The Tuscan Contessa is a story about women fighting to keep those they love safe, defending their home and those close to them, while finding ways to work together to survive all that World War Two and the Nazis threw at them. I had recently seen a documentary about how dreadful the war was for the people of Italy and so was doubly intrigued to read this book; it didn’t disappoint.

Sofia is a countess living in her beautiful Castello de Corsi. Most of the men have left the village to join the partisans and fight back, including her husband, Lorenzo who is away working for the Ministry of Agriculture while secretly passing on information to the allies. Sofia hates being away from him but slowly discovers her strength and determines to do what she can to save the home that has been in her husband’s family for centuries. When Maxine, an Italian/American woman is sent to carry out her own mission helping the local resistance, the two very different women have to find a way to cope with each other. Sofia finds Maxine’s brash ways difficult to deal with at first and Maxine finds Sofia’s behaviour vastly different to her own. Maxine discovers that her determination not to become involved with anyone romantically hadn’t taken into account meeting the charismatic, mysterious resistance member, Marco.

Sofia has to force herself to be charming to the Nazi officers that come to her beloved Castello de Corsi, while hiding her hatred of them and all that they represent. She works hard to do all she can to support those living in the village, or, like James, an injured British soldier who comes to her home, find ways to help him while keeping his presence a secret from those villagers who are feeding information to the enemy.

It took me a little time to get into this book, but when I did, I couldn’t put it down. It is obviously extremely well-researched and transports the reader into the beauty of the Tuscan countryside, but at the same times draws you in to the heart-breaking experiences they are forced to face in that beautiful place and the horrors of what women like Sofia and Maxine were forced to overcome simply to survive during that terrible time in history.

Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review. The Tuscan Contessa is out now.