Ciao Bella: A Novel Book

A romantic historical novel set in the rustic hills of Northern Italy during the aftermath of World War II, in the spirit of Louis de Bernieres' Corelli's Mandolin

Publishers Weekly

In the follow-up to their duo debut, The Sidewalk Artist, Buonaguro and Kirk follow Graziella Nevicato, a small-town Venetian woman who has all but given up hope that her husband Ugo will return from WWII. Though death in battle is a great honor-even for the four sisters he leaves behind, forced to plan his funeral after a seven-month absence-his wife, born Grace Forrest in Toronto, feels marooned among people who have never fully accepted her. That's when Frank, an American with a broken-down motorcycle, appears at her gates. Frank, unlike Grace, is quickly adopted by the town-Grace's father-in-law even mistakes him for his own son-and gives Grace a reason to hope for love and a normal life again. As both a grieving widow and a fish out of water, Grace is an affecting character with well-articulated values; unfortunately, Frank proves little more than a cipher, rendering a late-breaking plot twist inert.
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