The Sicilian Inheritance

by Jo Piazza

From bestselling author and award-winning journalist Jo Piazza, comes a transporting novel rooted in the author's own family history about a long-awaited trip to Sicily, a disputed inheritance, and a family secret that some will kill to protect . . .

Sara Marsala barely knows who she is anymore after the failure of her business and marriage. On top of that, her beloved great-aunt Rosie passes away, leaving Sara bereft with grief. But Aunt Rosie's death also opens an escape from her life and a window into the past by way of a plane ticket to Sicily, a deed to a possibly valuable plot of land, and a bombshell family secret. Rosie believes Sara's great-grandmother Serafina, the family matriarch who was left behind while her husband worked in America, didn’t die of illness as family lore has it . . . she was murdered.

Thus begins a twist-filled adventure that takes Sara all over the picturesque Italian countryside as she races to solve a mystery and prove her birthright. Flashing back to the past, we meet Serafina, a feisty and headstrong young woman in the early 1900s thrust into motherhood in her teens, who fought for a better life not just for herself but for all the women of her small village. Unsurprisingly it isn’t long before a woman challenging the status quo finds herself in danger.

As Sara discovers more about Serafina she also realizes she is coming head-to-head with the same menacing forces that took down her great-grandmother. At once an immersive multigenerational mystery and an ode to the undaunted heroism of everyday women, The Sicilian Inheritance is an atmospheric, page-turning delight.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Book Club, Audiobook, Italy, Historical

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2024

About the author

I write books about strong women defying the odds. I love an adventure and a book that both sweeps you away and starts a conversation with your friends.

Book club visits are one of my favorite things to do and I zoomed into hundreds of them for my Good Morning America Book Club pick You Were Always Mine. I'm a former travel editor who has gotten to visit 47 countries and I met my husband Nick in the Galapagos islands on a reporting trip. After living in NYC and San Francisco I have settled into Philadelphia (the greatest city on Earth) to raise my three feral children.)

Reviews

[Meagan✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m ready to pack my bags for Sicily.

What To Expect-
🍝Dual POV’s
🍝Dual Timelines
🍝Complicated Friendships
🍝Romance & Adventure
🍝Some Amazing Food Descriptions

My Thoughts-
I loved the themes in this books, you have a little bit of everything. Mystery, historical fiction, mafia and romance. Both timelines and POVs were engaging enough. I felt like I kept losing interest but something would pull me back in. I loved the references to Sicily’s small towns around Sciacca. Towards the end of the book the historical facts about the hardships faced by Sicilian women was very interesting to learn. But the actual story ended quite abruptly.

Overall- it was an okay and quick read, I would recommend this book to anyone who like historical fiction with some add mystery.

✨ Thanks to NetGalley, Jo Piazza, and Dutton Publishing Group for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ✨

[Andrea Bartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Equal parts rich historical fiction, gripping murder mystery, and moving exploration of identity, grief, and the long shadow of the past. With lush prose and airtight plotting, Piazza's novel made me laugh, cry—and start planning a trip to Sicily.

[Meghan Hoffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened. I almost DNFed this book multiple times but then I felt committed. The main character is annoying, woe is me vibes (she complains about a free trip to Italy), and the chapters that flash back to old Italy are so boring. The whole book goes by with barely any action until the very end when it took a dumbbb unrealistic turn. Would not recommend idk how it has high ratings.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pubs this week, April 2, 2024!

Well, Jo, your great-great grandmother would indeed be very proud.

What a blockbuster of a story about an island off Italy, that through history has been inhabited and often ruled by many different types of people. Yet she still survives. Sicily is beautiful and poor but it’s the birthplace of my paternal ancestors.

The Sicilian Inheritance covers one hundred years of struggling people and strong women. I loved every character, especially Serafina who survived many odds to become a healer and ‘the doctor’ of her small village. And Sara, her American great-granddaughter who comes to Sicily to learn more about Serafina but is also a strong woman.

