Time to close out the weekend, and what better way than with a new book for you to while away a summer day? With that purpose in mind, may I introduce the third book in the Paradiso series, currently on tour with Rachel's Random Resources. I read the first novel about two years ago, and still remember my time in the Italian countryside, as well as the wonderful characters introduced, so it's great to see the series still thriving! KEEP READING for that bookish introduction, and be sure to check out the special GUEST POST from the author herself!
The Daughter of Paradiso
by
Francesca Scanacapra
About the book...
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.
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~~~ GUEST POST ~~~
The Road to Paradiso
...with Author Francesca Scanacapra
My paternal great-grandfather, Amilcare Scanacapra, was born in the late 1800s in a tiny rural village in Lombardy, Italy. His beginnings were very humble and at the age of thirteen, rather than going to work on the land as most boys did, he became a builder’s apprentice. Through a combination of hard work and sound business sense, he did well and after WW2 was able to build two properties for himself in his native village – one in which to live and the other to rent out to finance his retirement.
I have many childhood memories of the two houses, in particular the one inhabited by my great-grandfather. To modern eyes, they would seem basic at best, but at the time they were built, their heating systems and bathrooms would have been considered rather fancy.
Amilcare Scanacapra died in 1978, leaving one house to my grandfather and the other to my great aunt. The properties were almost identical, but he did not specify which of his children was to have which house. I recall vividly when at the age of five I was asked to decide. Two slips of paper, one naming each property, were placed folded up in my great-grandfather’s hat. My task was to pick out the slips and attribute one to my grandfather and one to my great aunt. It was like a lucky dip. I remember wishing very, very hard that I would pick my great-grandfather’s home for my grandfather as that was the house I knew and to which I had a connection. Fate smiled upon that little girl and her wish came true.
For many years the house remained uninhabited. My grandfather had moved to another region and only returned occasionally to visit friends and family. Every so often I would accompany him. Staying in the house was one step up from camping, but I always enjoyed our visits. When my grandfather retired, he had a little renovation work done and made a couple of rooms more comfortable. He would stay for a few weeks every year when the weather was fine and spend his time catching up with friends and family. His final visit was in 2002, following which the empty property began to fall into a state of disrepair.
Although I very rarely went back to the house, it often crossed my mind. I can’t quite pinpoint when or why I first thought of writing about it, but in 2015, whilst living in England, I began to put together ideas for my first novel set in a tiny village in rural Lombardy, the main focus of which was a family home based on my great-grandfather’s house. I called the house, and subsequently the novel, Paradiso.
Fast forward to 2021, when both Paradiso and its sequel, Return to Paradiso, had been published. I was living in England and I still enduring the drudgery of a day job. I could only dream of the day when I would be able to write full time. During a wholly unrelated conversation, my mother made a casual remark about me moving back to Italy and referred to my great-grandfather’s house. It would need a lot of work to make it habitable, she said, but it was in a lovely location and it was a pity to have such a beautiful house standing empty. I can’t be certain what else my mother said as my mind was already racing. Two days later, the decision to move was officially made. It took my husband and me six weeks to close our business, pack up our English life and move to Italy.
The house had deteriorated significantly since the last time I had seen it, some twenty years previously. Only two rooms were just about usable. The heating and hot water systems were archaic. The damp and mould were horrendous. Woodworm had been in residence for years. The garden was growing into the house. None of this mattered, and we moved straight in.
I am, rather conveniently, married to a builder, and as he began single-handedly to tackle the renovation of our ‘Paradiso’, I dedicated myself to writing full time. Eighteen months after our madcap move, we are living very comfortably in part of the house. The renovation of the rest is a work in progress and it will take a few more years, but we have no schedule or deadlines. During this time I have written two new novels and a third is close to completion. Writing in the very place the stories are set provides constant inspiration.
Hardly a day goes by where I am not filled with wonder at how serendipitously circumstances can turn. I like to think that my great-grandfather, Amilcare Scanacapra, smiles down at us occasionally. I know that he would be very pleased to see his house being appreciated, lovingly restored and filled with life once again.
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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.
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Special thanks to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as to the author for the special guest post. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today.
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
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