As she gazes at the lights of Siena glowing in the dusk, Jessica flips through the yellowing pages of the diary that led her here. Written by her grandfather during the war, it holds the answers to a family secret that might just change everything…
When Jessica’s grandfather left for war, he promised to keep a record of each day he was apart from her grandmother. The diary was lost along with him – until now, when a mysterious, handsome Italian man named Alessandro shows up at Jessica’s door with the diary in hand. Immediately enchanted by her grandfather’s accounts of Italy’s glittering golden hours, Jess decides to spend a summer in Tuscany before she’s due to take over at her family’s farm. She hopes she can visit the places her grandfather once did – and finally find out what really happened the night he died…In the historic city of Siena, she finds a job as companion to the glamorous Sofia – Alessandro’s grandmother – whose stories of Italy during the war are captivating. And as Jess spends more time with Alessandro, she begins to fall for him with each lingering look into his deep-brown eyes. Together, Jess and Alessandro visit her grandfather’s resting place. But the more Jess learns about her grandfather’s time in Italy, the more she’s forced to question whether everything about her family’s past is a lie… Jess came to Italy in search of answers, but time is running out. She can’t shake the feeling that the diary that has stolen her imagination is merely a work of fiction. And if it is, will the truth about her family inspire her to turn away from the path she thought she was destined for, and towards the life she truly wants?
One hidden letter.
Two women born decades apart.
Secrets uncovered.
In 2015, when art curator and Londoner, Claire’s life implodes, she goes to organise a below stairs exhibition at Gatley Hall and moves into Rose Cottage. Her neighbour, Jim is a ranger and encourages her to embrace the countryside and a slower pace of life. Claire finds a letter in a drawer in the housekeeper’s parlour and the sender, Margaret is looking for Tabitha who lived at Rose Cottage during World War II. Claire visits Margaret and uncovers a scandalous secret that takes her to Florence with Jim.
In 1940, shopgirl, Margaret is forced out of London by the Blitz and works as a lady’s maid for countess, Lady Violet at Gatley Hall. When Italian prisoner of war, Luca saves Margaret from being murdered by a German parachutist, she instantly falls in love with him. He describes his home city, Florence as a magical place and Margaret dreams of visiting when the war is over. But everything falls apart when Margaret has to compete with Lady Violet for Luca’s attention while she paints his portrait at the gamekeeper’s cottage.
One hidden painting.
Two women born centuries apart.
A secret uncovered.
In 2019, Rachel is stuck in a rut when she discovers what appears to be a Canaletto painting in her grandmother’s loft along with a note addressed to Philippa in 1782. With help from Jake at the local art gallery, Rachel endeavours to find out if the painting is an original and uncovers a secret from the past.
In 1780, governess at Chipford Hall, Philippa is offered the role of mistress by Earl Rupert. She escapes to Venice as companion to bluestocking, Lady Cordelia who reveals a secret that changes both their lives. They do their best to keep the secret from Lady Cordelia’s social circle, but their nemesis is determined to reveal all and ruin them.
Praise for The Venice Secret
Anita Chapman
Anita Chapman enjoyed writing stories from a young age, and won a local writing competition when she was nine years old. Encouraged by this, she typed up a series of stories about a mouse on her mum’s typewriter and sent them to Ladybird. She received a polite rejection letter, her first.
Many of Anita’s summers growing up were spent with her family driving to Italy, and she went on to study French and Italian at university…
