeting characters from the different generations and has more knowledge than the characters: it is satisfying to fit the jigsaw together. Indeed, there is a cleverly crafted narrative, in which there are emotional parallels in the lives of the characters from the past and the present.
Giuseppe’s grandson, Francesco, and his English wife, Anna have turned the ancient houses into holiday lets. Their son, Davide, encounters some of the emotional challenges of childhood that Giuseppe, his great-grandfather, had to face. Alba, Giuseppe’s great-granddaughter, faces choices about education very different to her great-grandparents. Whilst Giuseppe’s grandson Francesco and his wife face different daily routines; this reminds us of how life has changed. However, the tenderness between the couples from both generations is crafted skilfully, and there is an exploration of love.
Life, in Montebotolino, was hard at the beginning of the last century. Yet, the people had to make the most of nature’s larder, and the peasant food is so tempting. It seems that the working people, from the past, shaped the menus in contemporary Italy, sadly many of their homes have been left empty as their lifestyle was too difficult. The charm, and majestic beauty of the Tuscan landscape is still there to seduce the modern traveller. Fortunately, we can still see:
‘Cypress tree lined twisting white ribbon roads up hills towards impressive stone buildings…trees like stakes holding down the land.’
This story takes the reader beneath the surface of the magical holiday destination, associated with a paradise for the eye and the belly.
August 12, 2020
First and foremost, allow me to explain my 4 star rating. I gave it that because I felt it ended abruptly and I had to thumb through the last few pages to make sure I didn’t skip something. Aside from that...this is an excellent story.
Angela Petch has created a wonderful group of characters with her “Tuscan” stories. And more importantly she paints a beautiful portrait of Tuscany of both today and yesterday. Her storylines are rich with history and characters that are easy to relate to. In A Tuscan Memory, we learn the past story of Guiseppe and Marisa...their son Dario is the father of Francesco, who we follow along in the the present.
As a child, Guiseppe dreams of becoming a teacher. His parents sacrifice a lot to send him away to seminary school but an incident occurs that causes him to leave his dream behind and become a shepherd of sorts and migrate from the mountains to the coast each winter season. Throughout his life, he has a tried and true friend, Marisa. When a young Guiseppe one day returns from his yearly pilgrimage with a newborn baby, Marisa immediately steps up to the plate and fabricated a story to explain the newborn though, internally this is the life she had always dreamed of.
In present day, we follow the Starnucci family as they navigate pre-teen years with their children, a potential health scare, and enjoy learning of life in the a 1920’s Tuscany.
I think it’s important to read all of the authors “Tuscan” stories as they are all intertwined and you get a Tuscan history lesson...which in itself it’s beautiful to read about! If you’re looking for a great weekend read, this is your book! I highly recommend!
Angela Petch has created a wonderful group of characters with her “Tuscan” stories. And more importantly she paints a beautiful portrait of Tuscany of both today and yesterday. Her storylines are rich with history and characters that are easy to relate to. In A Tuscan Memory, we learn the past story of Guiseppe and Marisa...their son Dario is the father of Francesco, who we follow along in the the present.
As a child, Guiseppe dreams of becoming a teacher. His parents sacrifice a lot to send him away to seminary school but an incident occurs that causes him to leave his dream behind and become a shepherd of sorts and migrate from the mountains to the coast each winter season. Throughout his life, he has a tried and true friend, Marisa. When a young Guiseppe one day returns from his yearly pilgrimage with a newborn baby, Marisa immediately steps up to the plate and fabricated a story to explain the newborn though, internally this is the life she had always dreamed of.
In present day, we follow the Starnucci family as they navigate pre-teen years with their children, a potential health scare, and enjoy learning of life in the a 1920’s Tuscany.
I think it’s important to read all of the authors “Tuscan” stories as they are all intertwined and you get a Tuscan history lesson...which in itself it’s beautiful to read about! If you’re looking for a great weekend read, this is your book! I highly recommend!
August 30, 2020
A Tuscan Memory is the third book that I have read by Angela Petch set in an area of Italy that the author really brings to life. She has a wonderful way of creating such vivid imagery of a place that I have never been to before but yet I feel the story comes alive because of such careful and in-depth research and also because the author has a real and genuine interest for her subject matter. The Tuscan countryside obviously means a lot to the author and through reading these books I have come to appreciate both the setting and its history. All three books are interconnected as several characters reappear in each book but each is still easily read as a stand alone story. A Tuscan Memory was an enjoyable and relaxing read that followed the lives of families many years apart which showed how generations stayed the same but also how they were changed through world and local events.
In the present day Francessco and Anna are raising their three children, twins, Rosanna and Emilia, their young son Davide and Francessco’s daughter Alba who is now on the cusp of adulthood with some major decisions to make. Anna had featured in the first book, The Tuscan Secret, so I was familiar with her and Francessco’s back story and I was delighted that they would feature again so prominently as I had always felt there was more to their story that needed to be told. Anna is struggling with life and trying to keep up to date with all the goings on of her children on a daily basis. Combined with this she also feels her closeness with her husband is slowly dissipating but it is she who is turning him away when he tries to make contact. What is causing her to be like this? Why is she so tired all the time with no energy to muster to do the normal everyday things?
Right from the start Anna had me worried and at some points I felt like I almost didn’t want to read on for fear of what would unfold. I did anticipate that this storyline with Anna and her family would continue on for longer but it was almost over before it began and the result was explained away in a mere sentence and considering how much build up to it that there had been I was expecting a more in-depth resolution and to see how this would have affected all the characters involved. Overall I found this happened a lot with the book that things were mentioned and I think most readers would have liked some development but subjects, events or feelings seemed to be broached and then not covered or dealt with in enough detail. There was just a bit too much of glossing over of things for me.
I really felt for Anna’s son Davide. He was struggling with school and his fellow classmates and all because of his English heritage and I thought Anna was so caught up in what was going on in her own life that she neglected her son. But it’s when Davide decides to run away, admittedly not very far, that he finds a hut and meets Giselda, the last of the Chiozzi family who were once the richest landowners in the area. Giselda was a bit eccentric but there was something really likeable about her character. She gave Davide the solace and support he needed and her wise words did a lot to make him feel better about himself. She made Davide realise that how we face up to difficulties is what makes us into the people we are.
