His adventures are tracked by his great grandson one hundred years later and we learn of present day problems mirroring those of his ancestors. While Anna’s journey through the novel is less dramatic than that of Innes’ it is a wonderful tale of self-discovery, of learning who she really is and of discovering the Tuscan Roots her mother ultimately got to share with her.Ī great read, with characters who will stay with you long after the book is closed.Īnd don’t miss the sequel Now and Then in Tuscany:Ī lovingly researched account, based on true stories, about Giuseppe Starnucci, a young Italian boy, at the start of the twentieth century, as he journeys on foot with shepherds from his mountain village in the Tuscan Apennines to the coast. However, as you read her story, learn her motives and gain a greater understanding about the circumstances of the life she finds herself in, you cannot help but feel for her – and the men and women of her generation. To a modern audience, as to her daughter Anna, Innes’ decisions can seem frustrating at times. Ines’ diaries are heartfelt and honest, giving an insight into her hopes and dreams, as well as the turmoil she ultimately finds herself in. The story was beautifully told, with emotive language describing the landscape, both in Tuscany and in post-war England, weaved into the narrative. I soon found myself engaged in the lives of the lead characters, both past and present, English and Italian.

Tuscan Roots is, on one level, a tale of two love stories, set a generation apart, as we follow the lives of Anna and, through the letters and writings she has been left, Ines – Anna’s late mother.

Having studied literature and history (particularly women’s history), Tuscan Roots combined two things that fascinate me a well-crafted tale and an insight into a woman’s life who otherwise might have been forgotten from history. In researching her parents’ past, she will discover secrets about the war, her parents’ hardship and herself, which will change her life forever…Ī fascinating, well-crafted read, I would recommend. She travels to the breathtakingly beautiful Tuscan Apennines, where the family saga and romance unfolds. In 1999, Anna Swilland, their daughter, starts to unravel Italian war stories from diaries left to her after her mother’s death.

In 1943, in occupied, war-torn Italy, Ines Santini’s sheltered existence is turned upside down when she meets Norman, an escaped British POW.

Tuscan Roots by Angela Petch