Who were the Cozzolino Sisters?
Set in Naples, Italy, during World War II, three sisters must survive in the face of danger. Diana Giovinazzo returns to the historical genre in a lush and thrilling novel, perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and Elena Ferrante.
Naples, 1940. The three Cozzolino sisters, Leta, Marcella, and Bianca, live together in their small home during Mussolini’s domination. Leta runs the De Rosa dress shop, where she takes care of her mother-in-law while her husband is at war. Marcella is an apprentice to a midwife, bringing up the next generation of Italian soldiers, much to the pride of her boyfriend, who is inspired by Mussolini’s rule.
But when their youngest sister, Bianca, decides to join the partigiani—the Italian resistance—after her childhood sweetheart is sent to war, familial tensions are brought to light.
The sisters are soon at odds,
questioning where they stand in the war effort. When Leta’s old flame, Pasquale, asks if he can use the dress shop to send messages for the partigiani, she refuses. But when Naples is bombed, the sisters are forced to reevaluate their stances and how far they are willing to go for each other and their country.
With the threat of Nazism looming over the city after Mussolini is ousted, the Cozzolino sisters will have to confront what they are willing to sacrifice and their loyalties to each other and to their country.
This inspiring novel examines the true nature of sisterly bonds and what one will do to survive.
Praise for “Daughters of Naples”
“Daughter of Naples is a heartfelt story of three sisters navigating the perils of WWII-era Naples and illustrates the power of what women can accomplish together. Giovinazzo brings Italy to life in this beautiful story of sisterhood, reminding us that love offers hope, even in the darkest
of times.”
— Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book Society
“A fast paced and interesting World War II-era story of three Italian sisters, all of whom make different decisions as the war closes in around them and bombs begin to fall on their beloved Naples. They must choose whether to be partigiani–part of the Resistance–or to be loyal to the government, and not all of them make the same choice. When the Germans arrive, things grow even more perilous for Leta, Marcella and Bianca, each of whom suffers great loss and has to find strength in the darkness. The way the sisters support each other–even when they don't agree–makes for a compelling narrative, and the Neapolitan setting offers a less commonly seen view of the war.”
— Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author
“A powerful tribute to the unbreakable bond between sisters and a fascinating, nuanced exploration of Italy during World War II. Inspired by the real Italian women who risked everything to fight for their homeland, Diana Giovinazzo’s Daughters of Naples immerses readers in a richly detailed, propulsive story of family, romance, and resistance.”
— Erin Litteken, Internationally Bestselling Author of The Memory Keeper of Kyiv
“Diana Giovinazzo’s Daughters of Naples oozes with atmosphere as it drops us into the middle of Fascist Italy and then through the Second World War. Events and emotions that both bind the sisters and threaten to tear them apart pull at our heartstrings—we feel their heartache and cheer their determination in the face of staggering odds.
— Marty Wingate, USA Today Bestselling author of The German Sisters
“Diana Giovinazzo's World War II historical fiction novel, set in Naples, Italy, is a fast-paced saga of resistance, romance, and shifting loyalties. Told in alternating points of view, the story of the Cozzolino sisters–Leta, Bianca, and Marcella–and their wartime loves and losses, unfolds with page-turning drama . . . Inspired by real women working for the Italian resistance, this is a fresh, immersing read.”
— Suzanne Nelson, author of The Librarians of Lisbon
“An engrossing story focusing on women's lives in Italy under the clouds of Fascism and war, while also reminding us what it means to be sisters, through the best and worst of times.”
— M. B. Henry, author of All the Lights Above Us and Hold on to Tomorrow