When reading the blub for this book, I expected to really enjoy Anna’s side of the story as I had loved her story in the first book, so it was a total surprise to find that it was in fact the story told in the past that really caught my attention throughout. We first meet Giuseppe in 1917 as he prepares to steal away from his house in the middle of the night. For what we do not know but I knew for sure that I wanted to find out more. We go back two years earlier to 1915 and become accustomed to the life that Giuseppe and his family lead in the Apennine mountains. Theirs is a small community but the bonds are strong as life is tough especially during the winter months. What is gathered during the Summer must last them through the Winter months as the men from the village leave for the transumanza. I found the concept of the transumanza to be fascinating and it helped me understand how Giuseppe felt he really needed to be part of this as it offered him a form of escape when he needed it the most. The men from the village would take the sheep from the mountains to the coastal area during the winter months where there was better grazing and where money could be made. It was a tough life but it formed part of their heritage and without this concept Giuseppe’s story would have been very different.
When we first met Giuseppe, I thought he was young, naïve and an innocent who relied heavily on his family and would have done anything to please them. They struggled to get by but did the best they could with what they had. When the local padre secures a place for Giuseppe in the seminary the family are pleased and will scrap the money together to send him. For Giuseppe this a life changing experience in more ways than one and I didn’t think he was really cut out for it. He would much rather become a teacher but whilst at the seminary he does his best to please the monks and his family. What befalls him at this pivotal time affects him deeply for the rest of his life and in turn his life path is altered and he flees the seminary to his home town and soon becomes part of the transumanza. I thought Giuseppe was brave to do what he did as his family had made such efforts to enable him to attend the seminary yet what happened to him could not continue. As the story progresses and the years pass by I kept wondering what was the connection between Guiseppe and the modern day story and in the end I was delighted that I hadn’t guessed at it.
Instead I thought the book became much better than it had been as I become totally caught up and invested in Guiseppe’s life. The author showed how a single moment or an event can change someone’s entire life forever and their destiny could be further shaped and altered. Guiseppe had faced many challenges in his life but still his greatest were ahead of him. Another character that made an appearance every now and again was Marisa. She was almost like an enigma and due to a condition she had was seemingly left on the shelf and in some ways was an outcast in the village. I desperately wanted to know more about her and again questioned how she fitted into the bigger picture. Again as with Guiseppe, I felt there was to be plenty of twists and turns to her story and I couldn’t wait to see how she slotted into the overall plot.
A Tuscan Memory is a lovely book and it is well researched, but for me it was just too slow to start with and the plot strayed at times and it became slightly disjointed. As I have said the second half is much better than the first and I felt it redeemed itself somewhat and made up for the slow beginning and therefore my opinions of the characters and the story as a whole altered. I will be interested to see in what direction Angela Petch will journey to next in relation to where her next book will be set and in what time period but in the meantime if you want a quick, easy historical fiction read then A Tuscan Memory will provide you with just that.
In the present day Francessco and Anna are raising their three children, twins, Rosanna and Emilia, their young son Davide and Francessco’s daughter Alba who is now on the cusp of adulthood with some major decisions to make. Anna had featured in the first book, The Tuscan Secret, so I was familiar with her and Francessco’s back story and I was delighted that they would feature again so prominently as I had always felt there was more to their story that needed to be told. Anna is struggling with life and trying to keep up to date with all the goings on of her children on a daily basis. Combined with this she also feels her closeness with her husband is slowly dissipating but it is she who is turning him away when he tries to make contact. What is causing her to be like this? Why is she so tired all the time with no energy to muster to do the normal everyday things?
Right from the start Anna had me worried and at some points I felt like I almost didn’t want to read on for fear of what would unfold. I did anticipate that this storyline with Anna and her family would continue on for longer but it was almost over before it began and the result was explained away in a mere sentence and considering how much build up to it that there had been I was expecting a more in-depth resolution and to see how this would have affected all the characters involved. Overall I found this happened a lot with the book that things were mentioned and I think most readers would have liked some development but subjects, events or feelings seemed to be broached and then not covered or dealt with in enough detail. There was just a bit too much of glossing over of things for me.
I really felt for Anna’s son Davide. He was struggling with school and his fellow classmates and all because of his English heritage and I thought Anna was so caught up in what was going on in her own life that she neglected her son. But it’s when Davide decides to run away, admittedly not very far, that he finds a hut and meets Giselda, the last of the Chiozzi family who were once the richest landowners in the area. Giselda was a bit eccentric but there was something really likeable about her character. She gave Davide the solace and support he needed and her wise words did a lot to make him feel better about himself. She made Davide realise that how we face up to difficulties is what makes us into the people we are.
When reading the blub for this book, I expected to really enjoy Anna’s side of the story as I had loved her story in the first book, so it was a total surprise to find that it was in fact the story told in the past that really caught my attention throughout. We first meet Giuseppe in 1917 as he prepares to steal away from his house in the middle of the night. For what we do not know but I knew for sure that I wanted to find out more. We go back two years earlier to 1915 and become accustomed to the life that Giuseppe and his family lead in the Apennine mountains. Theirs is a small community but the bonds are strong as life is tough especially during the winter months. What is gathered during the Summer must last them through the Winter months as the men from the village leave for the transumanza. I found the concept of the transumanza to be fascinating and it helped me understand how Giuseppe felt he really needed to be part of this as it offered him a form of escape when he needed it the most. The men from the village would take the sheep from the mountains to the coastal area during the winter months where there was better grazing and where money could be made. It was a tough life but it formed part of their heritage and without this concept Giuseppe’s story would have been very different.
