I’m excited to be one of today’s stops on the blog tour for ‘The Secret Daughter of Venice.’
The paper is stiff and brittle with age as Kate unfolds it with trembling hands. She gasps at the pencil sketch of a rippling waterway, lined by tall buildings, curving towards the dome of a cathedral. She feels a connection deep in her heart. Venice.
England, 1941. When Kate Arden discovers a secret stash of drawings hidden in the pages of an old volume of poetry given to her as a baby, her breath catches. All her life, she has felt like an outsider in her aristocratic adoptive family, who refuse to answer any questions about her past. But the drawings spark a forgotten memory: a long journey by boat… warm arms that held her tight, and then let go.
Could these pictures unlock the secret of who she is? Why her mother left her? With war raging around the continent, she will brave everything to find out…
A gripping, emotional historical novel of love and art that will captivate fans of The Venice Sketchbook, The Woman on the Bridge and The Nightingale.
Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Daughter-Venice-absolutely-historical-ebook/dp/B0CVV7F4N7
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Daughter-Venice-absolutely-historical-ebook/dp/B0CVV7F4N7
Author Bio –
Juliet Greenwood is a historical novelist published by Storm Publishing. Her previous novel, The Last Train from Paris, was published to rave reviews and reached the top 100 kindle chart in the USA. She has long been inspired by the histories of the women in her family, and in particular with how strong-minded and independent women have overcome the limitations imposed on them by the constraints of their time, and the way generations of women hold families and communities together in times of crisis, including during WW2.
After graduating in English from Lancaster University and Kings College, London, Juliet worked on a variety of jobs to support her ambition to be a full-time writer. These ranged from running a craft stall at Covent Garden to running a small charity working with disadvantaged children, and collecting oral histories of traditional villages before they are lost forever. She finally achieved her dream of becoming a published author following a debilitating viral illness, with her first novel being a finalist for The People’s Book Prize and her first two novels reaching #4 and #5 in the UK Kindle store.
Juliet now lives in a traditional quarryman’s cottage in Snowdonia, North Wales, set between the mountains and the sea, with an overgrown garden (good for insects!) and a surprisingly successful grapevine. She can be found dog walking in all weathers working on the plot for her next novel, camera to hand.
Social Media Links –
Storm: https://stormpublishing.co/
Website: http://www.julietgreenwood.co.uk/
Blog: http://julietgreenwoodauthor.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliet.greenwood
Twitter: https://twitter.com/julietgreenwood
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julietgreenwood/
BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/julietgreenwood.bsky.social
Review-
I knew from the moment I saw the title of this book and the author that this would be a ‘must-read’.
Regular readers of this blog will know I’m drawn to anything remotely Italian and more so if there’s a mention of Venice, but I also love historical fiction so it definitely ticked all the boxes.
I’d also read, or should I say, devoured Juliet Greenwood’s previous book, ‘The Last Train from Paris’ (review can be found by typing the author’s name in the search bar) so I was expecting great things.
I found myself utterly captivated from the outset. I loved the way the story unfolded from the perspective of the two main characters Kate and Sofia but within the same timeline; a really clever way to draw on the parallels between their experiences, despite the difference in their age.
Set against the backdrop of World War II, the fear and the uncertainty of the future was perfectly portrayed and I particularly liked the references to the Land Girls and the efforts to evacuate the orphaned children and give them a sense of normality.
What also struck me was the strength of the female characters, who despite being continually told they were not destined to follow their aspirations and become independent in their own right, often defied the odds to do exactly that.
Art and freedom of expression are prominent themes throughout and also serve in many ways to bring the landscapes of St Ives and Italy to life in the eye of the reader.
I was unaware on reading that there is an earlier book, ‘The Shakespeare Sisters’ which introduces several of the characters from this one, but ‘The Secret Daughter of Venice’ can easily be read as a stand-alone.
This is a wonderful, poignant and emotional book that is perfect for fans of historical fiction. A highly recommended read!
With thanks to the author, Rachel at Random Resources and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to participate in the tour.
Further stops can be found here:
Giveaway to Win 3 x Signed copies of The Secret Daughter of Venice (Open to UK Only)
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter link below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Pickled Thoughts and Pinot 