The Sicilian Inheritance

A Novel

By: Jo Piazza

Narrated by: Rachel F. Hirsch, Carlotta Brentan

Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

From bestselling author and award-winning journalist Jo Piazza, comes a transporting novel rooted in the author’s own family history about a long-awaited trip to Sicily, a disputed inheritance, and a family secret that some will kill to protect . . .

Sara Marsala barely knows who she is anymore after the failure of her business and marriage. On top of that, her beloved great-aunt Rosie passes away, leaving Sara bereft with grief. But Aunt Rosie’s death also opens an escape from her life and a window into the past by way of a plane ticket to Sicily, a deed to a possibly valuable plot of land, and a bombshell family secret. Rosie believes Sara’s great-grandmother Serafina, the family matriarch who was left behind while her husband worked in America, didn’t die of illness as family lore has it . . . she was murdered.

Thus begins a twist-filled adventure that takes Sara all over the picturesque Italian countryside as she races to solve a mystery and learn the story of Serafina—a feisty and headstrong young woman in the early 1900s thrust into motherhood in her teens, who fought for a better life not just for herself but for all the women of her small village. Unsurprisingly the more she challenges the status quo, the more she finds herself in danger.

As Sara discovers more about Serafina, she also realizes she is coming head-to-head with the same menacing forces that took down her great-grandmother. At once an immersive multigenerational mystery and an ode to the undaunted heroism of everyday women, The Sicilian Inheritance is an atmospheric, binge-worthy delight.

©2024 Jo Piazza (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Jo Piazza's book is a charming page turner packed with wit and wicked twists that will keep readers engrossed”—Town & Country, "The 45 Must-Read Books of Spring 2024"

“[T]he stories are inextricably bound, most effectively through the way Piazza writes about the universal experience of what it means to be a woman and a mother. Fans of historical fiction, women’s fiction, and mystery novels will be equally dazzled.”—Kirkus (starred review)

“Piazza offers mystery and romance and great questions about who does what work in society and why . . . Smart, adventurous, and impossible to put down.”—Booklist (starred review)

"A Journey to the Boot of Italy, With Murder, Romance and Ricotta . . . By Page 53, I put the book down, but not for long. I simply had to go online and search for flights to Italy. . . . Here, Sicily shimmers off the page, utterly enticing — azure waters for swimming, hunky Italian chefs . . . I enjoyed Piazza’s twisty narrative and complicated characters, especially her contemporary women, who are strong and feisty — not so different from Updike’s lost, lusty Rabbit. It was a joy to read about Piazza’s heroines loving hard, eating well and blowing themselves kisses in the mirror."
—The New York Times

"A murder, a mysterious inheritance, and the backdrop of Italy? Sign us up!"
—Cosmopolitan

A great adventure

Wonderful story. Excellent narrators. I especially loved the descriptions of food. I had been looking forward to this release for a while, and it was worth the wait.

A true adventure

It’s like I went on an adventure while listening to this book. It was fun and addictive and makes me want to board the next flight to Italy.

The best read ever!

This could’ve been the fictional story of my great grandparents except they were from Ukrainian area of Russia. The manner in which they were raised, and the values taught were so immensely similar! What they lacked in material wealth they had tenfold in stamina, fierce love, and loyalty. This is my #1 favorite book that we have read in book club, which I joined in 2015! Well done, Jo Piazza!!!👏👏👏

Fantastic!!

This story was told so well! It was captivating from the get go. The details of each character and the country were so well thought out. Bravo to Jo Piazza!

book of the summer!!!

I loved the Juicy character, loved the readers, loved the ending of the book! recommend!

Captivating story lines

So well written, I couldn’t put it down, found myself wondering what would happen next. It really felt like you could taste Sicily. Ives the depth of the characters and how the author really did her research for this time period.

Enjoyable and educational

This book opened my eyes to what the women of Sicily and Sicilians in general went through in the early 20th century. It helped me better understand why so many Sicilians came to the US during that time.

Certain parts of the story felt a bit cheesy at times, but it was still interesting, with lots of colorful characters.

And the narrators were great. I liked that the Italian woman's story was narrated by someone with an Italian accent.

Fascinating story with an unexpected feminist story line

I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator and a glimpse into the life of Sicilian women and their community

Great story

this book has everything. I didn't want it to end. the only bad thing is now I'm really wanting to go back to Sicily soon.

Clever Mystery and Fascinating Historical Fiction

4.25 stars for the Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza. This was a super fun and quick read for me! It's told in dual timelines (1908 & current day) and begins with the main character, Sara, inheriting a property in Sicily from her beloved Aunt Rosie. Upon arriving in Sicily she also learns that her deceased Aunt had other plans for bequeathing this property to her which include uncovering what happened to her mother, Serafina, decades ago in Sicily where she was murdered and the case was never solved. Sara, a chef and divorcee, has little interest in anything other than selling the property to pay for lawyers and retain custody of her daughter but becomes entangled in the story of what happened to her Great Aunt Serafina and the mystery is slowly unraveled. I loved all of the historical aspects about Sicily especially the cultural and political bits and how this little island was forced to become part of Italy in 1861. The mafia and the mines and farmers were all worked into the story with a deft touch and it felt very natural. The mystery of what happened to Serafina kept me turning the pages and built a lot of tension in the read. I thought the characters both present day and past to be colorful and affecting. One of the main themes of the book is what it is like to be a mother and want something more for yourself and the sacrifices mother's make for their children. I have huge respect for how the author wove that into the story. I only deducted a star because I personally would have changed something in the ending but I can almost bet most readers will be satisfied with it the way it is. Really exceptional read and one of my favorite books this year!