When we first met Giuseppe, I thought he was young, naïve and an innocent who relied heavily on his family and would have done anything to please them. They struggled to get by but did the best they could with what they had. When the local padre secures a place for Giuseppe in the seminary the family are pleased and will scrap the money together to send him. For Giuseppe this a life changing experience in more ways than one and I didn’t think he was really cut out for it. He would much rather become a teacher but whilst at the seminary he does his best to please the monks and his family. What befalls him at this pivotal time affects him deeply for the rest of his life and in turn his life path is altered and he flees the seminary to his home town and soon becomes part of the transumanza. I thought Giuseppe was brave to do what he did as his family had made such efforts to enable him to attend the seminary yet what happened to him could not continue. As the story progresses and the years pass by I kept wondering what was the connection between Guiseppe and the modern day story and in the end I was delighted that I hadn’t guessed at it.
Instead I thought the book became much better than it had been as I become totally caught up and invested in Guiseppe’s life. The author showed how a single moment or an event can change someone’s entire life forever and their destiny could be further shaped and altered. Guiseppe had faced many challenges in his life but still his greatest were ahead of him. Another character that made an appearance every now and again was Marisa. She was almost like an enigma and due to a condition she had was seemingly left on the shelf and in some ways was an outcast in the village. I desperately wanted to know more about her and again questioned how she fitted into the bigger picture. Again as with Guiseppe, I felt there was to be plenty of twists and turns to her story and I couldn’t wait to see how she slotted into the overall plot.
A Tuscan Memory is a lovely book and it is well researched, but for me it was just too slow to start with and the plot strayed at times and it became slightly disjointed. As I have said the second half is much better than the first and I felt it redeemed itself somewhat and made up for the slow beginning and therefore my opinions of the characters and the story as a whole altered. I will be interested to see in what direction Angela Petch will journey to next in relation to where her next book will be set and in what time period but in the meantime if you want a quick, easy historical fiction read then A Tuscan Memory will provide you with just that.
October 15, 2020
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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My review for A Tuscan Memory is up on my blog: here so go check it out!
Here's a little preview of what the review looks like:
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A Tuscan Memory is a read that talks about family and how we are brought into Giuseppe Starnucci's life and how truly moving his story was as he grew up and how in the future, his great grandson would seek out his story.
This book was absolutely moving and you can tell how much a turn Giuseppe's...
May 11, 2017
I really like this book (it shows in the length of the review – sorry!)
This funny, fascinating and moving novel mixes a lively enjoyment of things as they are now with a sensitive appreciation of the sadness of vanished communities and how the Tuscan landscape itself is changing – untended meadows turning back to woodland, vandalised churches and crumbling buildings. I found it “historical” in the best sense, i.e. not using the past simply as an excuse for a contemporary journey of self-discovery but bringing it to life as valid in its own right. It reminds me in many ways (though it’s much less relentlessly tragic!) of “The Tree of Wooden Clogs”, the prize-winning film by Ermanno Olmi – it has the same intensely imagined and exquisitely detailed recreation of a lost way of life. The photographs are part of this too - at first sight they’re just grainy little black and white images, but each one explains and is explained by the text, so that the more you read the more alive they seem, like Facebook pages from a hundred years ago.
The book introduces us to a modern (well, 2010) family who live in a remote mountainous area of Tuscany. Their realistic, funny everyday life is mostly a happy chaos of squabbles and affection, with shifts of viewpoint exploring their characters and the private tensions between Anna (English), her Italian husband Francesco, 18 year old stepdaughter Alba, 10 year old son Davide and 8 year old twins Emilia and Rosanna.
Davide is grumbling about his hated school project - the class has been told to “research about relatives who moved away from here. What they did, why, where they went – all that kind of boring stuff”. Reluctantly he begins to ask about his great-grandfather Giuseppe, a local man who died more than 40 years ago, and about a way of life which, though ordinary enough at the time, was unimaginably hard and different from today. His family get involved too - one of the funniest chapters later on is Davide’s diary of a reality-TV-style experiment when they spend a week trying to live authentically under the same conditions…
And then Giuseppe speaks, remembering how, aged 11, he first went away to school and then, after a traumatic experience there, ran away to join the transumanza, the great annual 5-month migration of the shepherds from the mountains to the sea. We hear too the memories of his clever lame friend Marisa, ten years older, who - like all the women - has to survive in the village through the long freezing winter. It feels an honour to share the hardship and laughter, courage, pain and everyday pleasures of the whole community. Without ever making it feel like a history lesson, everything is described in extraordinary and convincing detail, so that the period soon seems like home - landscape, animals (donkeys are “the little horses of St Francis”), sleeping, eating, furniture, clothes, superstitions (banging pots and pans and ringing church bells in a thunderstorm to avert the storm devils), death, childbirth, baby care, time (everything they need to do takes ages…)
The thoughts and feelings of adolescence are as warmly and vividly depicted in the past as in the present (being unhappy at school, being attracted by someone who is clearly the wrong person) – there are echoes and parallels but they aren’t forced. Even the minor characters are memorable - Nello the cheerful smelly apprentice cheese maker, Fausto whose bullying hides a terrible secret, eccentric Giselda with her pipe and cats and profane parrot, crass would-be-cool Danny who claims the wolf howls are probably just a “nature weirdo” with a tape recorder.
As time passes – months for Anna and Francesco’s family, a lifetime for Giuseppe and Marisa – we get to know them better and better and most of their worries and mysteries are resolved - but not all. Who is the young woman who brings flowers to the cemetery? Could the woman in the grave be Francesco’s real grandmother? The characters never know (though the reader does), but they accept they can never find out, and are happy to enjoy the present and plan for the future. As Francesco muses, “How could it be possible to know everything about the past? How many stories had been forgotten over the years? How many secrets or skeletons in the cupboard were lost in time because people were ashamed or felt their past was unimportant? … There was no point in dwelling on might and maybe… we are what we make of ourselves”.
Following the characters’ lives is such a satisfying experience – you want to re-read the book because they feel like friends.
This funny, fascinating and moving novel mixes a lively enjoyment of things as they are now with a sensitive appreciation of the sadness of vanished communities and how the Tuscan landscape itself is changing – untended meadows turning back to woodland, vandalised churches and crumbling buildings. I found it “historical” in the best sense, i.e. not using the past simply as an excuse for a contemporary journey of self-discovery but bringing it to life as valid in its own right. It reminds me in many ways (though it’s much less relentlessly tragic!) of “The Tree of Wooden Clogs”, the prize-winning film by Ermanno Olmi – it has the same intensely imagined and exquisitely detailed recreation of a lost way of life. The photographs are part of this too - at first sight they’re just grainy little black and white images, but each one explains and is explained by the text, so that the more you read the more alive they seem, like Facebook pages from a hundred years ago.
