The Italian Island

It was Annie's father's last wish that she discover her heritage, and a small scrap of paper directs her to go to Galatea, so she sets out to the Italian island. Does she speak Italian? Not really. Does she have any idea what to expect? Not really. But she knows she may find out more there about her grandmother Mira, who disappeared after World War II.

Annie wears a bracelet that belonged to Mira. Not only is it a physical object connected to Annie's grandmother, but it also causes Annie to have visions. Mira's story is told through Annie's visions, and as Annie learns more about her grandmother, she also learns some unexpected things about herself.

The imagery in the book is wonderful! I can envision the island and its beauty, the creepy hillside cave that Annie and Salvo explore, the fishermen and the water and the cliffs. The writing is lyrical and easy to read, and since the book isn't terribly long, it just flew by as I was reading. And the sea reads almost as a living being, vital to the events of both past and present.

The story has a little something for everyone. There is suspense and tension as we see Mira's brother Gabriel bringing nothing good to the island, and as we wait to see if Annie will have the strength to break from her mother's suffocating negativity. There's romance – Mira and Lupo in the past, Annie and Salvo in the present. Annie and Salvo are just adorable. Annie's connection to Mira through the bracelet brings a touch of the paranormal and mystical to the story, as does the special bond shared by the Ayala women (is Annie one of those women? Read and find out).

And it's a dual timeline story! Y'all know I love those, and this one is nicely done. My only disappointment was that Mira's story seemed to take up so much of Annie's timeline. It felt like there was more to Annie than what we saw in between her visions of the past. But still, it was quite a good read, and the beauty of the words made up for me wishing I could have known more about Annie herself.

This is a solid four-star read, and it was nice to have a World War II historical fiction that didn't focus almost exclusively on the war and the events thereof. That was an unexpected and refreshing twist!

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy of the book from NetGalley and Bookouture. All opinions are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.