This was a book club selection for me – while it definitely is the kind of thing I enjoy (hello, Kate Morton novels), this one wouldn’t have been on my radar at all. The novel alternates chapters between Sara, a chef in Philadelphia with a failed restaurant and a failed marriage, and her great-grandmother Serafina, a young mother in early 20th century Sicily (spanning 1908-1925 to be exact).
Sara’s beloved great-aunt Rosie has died and part of her last will is to send Sara off on an adventure to Sicily to find out the truth behind Serafina’s death (they were told it was the flu), and also help Sara get out off her depression.
While family history as deified Serafina as the perfect and patient wife and mother figure, Sara soon discovers that in the small town, her legacy is very different – remembered as a witch and whore. Of course the truth is something far different from both versions.
Dual narratives tend to have one part that is stronger than the other, and it’s usually the modern day half of the story that struggles. This one was no exception – I was more interested in the historical side of things while Sara and that whole story were a bit tedious. The novel kicks off with a prologue set during Sara’s timeline (2016) with her at a police station saying she killed a man. It’s definitely a hook to start but it also felt kind of unnecessary to the book as a whole. Sara was so boring to follow that her paranoia and fear are tedious vs creating tension. It definitely doesn’t deliver on the thriller part of its genre tags, and I think the book would have been better skipping all that extra drama.
I enjoyed the historical part and think I would have been happier if this had just been straight historical fiction. However, I would also say, even having enjoyed the historical part of the story set in early 20th century Sicily, it did feel like a pretty familiar narrative/story. One of the more interesting themes was when it explored how women gained responsibilities with all the men working either on the mainland or in America was interesting, and how potential reuniting with spouses would impact their new won freedoms.
The novel draws some parallels between the two women as well, focusing on the sexism they both face and the importance of reproductive control and choices.
So, overall a decent enough read but not anything new and surprising.