The book introduces us to a modern (well, 2010) family who live in a remote mountainous area of Tuscany. Their realistic, funny everyday life is mostly a happy chaos of squabbles and affection, with shifts of viewpoint exploring their characters and the private tensions between Anna (English), her Italian husband Francesco, 18 year old stepdaughter Alba, 10 year old son Davide and 8 year old twins Emilia and Rosanna.
Davide is grumbling about his hated school project - the class has been told to “research about relatives who moved away from here. What they did, why, where they went – all that kind of boring stuff”. Reluctantly he begins to ask about his great-grandfather Giuseppe, a local man who died more than 40 years ago, and about a way of life which, though ordinary enough at the time, was unimaginably hard and different from today. His family get involved too - one of the funniest chapters later on is Davide’s diary of a reality-TV-style experiment when they spend a week trying to live authentically under the same conditions…
And then Giuseppe speaks, remembering how, aged 11, he first went away to school and then, after a traumatic experience there, ran away to join the transumanza, the great annual 5-month migration of the shepherds from the mountains to the sea. We hear too the memories of his clever lame friend Marisa, ten years older, who - like all the women - has to survive in the village through the long freezing winter. It feels an honour to share the hardship and laughter, courage, pain and everyday pleasures of the whole community. Without ever making it feel like a history lesson, everything is described in extraordinary and convincing detail, so that the period soon seems like home - landscape, animals (donkeys are “the little horses of St Francis”), sleeping, eating, furniture, clothes, superstitions (banging pots and pans and ringing church bells in a thunderstorm to avert the storm devils), death, childbirth, baby care, time (everything they need to do takes ages…)
The thoughts and feelings of adolescence are as warmly and vividly depicted in the past as in the present (being unhappy at school, being attracted by someone who is clearly the wrong person) – there are echoes and parallels but they aren’t forced. Even the minor characters are memorable - Nello the cheerful smelly apprentice cheese maker, Fausto whose bullying hides a terrible secret, eccentric Giselda with her pipe and cats and profane parrot, crass would-be-cool Danny who claims the wolf howls are probably just a “nature weirdo” with a tape recorder.
As time passes – months for Anna and Francesco’s family, a lifetime for Giuseppe and Marisa – we get to know them better and better and most of their worries and mysteries are resolved - but not all. Who is the young woman who brings flowers to the cemetery? Could the woman in the grave be Francesco’s real grandmother? The characters never know (though the reader does), but they accept they can never find out, and are happy to enjoy the present and plan for the future. As Francesco muses, “How could it be possible to know everything about the past? How many stories had been forgotten over the years? How many secrets or skeletons in the cupboard were lost in time because people were ashamed or felt their past was unimportant? … There was no point in dwelling on might and maybe… we are what we make of ourselves”.
Following the characters’ lives is such a satisfying experience – you want to re-read the book because they feel like friends.
August 30, 2020
I was excited to read this because I LOVED the previous books about the Starnucci family. Unfortunately, this book was not one of my favorites. It was OK and would give it 2.5 stars. I just couldn't get into the story, especially the past about Guiseppe. I usually love the characters in the Tuscany books, but Guiseppe and Marissa's story fell flat for me. I would have rather read about the present time with Anna, Francisco and their children. Although their part of the story felt like it was missing something. I loved the description of Tuscany, it sounds like a beautiful place to visit. I also loved reading about how the people lived and all their superstitions. I never knew anything about the Transumanzaand found it very interesting.
I recommend the book, especially if you read the previous books about Tuscany and the Starnuccis. I look forward to reading more books by the author. I loved the cover of the book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I recommend the book, especially if you read the previous books about Tuscany and the Starnuccis. I look forward to reading more books by the author. I loved the cover of the book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
October 22, 2024
Rubbish.
The cover quotes ‘A lost child. A lonely woman. A life changing family secret.’
Sounds good right?!….
Lost child? - the kid ran away for ONE day then went home.
Lonely woman?- Giselda was a character in 3% of the story.
Family secret? - big shit his nonno had a different mum. The two stories don’t even reveal this until the 2nd last chapter. Then the grandson doesn’t even care to find the truth.
The story did not flow or tie into each other with the past and present.
Glad to have finished so I can start a new book a lot more entertaining.
The cover quotes ‘A lost child. A lonely woman. A life changing family secret.’
Sounds good right?!….
Lost child? - the kid ran away for ONE day then went home.
Lonely woman?- Giselda was a character in 3% of the story.
Family secret? - big shit his nonno had a different mum. The two stories don’t even reveal this until the 2nd last chapter. Then the grandson doesn’t even care to find the truth.
The story did not flow or tie into each other with the past and present.
Glad to have finished so I can start a new book a lot more entertaining.
February 4, 2018
Well written. Good story. Lovely descriptions and historical information.
September 10, 2020
Present day.
We return again to the picturesque countryside of Tuscany and are delightfully drawn into the busy lives of happily married Anna and Francesco Starnucci.
Life with four demanding children leaves the couple with little time for each other. Fatigued and lethargic, Anna is worried that something is seriously wrong with her health. Always putting the needs of her children and husband first, Anna finally decides it’s time for some self-care if she’s going to be around for her family.
Francesco works with their son Davide on his school project, having no idea of the impending impact the researching of that school assignment will have on his family. Learning about the difficulties and hardships of life in the early 1900’s opens the door to Davide’s curiosity, and he longs to know more about his bis-nonno, Giuseppe.
Plagued by school bullies and feeling deserted, Davide decides to run away. Spending the night in what he thinks is an abandoned hut, he is startled awake the next morning by the elderly Giselda Chiozzi. Davide is enchanted by Giselda and finds her wizened and quiet way, easy to talk to. The two quickly become kindred spirits and she promises to help him learn about the history of his descendants.
