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.

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!

Strong Women in Sicily

Descriptive and inspiring stories of the lives of Sicilian women. A very well-researched novel.

A Wonderful Story

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and didn't want to stop listening. A feel good entertaining book.

Riveting story from beginning to end!

Wonderfully written story. A must read. The narrations were well as well. I would recommend this book.

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.

An Intergenerational, International Tale of Resilience and Love

This is such an engaging and entertaining story on the surface, with perfect pacing and tone. And normally once I read (listen) to a book, I move on. But this is also so compelling that I am still thinking about it, and in that reflection, its depths are becoming revealed to me in terms of the (hidden, often unacknowledged) value of women historically… the expectations, and the penalty for not upholding them… how in some ways, not much has changed. And yet, just as family recipes are passed down, or maybe even certain eye colors, so too are things resilience. I know I’m going to continue to think about this book and find more themes… I might even have to go back and listen again (or, gasp, read in print)!! (This, dear reader, is never done normally…) I hope you, too, enjoy this beautiful story!!

Beautiful

Such a good listen. I felt like I was taken along on this fun and empowering adventure.

Well written and great character development!

Such a great story and insight into life for Sicilian women (and women in general) but it does take a slightly unbelievable turn at the end. Although slightly far fetched it was overall well done!

It should have been more interesting, but….

I love historical novels, and I thought this would be a fascinating subject. It is, but, perhaps it was the writing, the tone, it managed to be dull.  I think it may have been the narrator who sounded a bit like a high school cheerleader. halfway through I had to stop and go to the very last chapter just to find out what had happened.