Stars in an Italian Sky

Chapter 1

Genoa, Italy

Then

Giovanna's heart leapt every time the door to her father's tailor shop opened.

It was only six months ago that she, her father, and Faustina had returned from Saluzzo, where they'd spent most of the war. In the autumn of 1942, after a bomb blew out the windows in their shop and in their home above it, her father had boarded up the windows, taken what he could, and brought them all to the farmhouse his parents shared with his brother, Enzo, and his family in the mountain town where he was born.

When they came back to Genoa nearly three years later, they weren't sure they'd be able to open the shop again. The boards across the windows had been splintered, the floor covered in dirt and debris. Bombs had rained down on the city while they were away.

As they had stood staring at the shattered wood and chunks of glass and stone, Faustina spotted a half-destroyed piece of paper crumpled under the rubble-it looked like it had been there for years-and bent down to work it free. "A propaganda leaflet," she'd said, "from the Allied forces: The government in Rome says: the war goes on. This is why our bombing goes on." Faustina shook her head. "The government in Rome cost us our shop."

"It's not so bad," Giovanna had said softly, walking over to her sister and running her fingers across the leaves carved into the counter, which was still standing at the back of the shop. Her fingertips came away covered in soot and dust.

Federico had wrapped an arm around each of his daughters. "The war is over," he'd said then, kissing first Faustina on the top of her head and then Giovanna. "We are still here."
 
"Are our customers?" Faustina had asked.
 
Federico sighed. "We'll see, won't we?"


And they had seen. Their customers had slowly come back, some looking to have their clothing remade to fit bodies that had become leaner during wartime, some wanting skirts tapered to look fashionable again,

Jill Santopolo is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Light We Lost, More Than Words, and Everything After. Her work has been translated into more than thirty-five languages. She received a BA from Columbia University and an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is also the author of three successful children's and young-adult series and works as the associate publisher of Philomel Books. Santopolo travels the world to speak about writing and storytelling. A New Yorker at heart, Santopolo is currently living in Washington, D.C.
 

A USA Today Top Must-Read New Book
A Zibby Owens Most Anticipated Book of 2023
A New York Post Best New Book
An AARP Best New Book

Santopolo writes heartbreak like no other, and Stars in an Italian Sky is both masterful and unforgettable." Emily Giffin, author of Meant to Be

"A shimmering love story for the ages .Stars in an Italian Sky is about the course of fate, the meaning of family and the power of love. Bellissima!" Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone

"A poignant tale of love, loss, class, and fate, brimming with the colorful spirit of Italy and infused with the hopefulness of true love written in the stars." Kristin Harmel, author of The Book of Lost Names and The Winemaker s Wife

"Sensual, heartfelt, and incredibly moving, Santopolo s latest will bring you to tears." Fiona Davis, author of The Magnolia Palace

"I was swept away .You ll savor this story like fine wine!" Lisa Scottoline, author of Loyalty

Filled with longing and romance, this book is a love letter to the human heart, and a testimony to the timelessness of true and lasting love. Allison Pataki, author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post

"Santopolo skillfully weaves two love stories in which passionate and idealistic young couples contend with class differences, tension between their personal desires and familial obligations, and the ongoing ramifications of decisions made by earlier generations .Sure to tug at readers heartstrings." Publishers Weekly
 
A romantic, sweeping story that s satisfying and heartbreaking at the same time. Kirkus Review
 
A warm, poignant story of enduring love and loss .The perfect read for those who long to travel! Rhys Bowen, author of The Tuscan Child and The Venice Sketchbook

Powerful, emotional, and steeped in beauty and romance .Santopolo has written a sweeping story brimming with passion that will whisk you straight to an Italian vineyard. Ann Mah, author of The