1917. Francesco’s grandfather, Giuseppe, is sent away to study – a rarely bestowed honour in a small village. Learning comes easy to him and he decides to be a teacher. However, a traumatizing encounter causes Giuseppe to give up his education and return home, but he finds no solace there. Running away from his family to seek a life of adventure, he joins in the tradition of generations of farmers, embarking on their yearly treks from high in the campagne to deliver livestock to the lowlands. This famous ‘transumanza’, was gruelling work. Up before dawn, with little rest, the men and boys traveled on foot and were away from their families for months at a time. Giuseppe goes from boy to man, and to his grave with a deep secret.
Travelling seamlessly between the Starnucci family’s past and present, Angela Petch delivers another astounding story. From the genuinely engaging characters, the brilliant research and true-life material, to the superlative portrayal of life in early 1900s Italy, and the detailed depiction of the gorgeous Tuscan countryside, A Tuscan Memory is more than an incredible read. It is a reader’s escape. It is ancestral time-travel. It is a virtual-reading experience of the senses.
Long after the print image of the words have faded, A Tuscan Memory will lodge itself in the reader’s memory for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the read of Angela Petch’s, A Tuscan Memory.
Opinions expressed are my own.
We return again to the picturesque countryside of Tuscany and are delightfully drawn into the busy lives of happily married Anna and Francesco Starnucci.
Life with four demanding children leaves the couple with little time for each other. Fatigued and lethargic, Anna is worried that something is seriously wrong with her health. Always putting the needs of her children and husband first, Anna finally decides it’s time for some self-care if she’s going to be around for her family.
Francesco works with their son Davide on his school project, having no idea of the impending impact the researching of that school assignment will have on his family. Learning about the difficulties and hardships of life in the early 1900’s opens the door to Davide’s curiosity, and he longs to know more about his bis-nonno, Giuseppe.
Plagued by school bullies and feeling deserted, Davide decides to run away. Spending the night in what he thinks is an abandoned hut, he is startled awake the next morning by the elderly Giselda Chiozzi. Davide is enchanted by Giselda and finds her wizened and quiet way, easy to talk to. The two quickly become kindred spirits and she promises to help him learn about the history of his descendants.
1917. Francesco’s grandfather, Giuseppe, is sent away to study – a rarely bestowed honour in a small village. Learning comes easy to him and he decides to be a teacher. However, a traumatizing encounter causes Giuseppe to give up his education and return home, but he finds no solace there. Running away from his family to seek a life of adventure, he joins in the tradition of generations of farmers, embarking on their yearly treks from high in the campagne to deliver livestock to the lowlands. This famous ‘transumanza’, was gruelling work. Up before dawn, with little rest, the men and boys traveled on foot and were away from their families for months at a time. Giuseppe goes from boy to man, and to his grave with a deep secret.
Travelling seamlessly between the Starnucci family’s past and present, Angela Petch delivers another astounding story. From the genuinely engaging characters, the brilliant research and true-life material, to the superlative portrayal of life in early 1900s Italy, and the detailed depiction of the gorgeous Tuscan countryside, A Tuscan Memory is more than an incredible read. It is a reader’s escape. It is ancestral time-travel. It is a virtual-reading experience of the senses.
Long after the print image of the words have faded, A Tuscan Memory will lodge itself in the reader’s memory for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the read of Angela Petch’s, A Tuscan Memory.
Opinions expressed are my own.
April 29, 2022
A Tuscan Memory is by Angela Petch. This is a sequel to The Tuscan Secret so we find out what happened to some of the characters of both. The book is unbelievably hard to put down for any reason- even a tornado warning!
In The Tuscan Secret, Anna married Francisco and created a family. Alba, Francisco’s daughter, found he was totally accepted as Anna’s daughter and flourished under her guidance. She was as much Anna’s as her own three little ones were. There was quite a difference in ages; but Anna made sure the children wee all close. Instead of going to university, Anna suggested Alba study and see where her art took her. She worked for friends of Anna’s in London and fell in love with a young man. Their engagement uncovered their differences and he decided to break it off or so Alba thinks. She made him mad and he walked off to get some perspective on his anger and in the process was hit while on his Vespa and died. Alba feels guilty for his death and goes home to Italy to grieve. She is at loose ends and wanders the village and woods and mountains near Rafelle as she tries to find answers.
She is sketching some ruins in the mountains and thinks she sees a figure in the to windows. Later, she follows another young man into the woods wanting to see where he goes. Suddenly, he disappears over a cliff. There is actually a very narrow path down the cliff that leads to a cave where she finds a box of silver items. Where did they come from, who was the young man she followed, where did he go and what does it all mean. Alba believes she will find her answers when she finds out where the silver came from.
In her search, she finds the story of Lucia and Massimo. Massimo lived in the house in the mountains that he inherited from his family. Now, since he can’t safely stay in an empty town by himself, he is in an old folk’s home. With Alba’s help, he is able to stay in his home and relive his past as he tells his story, which is also Alba’s. However, can he or should he tell Lucia’s secret?
In The Tuscan Secret, Anna married Francisco and created a family. Alba, Francisco’s daughter, found he was totally accepted as Anna’s daughter and flourished under her guidance. She was as much Anna’s as her own three little ones were. There was quite a difference in ages; but Anna made sure the children wee all close. Instead of going to university, Anna suggested Alba study and see where her art took her. She worked for friends of Anna’s in London and fell in love with a young man. Their engagement uncovered their differences and he decided to break it off or so Alba thinks. She made him mad and he walked off to get some perspective on his anger and in the process was hit while on his Vespa and died. Alba feels guilty for his death and goes home to Italy to grieve. She is at loose ends and wanders the village and woods and mountains near Rafelle as she tries to find answers.
She is sketching some ruins in the mountains and thinks she sees a figure in the to windows. Later, she follows another young man into the woods wanting to see where he goes. Suddenly, he disappears over a cliff. There is actually a very narrow path down the cliff that leads to a cave where she finds a box of silver items. Where did they come from, who was the young man she followed, where did he go and what does it all mean. Alba believes she will find her answers when she finds out where the silver came from.
