Book Review: "The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany" by Lori Nelson Spielman
“The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany” by Lori Nelson Spielman
Synopsis: Since the day Filomena Fontana cast a curse upon her sister more than two hundred years ago, not one second-born Fontana daughter has found lasting love. Some, like second-born Emilia, the happily-single baker at her grandfather's Brooklyn deli, claim it's an odd coincidence. Others, like her sexy, desperate-for-love cousin Lucy, insist it's a true hex. But both are bewildered when their great-aunt calls with an astounding proposition: If they accompany her to her homeland of Italy, Aunt Poppy vows she'll meet the love of her life on the steps of the Ravello Cathedral on her eightieth birthday, and break the Fontana Second-Daughter Curse once and for all.
Against the backdrop of wandering Venetian canals, rolling Tuscan fields, and enchanting Amalfi Coast villages, romance blooms, destinies are found, and family secrets are unearthed--secrets that could threaten the family far more than a centuries-old curse.
Rating: 4
Trigger warnings: miscarriage, cancer
Review: Italy is one of my absolute favorite places on the planet — I am lucky enough that I have had two absolutely magical trips there (and one work trip that was just okay…), and it’s at the top of my “to visit” list whenever we are allowed to leave the United States again. Reading “The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany” made that desire even stronger, as I genuinely felt like I was traveling through the countryside with Emilia, Lucy, and Poppy. I miss pasta and wine and strangers and Venice and the magic of travel serendipity. Now that I’ve sufficiently bummed you out, too, let me talk about this book that I genuinely enjoyed.
While I do love a good book about “real magic” (i.e., Ninth House, Addie LaRue), I also enjoy a book about small magic — a small curse, a blip in the cosmos, something that is just accepted but not exceptional unless it directly impacts you. In this case, it’s small enough that it only impacts the second daughters of a small Tuscan family, and these women are destined to be alone and childless forever. Emilia, the family baker and all-around dependable good girl, has just accepted this as a basis of her existence, and she doesn’t actively try to end the curse. Enter: estranged Aunt Poppy.
Poppy, another second daughter, reaches out to Emilia after decades of silence, and invites her and her cousin Lucy on the adventure of a lifetime — a trip to Italy that ends with the curse being broken on the steps of a cathedral in Ravello. Emilia, acting entirely out of character, decides to take her up on this offer, and in doing so, uncovers some big family secrets, some small truths about herself, and of course, ends up happy at the end of this tome.
It’s a great conceit for a plot, and I definitely believe that there are some generational curses making their way down through Italian family trees. I am often critical of books that fall back on the two intersecting storylines that meander through the past and present, culminating in a big reveal — it was clever at first, but now it seems commonplace in a specific genre of historical fiction. I do think it works here, and it really does contribute to the story. Poppy is circumspect with Emilia (and Lucy) about what exactly has caused the schism between her and her sister (Emilia’s grandmother), as well as exactly why she’s convinced she can break this centuries old curse. Throughout their travels, Poppy shares more, and we get to see her perspective as a young girl — learning about everything at the “same time” that Emilia does. It’s a lovely way to spin out this story, and honestly, I was a little bit surprised as we came to the end of the book.
In addition to family drama, there’s a touch of romance as Emilia and Lucy both find themselves in Italy, and we get to live through Poppy’s great love and courtship with her as she tells her tale to her great-nieces. However, this is almost secondary to the plot; the main focus is on unraveling the family secret and breaking the curse, once and for all. If I had to choose a preferred story line, I’d say Emilia’s — which surprises me, a little bit. I usually think that the historical stories are preferable because I read to get out of my own head, but I loved Emilia. I wanted to give her a hug and tell her everything was going to be okay as the book began, and then I wanted to invite myself over for a glass of wine to chat with her at the end of the book.
TL:DR : Not to sound like Stefan, but this book has a little bit of everything: travel, curses, family drama, romance, baked goods, and drunken nights out at the hottest club in Venice. This is a great cozy winter read that will make you long for warm days in the Italian countryside and may be pick up the phone to call your mom and make sure there’s no secrets hiding in your family.
If You Liked This, Try These:
“Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop” by Roselle Lim (Bookshop | Kindle | my review)
“Oona Out of Order” by Marguerita Montimore (Bookshop | Kindle | My Review)
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