The mystery of this story was to find out if Serafina was murdered, why and who did it. Gloriously, we learn much more.

This book pubs in April, 2024, don’t miss it!


Thank you Edelweiss and Dutton, and Jo Piazza.

[Megan Aruta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was stoked about the Sicilian setting so jumped right into this book. I think it suffered from length— my interest in both stories significantly waned when the pace of the plot couldn’t keep up. Serafina’s story in the past really worked for me in equal measure to Sara’s story in the present not working for me. The Mafia stuff was a little ridiculous, as were the supporting characters in present tense. And I struggle to feel bad for people who are absolutely living it up for free in Sicily, no matter how bad their lives are at home— sorry girl. Overall, this story straddled many genres and didn’t totally deliver on the mystery one.

That said, my personal preferences don’t align with historical fiction so take with a grain of salt.

[Malia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had been saving this book, because I thought, given the description, it would be a really special treat, right up my alley. I'm sorry to say, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The story is told in dual POVs and while I was fascinated by the historical story of Serafina, the present day Sara's voice grated and her story felt repetitive and slow. So I guess half the book was great and half the book was kind of not for me, hence the three stars. I did feel I learned something about Sicily and its history that I did not know before. For that reason, I am glad to have read it, but all in all, it felt like a bit of a slog.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/4

I listened to the audiobook and I definitely recommend this format as it has two narrators (one for the modern story and one for the past narrative) and this was a phenomenal way to split up the book. I also enjoyed hearing the correct pronunciations of Sicilian dialect, names, etc. I highly recommend the audiobook if you have the opportunity to choose between formats.

Now, let's discuss the book. This had a slower start for me and it wasn't helped by my dislike for the modern main character, Sara. She is pretty unlikable in the sense that she does not have a lot of self-reflection and blames a lot on other people. She also is very self-absorbed. Once the narrative switches to her great-grandmother, Serafina, the book gets much better. As with most historical fiction/light mystery reads, I find myself liking the past narrative much more than the present. That held true for this book as I enjoyed what I learned from Serafina's perspective very much. I know next to nothing about Sicilian history and I found this part of the book to the strongest. The characters were more developed, the vision was clear and witnessing the strength of all the women raising families, working the jobs of men who left for various reasons and filling non-traditional roles in their town. It was fascinating and very well done. So the review is balanced on an average of how I really loved the past parts and the present parts were just okay.

I enjoyed reading the author's note and felt that was a great tribute to the author's family and how she used her family history as the idea that sparked this novel's creation. Overall, many will really enjoy this story and it was a strong effort. If not for the present day perspective, this would have been close to a 5 star read.

Thank you to @prhaudio for the gifted audiobook and Dutton Books for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review Date: 03/31/2024
Publication Date: 04/02/2024

[Kelly • Kell of a Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ I won’t lie I picked this one up solely because of the gorgeous cover, but thankfully, THE SICILIAN INHERITANCE is way more than just a pretty face! This book truly has it all: mystery, history, drama, romance, family secrets, badass feisty women, and it all takes place in the most stunning setting!

I really enjoyed this one! I especially enjoyed the fact that the author used her own great grandmother’s murder as inspiration for the book.

Sara is struggling with a failing career and marriage when her beloved great-aunt passes away, leaving her with a plot of family land in Sicily. Sara makes the trip to Italy and discovers absolutely nothing is as it seems.

I loved Sara’s POV but I was addicted to the past timeline. The story is juicy and twisty and I could stop listening! It’s a really great genre mashup and I think it will suck in a wide variety of readers - a copy is making its way to my mom as we speak! We have polar opposite reading preferences but I know she’ll enjoy this!

At its heart this is a story of bold women and one of my favorite parts was the community these women formed during such difficult times.

“Those women were a force. They ran this town... The women who work and live just beneath the surface of history. The women whose stories are never told.”

🎧the audiobook was fabulous! Highly recommend that format if your ears are in need of something bingeable!