In her search, she finds the story of Lucia and Massimo. Massimo lived in the house in the mountains that he inherited from his family. Now, since he can’t safely stay in an empty town by himself, he is in an old folk’s home. With Alba’s help, he is able to stay in his home and relive his past as he tells his story, which is also Alba’s. However, can he or should he tell Lucia’s secret?
September 2, 2020
A Tuscan Memory was two love stories set in Tuscany - the earliest was Giuseppe and Marissa and the second was the love story of Giuseppe's grandson Francesco and his wife Anna.
In the early 1900s, Giuseppe, a smart young boy, was sent to the seminary school where he thrived and aspired to become a teacher. A sinister encounter with a seminary priest abruptly ended his education and Giuseppe refused to return to the seminary, knowing full well that his life would be much harder from this point on. In 1917, he left his family's home to join the shepherds who traveled yearly by foot to the coast from September to May - called the transumanza.. This became a yearly event for him and was a life of hardship and loneliness. During one of his trips, he meets a woman and although warned by his fellow shepherds of her wantoness, he continues seeing her. She gets pregnant and a little boy named Dario is born. Giuseppe can't give him up so he leaves the shepherds and heads home to the mountains and his friend Marisa. Marisa, although ten years older than Giuseppe, has always loved him. She tells him they will marry and she will help him raise Dario.
In the present day, Giuseppe's grandson Francesco and his wife Anna and their children still live in the mountains of Tuscany. Their son Davide has an interest in his Nonno (Giuseppe) and so the family decides to learn more about him and the transumanza.
The best part of this book was the telling of Giuseppe and Marisa's stories. Where the book fell apart a bit for me was connecting to the present day lives of Francesco and Anna and Davide. For me this part of the book and the characters were not as well developed as those in Giuseppe and Marisa's timeframe.
I learned a lot about life in the 1900s in Tuscany and this book was an enjoyable read for me. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book. I am definitely going to read the other books by this author!
In the early 1900s, Giuseppe, a smart young boy, was sent to the seminary school where he thrived and aspired to become a teacher. A sinister encounter with a seminary priest abruptly ended his education and Giuseppe refused to return to the seminary, knowing full well that his life would be much harder from this point on. In 1917, he left his family's home to join the shepherds who traveled yearly by foot to the coast from September to May - called the transumanza.. This became a yearly event for him and was a life of hardship and loneliness. During one of his trips, he meets a woman and although warned by his fellow shepherds of her wantoness, he continues seeing her. She gets pregnant and a little boy named Dario is born. Giuseppe can't give him up so he leaves the shepherds and heads home to the mountains and his friend Marisa. Marisa, although ten years older than Giuseppe, has always loved him. She tells him they will marry and she will help him raise Dario.
In the present day, Giuseppe's grandson Francesco and his wife Anna and their children still live in the mountains of Tuscany. Their son Davide has an interest in his Nonno (Giuseppe) and so the family decides to learn more about him and the transumanza.
The best part of this book was the telling of Giuseppe and Marisa's stories. Where the book fell apart a bit for me was connecting to the present day lives of Francesco and Anna and Davide. For me this part of the book and the characters were not as well developed as those in Giuseppe and Marisa's timeframe.
I learned a lot about life in the 1900s in Tuscany and this book was an enjoyable read for me. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book. I am definitely going to read the other books by this author!
Read
March 20, 2021I feel like I’ve just been transported back to Tuscany after reading Angela Petch’s second book in her Tuscan series, A Tuscan Memory. This dual timeline set in the Tuscan countryside features the Starnucci family and their rural village life in 1917 and present day.
Petch continues to astound me with her vivid descriptions and her multi-dimensional characters. Both stories deal with bullying and its rippling effect. In one case, it drives a young boy from his dream of being a teacher to the Tuscan hills to take part in the transumanza. Aching to be loved, he makes a poor decision and is thankful for his friend who comes to his rescue. In the second case, a young boy is bullied at school and it causes him to focus his attention on his sense of belonging and his family history. He, too, runs away and a new friend comes to his rescue. Petch’s cast of characters are endearing and engaging. Her writing is descriptive and vivid.
It's a reminder of how being the recipient of a few careless words or thoughtless action can catapult someone into a completely different life. Knowing this, perhaps we can make an effort to be kind. This has been a tough year worldwide, we’re all struggling and rely on the kindness and thoughtfulness of others. Petch’s story also reminds us of the importance of being a good friend to someone in need. Going forward, let's share a smile with others and work on being a true friend.
I loved the continuance of Anna and Francesco’s story and I’m looking forward to book 3 about forbidden love during WW2.
Petch continues to astound me with her vivid descriptions and her multi-dimensional characters. Both stories deal with bullying and its rippling effect. In one case, it drives a young boy from his dream of being a teacher to the Tuscan hills to take part in the transumanza. Aching to be loved, he makes a poor decision and is thankful for his friend who comes to his rescue. In the second case, a young boy is bullied at school and it causes him to focus his attention on his sense of belonging and his family history. He, too, runs away and a new friend comes to his rescue. Petch’s cast of characters are endearing and engaging. Her writing is descriptive and vivid.
It's a reminder of how being the recipient of a few careless words or thoughtless action can catapult someone into a completely different life. Knowing this, perhaps we can make an effort to be kind. This has been a tough year worldwide, we’re all struggling and rely on the kindness and thoughtfulness of others. Petch’s story also reminds us of the importance of being a good friend to someone in need. Going forward, let's share a smile with others and work on being a true friend.
I loved the continuance of Anna and Francesco’s story and I’m looking forward to book 3 about forbidden love during WW2.
September 20, 2020
Giuseppe is a teenager growing up in the inter wars years in Tuscany. His traditional rural life is changed forever by his experiences at a seminary and then with the rise of Fascism.
In the present day, Giuseppe's grandson is struggling with bullies at school. He begins to explore his traditions and heritage.
A Tuscan Memory is the second book by Angela Petch to feature Anna, an English woman now relocated and married to an Italian. However, I haven't read that previous book so it is not necessary as this works perfectly well as a stand alone novel.
