The Lost Gift to the Italian Island

Italy, 1943. With tears in her eyes, Giulia listens out for the sound of bombers flying overhead and thinks of the baby growing inside of her. Through the fabric of her lace dress her fingers touch the cold bullets carefully sewn into the seams. Luca might never forgive her, but she has to do this...

New York, present day. When Tori Coleman discovers that her mother was adopted, her whole world shatters. Jeremy, her boyfriend, wants to get married, but how can Tori commit when she doesn't know who she truly is? The only clue to the identity of her biological family is a mysterious postcard with a photograph of an ornate wedding dress her grandmother Giulia made, which she's told was gifted to a museum on an Italian island...

Tori arrives on Ciani island, surrounded by turquoise Mediterranean waters, with the sweet smell of orange blossom filling the air. She soon finds the museum and learns that Giulia was Jewish, and secretly lived there during World War Two. She thought her grandmother abandoned her mother, but was she forced to leave and give up her child?

Just as she's getting closer to answers, an unexpected call from Jeremy stops Tori in her tracks. As he passionately urges her to find out the truth, suddenly Tori wishes he were in Italy by her side, ready to propose again.

But then Tori is shocked to find bullets sewn into the lining of one of Giulia's dresses and a notebook claiming she did something terrible during World War Two. Will the secrets in her family help her follow her own heart, or send her home from Italy with it finally broken forever?

An enchanting, unforgettable novel about desperate decisions in the dark days of war and the uplifting power of true love. Perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Soraya Lane and Victoria Hislop.

What readers are saying about Barbara Josselsohn:

"Totally enchanting. I was immediately under the spell of the characters, it's gorgeous setting and the fast-paced plot... will capture your heart." Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"The epitome of enchanting... phenomenal... magic... I cannot recommend it enough. I even stopped reading halfway through to check to see if there would be more in the series." Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Phenomenal... will rank in my top 2023 historical fiction reads!... It grabbed my attention immediately and had me eagerly flipping pages by the end of the first chapter!... There's so much to love about this story!... I know I've found an auto-read author. I can't wait for the second instalment." Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