[That Book Betchhh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of few books I can remember in recent memory that has been written in dual POV/timeline (current vs the early 1900s) that had me absolutely enthralled in BOTH stories! The plot, the characters, the mystery and the setting were rich, authentic feeling and multi dimensional!!! Just cozy familial vibes that felt like a warm hug! Many a night, I kept reading until I absolutely could no longer keep my tired eyes open, as it was that compulsorily readable!!

Overall, if you want a beautifully written book about a lost soul finding meaning in life, love, and family (with a little mystery) set in a beautiful Italian landscape this one is for you!!!

ALSO THE COVER IS ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULARLY BEAUTIFUL COVERS I’VE SEEN EVER BRAVO TO THE TEAM THAT MADE IT!!!

I have been a big fan of Piazza as an author for a few years now. So, it was also really fun to read a solo project by her (as all my other experiences have been her co-authored works). This truly solidified my love for her writing and I can’t wait to read more should it be solo works or co-authored works!!

This book comes out in April 2024 so be sure to definitely check this one out!!!

5.0⭐️

Special thanks to Edelweiss and @dutton
For the review copy of this book!!!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing dual timeline historical fiction book featuring strong, unforgettable women!

It's been a great year for historical fiction and I couldn't get enough of this story about Sara and Seraphina, two Italian women linked by a shared family history and a dark past.

Seraphina practices medicine in her small Sicilian town, helping to save many lives during the Spanish Flu in 1920s. While Sara is a failed American restaurant owner looking for connection and exploring her Italian roots while also researching what happened to the relative who left her some land and if she still has rights to it.

Full of suspense, romance and great food, this was excellent on audio narrated by Rachel F. Hirsch and Carlotta Brentan.

Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! If you’re looking for your next great read definitely don’t skip on this one!!

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to go to Italy now.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Penguin Random House provided an early galley for review.

My family roots on both sides trace back to Sicily, so I was certainly drawn to a book with this title. Plus, the cover is simply gorgeous and inviting.

The story is broken down into two narratives - the modern day with Sara and the past with Serafina. There are rich details throughout, in both geographic descriptions and historical accuracy. With these, Piazza definitely did her research (as her author notes confirms). There are also some very intriguing secondary characters.

There were, however, a couple things that did impact my reading experience. First, the two names of the main characters are very similar which could lead a reader to confusion. In fact, there is even a third character with a similar name introduced. Second, both the stories of Sara and Serafina are told in first-person past tense, alternating chapters. This kind of narrative approach that is not a favorite of mine as it can lead to more confusion (especially when both characters are of the same gender, are in similar settings and are similarly named). Also, with alternating narratives, I find the momentum of the story, for me, gets derailed every time we jump back to the other time period. Together, these are several strikes against the book for me.

I definitely think this book can appeal to the right audience. I just wasn't the right audience.

[Andrea | andrea.c.lowry.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

Full review coming soon

[Kristina Finseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

I received this book from @booksparks, and it's my first Jo Piazza book (spoiler alert: this won't be my last).

This book follows two storylines - Sara Marsala in present day and her great grandmother in the early 1900's.

Sara's life feels like it's falling apart. She is going through a divorce and custody battle all while her famous Philly restaurant has failed.

As if that's not enough to handle, Sara's aunt Rosie passes away and leaves two final wishes for Sara to fulfill:

✈️ travel to Sicily to spread her ashes
🏡 sell the land that her great-grandmother had claim to in their hometown

Along the way, Sara discovers more about her great-grandmother and herself while also dodging some pretty mysterious happenings, like her passport being stolen and more.

What I loved about her great-grandmother's story (other than it gives me Lady Tan's Circle of Women vibes) is that during a time when all the men are leaving Sicily to pursue more opportunity and money in America - Serafina becomes a healer/doctor of sorts for the community.