The writing is rich and clearly evokes both the Italian landscape and the historical era. The narrative is full of the language and culture which draws the reader in to completely immerse us in the story and lives of the characters.
I found myself enjoying Giuseppe's experiences. He is extremely likeable but faces numerous challenges including bullying, sexual assault and unexpected fatherhood. His reactions and integrity endear him to us as readers, making us care about him as well as wonder what happens in the interim before the events of the present day.
In contrast, Davide's experience seems almost trivial as the bullying he faces is more psychological and he has less vulnerability. The plot was engaging with the two timelines but I was a little disappointed that there was not a greater discovery in the present day of Giuseppe's life although I am unsure if there could be a sequel planned.
In the present day, Giuseppe's grandson is struggling with bullies at school. He begins to explore his traditions and heritage.
A Tuscan Memory is the second book by Angela Petch to feature Anna, an English woman now relocated and married to an Italian. However, I haven't read that previous book so it is not necessary as this works perfectly well as a stand alone novel.
The writing is rich and clearly evokes both the Italian landscape and the historical era. The narrative is full of the language and culture which draws the reader in to completely immerse us in the story and lives of the characters.
I found myself enjoying Giuseppe's experiences. He is extremely likeable but faces numerous challenges including bullying, sexual assault and unexpected fatherhood. His reactions and integrity endear him to us as readers, making us care about him as well as wonder what happens in the interim before the events of the present day.
In contrast, Davide's experience seems almost trivial as the bullying he faces is more psychological and he has less vulnerability. The plot was engaging with the two timelines but I was a little disappointed that there was not a greater discovery in the present day of Giuseppe's life although I am unsure if there could be a sequel planned.
August 19, 2020
After finishing A Tuscan Memory by Angela Petch I feel like I have been taken on a journey to past and present Tuscany. Seamless transitions between Giuseppe's and Marisa's points of view from the past to the present day story of their family left me enchanted. In the past, Giuseppe makes the hard decision to leave his family and the mountains after a horrid experience at the seminary, joining farmers and sheep herders. His good friend Marisa becomes his wife and mother to his son after a tragedy occurs .
During present times, Francesco and Anna raise their family while dealing with problems. Their son Davide stuggles with his sense of belonging and family history. Anna fears for her health while Francesco works to help his wife and son. When Davide runs away he makes a friend who helps his family connect to the past.
This was a book I truly enjoyed and I look forward to reading the The Tuscan Girl and The Tuscan Secret. Thank you to Net Galley, Bookouture and Angela Petch for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.
During present times, Francesco and Anna raise their family while dealing with problems. Their son Davide stuggles with his sense of belonging and family history. Anna fears for her health while Francesco works to help his wife and son. When Davide runs away he makes a friend who helps his family connect to the past.
This was a book I truly enjoyed and I look forward to reading the The Tuscan Girl and The Tuscan Secret. Thank you to Net Galley, Bookouture and Angela Petch for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.
April 4, 2026
Nice easy read following the history of a family by reading about this family today , and that of their ancestors history . Beautiful descriptions of life in the Italian mountains the hardship of their lives in the winter months. Secrets discovered, and lovely characters, first read about in the book the Tuscan secret. Can recommend this author for stories that you jus5 want to turn pages to find out the endings. This one though suddenly came to an end and I thought had I missed pages….. I don’t think the next book follows on, the Tuscan house as it shows it’s a standalone?
I might just have to buy the Tuscan house now to see if it dies indeed follow if from these lovely characters I’ve come to know, throughout the dual time stories of these two previous books.
But yes great novels, and good writing. But woukd like the ending to have had more conclusions after Marissa lost her Giuseppe……
I might just have to buy the Tuscan house now to see if it dies indeed follow if from these lovely characters I’ve come to know, throughout the dual time stories of these two previous books.
But yes great novels, and good writing. But woukd like the ending to have had more conclusions after Marissa lost her Giuseppe……
September 12, 2020
As lush and beautiful as the countryside setting itself, this book was unlike most that I have read this year. Almost every passage contained a feeling or thought that conveyed every aspect of Tuscany. The author moves seamlessly from present day to the years surrounding WWI, building the story from both ends. However, in spite of the character list at the beginning, I was still often confused as to family relationships and how everything connected. And then I realized that this is part of a series. I totally didn’t make the connection, and that is completely on me (no fault of the author). I would definitely recommend this book for picture it paints of Tuscany but would also recommend reading the first books to get the background. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital ARC of the book.
August 31, 2020
I love the Tuscan series by Angela Petch, every page evokes the tastes, sights, and scents of Tuscany. I loved learning about the transumanza, something I'd never heard of before, and the hardship of life at the beginning of the 20th century.
This is the story of Giuseppe and Marisa, intertwined with the present-day life of Francesco, Anna, and their children. I enjoyed reading about both the present and the past; each part was equally fascinating, and I wanted to know more.
This is a well-written story, with a descriptive narrative that takes you to the heart of the Tuscan countryside, to the old mill and the river, and makes you fall in love with the Italian people and their ways. Highly recommend.
This is the story of Giuseppe and Marisa, intertwined with the present-day life of Francesco, Anna, and their children. I enjoyed reading about both the present and the past; each part was equally fascinating, and I wanted to know more.
This is a well-written story, with a descriptive narrative that takes you to the heart of the Tuscan countryside, to the old mill and the river, and makes you fall in love with the Italian people and their ways. Highly recommend.
October 4, 2020
A dual timeline story of Davide in present day Tuscany and Giuseppe in between the wars Tuscany. Davide is being bullied at school because of his English heritage and so embarks on a project about the history of his Italian family. Giuseppe is a talented young boy and the local priest takes an interest in him and arranges him to be schooled at the seminary but what is the secret that makes him run away before his exams and take the hard life with the sheep migration?
Another great book in this series about Anna and her family and their historical connections. It works well in the two timelines and I enjoyed the connections from the previous books, although this can easily be read as a standalone.
Another great book in this series about Anna and her family and their historical connections. It works well in the two timelines and I enjoyed the connections from the previous books, although this can easily be read as a standalone.
