The Italian Girl

From the bestselling author of The Light After the War comes an unforgettable story of courage, love, and resistance as one young woman risks everything to protect the world’s greatest treasures from the Nazis.

Rome,1943. Marina Tozzi has always found refuge in art. Working beside her beloved father in their gallery, she escapes the brutal realities of Nazi occupation and earns recognition as a gifted art expert in her own right. But beneath the quiet beauty of paintings and sculptures, danger is closing in. Unknown to Marina, her father has been hiding a Jewish artist in their basement — a secret that costs him his life.

When Marina returns home to find Vittorio murdered by a German officer, her world shatters. Grief-stricken and hunted, she flees to Florence, seeking sanctuary with Bernard Berenson, the renowned American art historian who once owed her father everything. Hidden within his magnificent villa and surrounded by priceless masterpieces, Marina begins cataloguing Berenson’s vast collection while secretly burning for revenge.

Then she meets Carlos, a charismatic young artist fighting with the partisans against the Nazis. Drawn into the underground resistance, Marina discovers her knowledge of art could become a weapon. In a daring mission, she risks her life to save an irreplaceable masterpiece from Nazi looters — proving herself willing to sacrifice everything for a cause greater than herself.

But as war rages around them and Marina falls deeply in love with Carlos, tragedy strikes again when he suddenly disappears without explanation. Heartbroken yet determined, Marina embarks on a journey that will take her across continents in search of the truth, forcing her to confront the past in order to reclaim her future.

Richly atmospheric and emotionally powerful, this gripping historical novel celebrates the resilience of the human spirit, the enduring power of art, and the extraordinary bravery of those who fought to preserve beauty in humanity’s darkest hour.

‘Inspiring, heartbreaking and full of courage, The Italian Girl is a stunning work of historical fiction. Abriel has delivered a compelling story that you won’t be able to put down … This is one WWII historical you won’t want to miss.’ Better Reading