So many twists and turns, a lot of heartwarming moments, a lot of WTF is happening moments, and an ending I couldn't have predicted if I wanted to.

Best part, this story is fiction but loosely based on the author's own family and history.

[Chrissa Kuntz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible. I so wanted to like this book because of the Philly connections.

First of all, the main character is a woe-is-me, I'm-the-victim sort, and that grosses me out. I stopped in chapter 3 where the main character slips into a wine cave during a wedding reception to have sex with her husband and "the vintner was surprised by their bare behinds the next morning." The next morning? What the? Far-fetched and uncomfortable, if you ask me.

Edit: and now I see on Goodreads that the author's favorite literary couple is Gatsby and Daisy. Ick.

[Sara Kaner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. I was really excited to read this! However, it was long-winded and dragged at many points in the story for me. There was an unexpected twist at the end that I did enjoy but overall this was just okay for me.

[Kaitlyn Moore]

DNFing at 30% because I don’t care even a little bit.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sara Marsala is going through a rough patch, to say the least. In the process of divorcing from her husband and battling for custody of her four-year-old daughter, being forced to close her restaurant that she poured her heart and soul into, and now learning of the news of her beloved great-aunt Rosie's death, Sara feels as though she's in the process of losing everything she once held dear. When she receives instructions from Rosie to travel to the family's homeland in Sicily to claim a deed of valuable land that possibly belongs to the Marsala family, Sara only reluctantly agrees out of affection for her late great-aunt. It's only when she arrives in Sicily that she receives another missive from Rosie in which the real purpose of this trip is made clear: she wants Sara to investigate the death of Rosie's mother and Sara's namesake, Serafina Forte.

You can read my full review HERE on BookBrowse and a piece I wrote on a brief history of Sicily HERE.

[Missy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zero stars.

I can’t even explain the depth of my rage at the insult to Sicilian culture in this book. The author claims that her great great grandmother was Sicilian. She clearly did research on the island, the food, the language but she knows nothing of culture. I am Sicilian. She paints Sicilians as ignorant poor apes who need feminist American author women to tell them everything they’re missing in life. The entire book is a man-hating bash fest.

The main character Sara, is a piss poor wife and mother who all but adandons her family for some bs restaurant then complains when her husband leaves her. She takes zero responsibility for her own actions and cries and whines about it constantly, and when she’s not doing that she just drinking. Oh but conveniently she packs Xanax. Because that’s the modern American woman, right? Drunk and Xanax all the time? Life as a modern American feminist who hates her husband and hates motherhood must be so amazing that you need to be drunk and drugged just to make it through one day in the paradise Sicilian countryside.

The Serafina of the past is a smart intelligent young woman who is disgusted by men and babies and yet she initiates sex with a young man and gets pregnant and her parents force her to marry him. This man works in a horrendously dangerous mine to provide for her and her kids and yet all she does is complain about how he’s nothing but a burden to her. All the men are hard working and just trying to feed their families and the wives are complaining ungrateful hateful women who hate having husbands and hate their kids. Serafina cheats on her husband with her best friends husband. She admits she Initates it multiple times.

On page 194 the 2 Sicilian women eating lunch with Sara say that DEATH would be preferable to being a wife and mother. MOST WOMEN DO NOT AGREE. Women are online constantly saying how they want good men, they’re on dating apps desperate to find love, and yet authors like this always act like women enjoy being celibate nuns who drink all day and love their 8-6p jobs. That is not reality, get a grip on your extremist feminist agenda.

On page 215 she writes that women are often described as great wives and mothers but what really defined her? Serafina says she loves her lover more than her own children. This is not at all indicative of Sicilian culture. On page 250 Serafina daydreams about her sons being taken away from her so she could live alone and be free and have sex and be a doctor. That’s so unrealistic of how the vast majority of women feel about their own children.

How twisted and awful that she willfully leaves her children to pretend to be dead and get a nursing job in America. That’s supposed to be admirable?? Are you kidding me? Serafina also accepts that she wil never see her sons again, who knew and loved her, but she MUST see her daughter who never knew her at all? Do her sons not deserve her love and devotion?