January 26, 2021
Ha az írónő előző kötetéhez kéne hasonlítanom – ami szinte elkerülhetetlen –, akkor azt mondanám, hogy ez túlságos szedett-vedett volt. Számomra pedig inkább volt habkönnyű, mint megkapó. Sőt, már túl könnyű. Pedig a Toszkán titok tényleg jó volt.
Most a múltban játszódó fejezetek sem voltak annyira nagyon érdekfeszítőek, már-már ott tartottam, hogy untam. A fülszövegből azt hittem volna, hogy Davide és Giselda kart karba öltve nyomoznak majd a múlt piszkos részletei után, ehelyett kaptunk egy darab közös fejezetet, meg pár-pár elszórt gondolatot. És Annat is sikerült ellenszenvessé tennie az írónőnek.
Lehet, hogy az én gépezetemben van a gond, de egy alapjáraton jó ötlet gyenge kivitelezésével engem még nem lehet levenni a lábamról.
Most a múltban játszódó fejezetek sem voltak annyira nagyon érdekfeszítőek, már-már ott tartottam, hogy untam. A fülszövegből azt hittem volna, hogy Davide és Giselda kart karba öltve nyomoznak majd a múlt piszkos részletei után, ehelyett kaptunk egy darab közös fejezetet, meg pár-pár elszórt gondolatot. És Annat is sikerült ellenszenvessé tennie az írónőnek.
Lehet, hogy az én gépezetemben van a gond, de egy alapjáraton jó ötlet gyenge kivitelezésével engem még nem lehet levenni a lábamról.
May 3, 2022
What an amazing journey Angela Petch has taken me on with, ‘A Tuscan Memory.’ I enjoyed reading both the present day chapters and the historical chapters. It didn’t take long for me to become attached to the main characters and each of them had a moving story to tell.
One character who I totally loved was Giselda and I actually laughed out loud a few times. The sweary parrot was something else and her relationship with Davide was moving. Anna’s worries had me gripped and I couldn’t wait for them to discover the truths. There’s heartbreak galore.
If you’re after an epic journey of discovery, an authentic walk through Tuscan life and lots of emotion, then this book will take you there. Fantastic!
One character who I totally loved was Giselda and I actually laughed out loud a few times. The sweary parrot was something else and her relationship with Davide was moving. Anna’s worries had me gripped and I couldn’t wait for them to discover the truths. There’s heartbreak galore.
If you’re after an epic journey of discovery, an authentic walk through Tuscan life and lots of emotion, then this book will take you there. Fantastic!
September 20, 2020
I have read the two previous novels by Angela Petch and enjoyed them, but this one just didn't hit the spot this time.
Too many things just didn't ring true and didn't feel part of the story. Alba going to Newcastle and Anna seeing her sister's doctor in England all felt wrong and irrelevant.
I enjoyed reading about the lives of those who did the twice annual migration of the sheep.The portrayal of the hardships endured came across well.
But what ever happened to Davide's project and Giselda, they just disappeared.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for my ARC in return for an honest review.
Too many things just didn't ring true and didn't feel part of the story. Alba going to Newcastle and Anna seeing her sister's doctor in England all felt wrong and irrelevant.
I enjoyed reading about the lives of those who did the twice annual migration of the sheep.The portrayal of the hardships endured came across well.
But what ever happened to Davide's project and Giselda, they just disappeared.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for my ARC in return for an honest review.
January 31, 2022
💕Following the story of Ines in The Tuscan Secret, the next story The Tuscan Memory, tells of her daughter Anna, but more specifically it is about Anna's husband Francesco and his family.
With the writing style, which envelopes the reader within the Italian landscape and the knowledge of Italy during this troubled period, the author has once again delivered an informative and interesting account of the war years.
Based on a true story, the author has presented the reader with a wonderful account of Italian life.
I am eager to follow this story further. The next instalment, The Tuscan Girl follows the story of Francesco's daughter Alba. I'm looking forward to reading it soon.
With the writing style, which envelopes the reader within the Italian landscape and the knowledge of Italy during this troubled period, the author has once again delivered an informative and interesting account of the war years.
Based on a true story, the author has presented the reader with a wonderful account of Italian life.
I am eager to follow this story further. The next instalment, The Tuscan Girl follows the story of Francesco's daughter Alba. I'm looking forward to reading it soon.
September 6, 2020
I haven't read any of the other 'Tuscan' books by Angela Petch, but I enjoyed how the story of the Starnucci family was written. Moving between the story of Giuseppe starting in 1915 to a few years later to his descendants in present time, you get a very beautiful description of Tuscany and are caught up in this family history. The struggles and characters of this family then and now and also richly interspersed with the struggles of Italy, its history and its culture.
I wish to thank Netgalley & Bookouture for an advanced copy to read in return for an honest review.
I wish to thank Netgalley & Bookouture for an advanced copy to read in return for an honest review.
September 8, 2020
A wonderful portrayal of Tuscany and the difficulties of life in the past. The author seamlessly intermingles the present day with the fortunes of the inhabitants of previous generations. The skill is in making the characters come alive so that the reader cares about them. I enjoyed both stories and how they were interlinked and connected to the previous book. However, the skilfully drawn relationships between the characters is what kept me turning the pages. This book will appeal if you are a fan of Italy, love historical fiction or just like a darned good read.
October 15, 2020
Fascinating history mixed wth revisiting old friends
I love Angela's books. I read this out of sequence, 3rd instead of 2nd, but it doesn't matter. The modern day characters are familiar friends now, though I'd love to go back to find out more about Theresa's life. I liked her a lot in the first book.
The story meanders slowly and doesn't exactly go anywhere but the writing style is so easy and friendly I really don't care where Angela takes me.
Please keep writing Angela Petch. I love this series.
I love Angela's books. I read this out of sequence, 3rd instead of 2nd, but it doesn't matter. The modern day characters are familiar friends now, though I'd love to go back to find out more about Theresa's life. I liked her a lot in the first book.
The story meanders slowly and doesn't exactly go anywhere but the writing style is so easy and friendly I really don't care where Angela takes me.
Please keep writing Angela Petch. I love this series.
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