Today, I am so pleased to be bringing you an extract from The Daughter of Paradisio by Francesca Scanacapra. It is the third book in the Paradisio Novels series and I cannot wait to get stuck in.
The Blurb
Italy, 1963. Graziella Bianchi returns to Paradiso, barely able to believe she has been gifted her childhood home by an old friend.
The beautiful house has fallen into a state of disrepair, but Graziella is determined to restore it to its former glory.
Although one dream has come true, life is far from perfect. She and her daughter, Lucia, are nearly penniless and the pair are on the run from Graziella’s violent husband.
With divorce not yet legal and the law still giving husbands ultimate control over their wives, Graziella must fight not only to gain her independence, but also to keep her daughter.
The villagers of Pieve Santa Clara, with their long and loyal memories, step in, and gradually a good life becomes a possibility for Graziella and Lucia.
But when her estranged husband turns up, drunk and angry, everything Graziella has worked so hard for is under threat.
The Daughter of Paradiso is a compelling and emotionally-charged historical novel perfect for fans of Dinah Jeffries, Lucinda Riley, Angela Petch and Rhys Bowen.
The Extract
This extract comes from Chapter 1. Graziella and her daughter have just returned to Paradiso and
Graziella is wondering how, when or even if she will ever again see Gianfrancesco, the love of her
youth...
I had forewarned the Pozzettis of our return and they had insisted that Lucia and I should stay with them until we had found a permanent place to live. When I told them about my ownership of Paradiso, the news was received with wide-eyed astonishment. They hadn’t known thatGianfrancesco had bought the house. They thought he had just purchased the building land behind it – and even that had been a surprise.
The notary in Cremona had been trying to contact Gianfrancesco, I explained, but he didn’t have an up-to-date telephone number, or a current address, and nor did I. The only number we both had was for a government office in Milan where Gianfrancesco had previously been employed. Avvocato Furboni had tried calling it again just after I had signed, but the former colleague who answered told him the same thing we had both heard before. Gianfrancesco Marchesini no longer worked there. He had no idea where he might be now.
I asked whether the Pozzettis knew anything and Luigi Pozzetti looked uncomfortable.
‘Gianfrancesco was around for a while, getting things up and running with those new houses on your aunt’s old land. But I haven’t seen him for months, almost a year.’
‘The builders must have a telephone number for him. He must be keeping in touch with what’s going on down on the sites,’ I said.
Pozzetti shook his head. ‘You won’t find anybody down there, Graziella. There hasn’t been any work on those villas for quite some time.’ Pozzetti shrugged his shoulders awkwardly. I could sense that he was trying to be diplomatic. ‘The work started and it was a frenzy to begin with. But then everybody was laid off suddenly and as far as I know, no reason was given. Most assumed thatit was down to money. But to be honest, Graziella, I don’t know what’s true and what’s gossip. You’d be better off talking to Pietro Castello. He’s one of the builders who was working there. I’ve seen hisvan parked by a house that’s being restored just around the corner from the bakery. You should ask him.’
Ada Pozzetti was looking at me with a searching expression. ‘I expect Gianfrancesco has other commitments – now that he has a wife,’ she said. Her emphasis the word ‘wife’ was not lost on me.
I nodded, pretending that I was fully aware of the situation; although in truth, I didn’t know whether Gianfrancesco had married, despite his misgivings. Ada confirmed that he had by saying, ‘They put an announcement in the local paper, although why they bothered with that, I don’t know. Nobody from the village was invited to the wedding, not even any of the staff who used to work for the family. Anyway, the marriage didn’t take place here. The newspaper said it was happening in Milan.’
I could see that both Ada and Luigi Pozzetti were asking themselves the same question, and it was not an unreasonable thing to be curious about. Why had Gianfrancesco bought Paradiso for me? Was there something going on? Was he the reason I had left my husband? I wondered whether they suspected that when I had returned to Pieve Santa Clara after Zia Mina’s death, Gianfrancesco and I had spent the night together; but that secret was Gianfrancesco’s and mine and nobody else must know about it. I didn’t want to give the slightest hint in my expression which might confirm their suspicions, so I made light of it, smiled and said, ‘Well, he’s bound to turn up eventually.
***
About the Author:
Francesca Scanacapra was born in Italy to an English mother and Italian father, and her childhood was spent living between England and Italy. Her adult life has been somewhat nomadic with periods spent living in Italy, England, France, Senegal and Spain. She describes herself as 'unconventional' and has pursued an eclectic mixture of career paths – from working in translation, the fitness industry, education and even several years as a builder. In 2021 she returned to her native country and back to her earliest roots to pursue her writing career full time. Francesca now resides permanently in rural Lombardy in the house built by her great-grandfather which was the inspiration for the Paradiso Novels. The Daughter of Paradiso is the third of the Paradiso Novels, following Paradiso and Return to Paradiso. The Lost Boy of Bologna, was also published by Silvertail Books.
Intriguing - and I love the cover picture.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It really is lovely.
ReplyDelete