According to the author the women of Old Sicily are strong and independent and hate their men, but then when one of them, Paola, is abandoned by her husband, the first thing she does is run to commit suicide. She doesn’t speak to her friends, her kids, her mother, no one. She just runs to a cliff to jump. This makes no sense and is not only a contradiction to the authors own portrayal of Sicilian women, but such an insult to real Sicilian women. As if Sicilian women would not fight tooth and nail for their families, as if we’d give up so easily.

I hated this book.

[Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y’ALLLLL 🥲 This book was perfect to me. It felt like it was written for me. To be read by me. I am going to scream this recommendation from every rooftop. Text all of my family to read this. Wow. Deeply personal to me. Scranton, PA references!!!! My family immigrated from Sicily to Scranton! Like what! Ugh. Women rule.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely adored The Sicilian Inheritance. Part mystery, part romance, a little of female empowerment, and a lot of Sicily mixed in made this for a great book!
I hope this book gets spoken about a lot this summer as it mixes intrigue, past and present Sicily. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I loved the setting.

[Allie Anzalone · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars - the concept of this book was great! It got me super excited for my trip to Italy this summer. I just didn’t love Sara. She was just not a great main character in my eyes.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of two women, present day Sara and her great grandmother Serafina. Sara takes a trip to Sicily to discover the fate of her great grandmother and to determine whether she has inherited land there.
Told in two timelines this novel focuses on strong women, mystery, adventure, history and a bit of romance.
The author transports readers to modern and historical Sicily with an exceptional description of the landscape, culture and cuisine.

[Susie Schnall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book - had absolutely everything in it - romance, mystery, murder, travel, and bad ass women! Highly recommend. I'm a big fan of all of Jo Piazza's books and this one did not disappoint. Could totally see as a limited series!!

[Rae Chalmers · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just read the author’s note about the origins of this story residing in her family’s history in Sicily. I really wanted to read THAT book, about her long gone female relative. There are threads of that story (Serafina’s) woven through this novel. However, the modern day Sarah’s plot line is more contrived than a Hallmark Christmas movie and taints the historical authenticity of the struggles and support of women in 1920’s Sicily.

[Gabby ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐️ It's important to note I finished this in 6 hours. The stories, lore, twist, turns, love, and lies all beautifully and elegantly entwined in a captivating narritave (based in most truth) were truly some of the best I've ever read. How easy the story flowed and how the detail was conveyed truly a work of art. The charecters, not perfect, but perfectly imperfect and in the best way. Who knew Sicilian women were some of the most powerful and strong, I am pleased to know that now

[Brighty Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading slump has been deactivated!
This book was impeccable 👍🏻
I don’t think I have ever read a historical fiction book quite like this. Family dynamics, the power of female friendships, mystery, romance, the backdrop of Sicily 🍝 There were a lot of different elements going on but the author did a wonderful job weaving it all together in a beautiful way. Would definitely recommend!

[Madison Alexander · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hopefully my book club can convince me this was a good book 🙃

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a historical fiction with a lot of drama in the mix. Murder, mystery and some very strong female characters, inspired by the author's own family, make up the bulk of the story. Even though I had a hard time connecting with the main character, Sara, the story did a great job showing how the Sicilian women were caught between the traditions they respected and a wish that they could accomplish more in life.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I asked for books for my bday. I gave one simple instruction for this task: the book must be above 4.0 on Goodreads. Sister Caitlin brazenly gifted me this 3.99 rated novel. I began the book with low expectations. I would say that it ended up exceeding those low expectations! Loved the setting and it was a perfect summer read. But the ending????? It was very rushed and made absolutely no logical sense. I can see why the book is sitting 0.01 points below an esteemed 4.0. That being said, I did enjoy this adventure and think it would be a fun book club discussion.