#fionavalpy

The Sky Beneath Us by Fiona Valpy

US pub date - 9/10/24

I wonder if every mother facing an empty nest has a bit of an identity crisis - who are you (now, as well as still)? Daisy travels to Nepal to find out. 

Sooo well written! I was quickly drawn into the stories and kept turning the pages to read more of the vibrant descriptions. Utterly captivating. 

Strong recommendation. 

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC 

Love and loss, war and peace. We start in 2015 with Tess, a British photographer, who travels to Tuscany to escape the loss of her spouse. There she meets Beatrice, an elderly woman that was the property caretaker of the Villa Tess traveled to. Tess, still haunted by the ghost of her spouse, helps Beatrice around the villa. Meanwhile, Beatrice relays the story of how she came to Tuscany and this villa, and what it was like to live in Nazi controlled Italy. She talks about the Jewish boy that they kept hidden from Nazi sympathizers. And when they finally get the opportunity to secret him out of Italy there was a tragic accident and he went missing. Beatrice then spent decades looking for him. Hiring investigators trying to find him. Until one morning they get the news they were looking for. But it changed the future of Beatrice and Tess.

Oh my goodness. I absolutely loved this book. The things Tess went through while her spouse was sick and suffering and what an impact it had on her when he passed away. I could relate to Tess on such a personal level. I could only imagine what it would be like if my husband passed away. So her feelings and talking to her husband's ghost was so genuine.

Beatrice's story of life, love, and loss was so emotional. Her recounting of World War II was a part of history that I was unaware of. I know who Mousseline was, but I didn't know how much of a part he played in the war.

This story was very well written and the characters so likeable. You feel what they feel and hope beyond hope that things turn out their way in the end. This has been the best book I've read this year.

C - 10 / 10 A - 10 / 10 W - 9 / 10 P - 9 / 10 I - 10 / 10 L - 9 / 10 E - 10 / 10

Total: 67 / 7 = 9.57