The Sicilian Inheritance: A Novel

From bestselling author and award-winning journalist, Jo Piazza, comes a transporting novel rooted in the author's own family history about a long-awaited trip to Sicily, a disputed inheritance, and a family secret that some will kill to protect…

Sara Marsala barely knows who she is anymore after the failure of her business and marriage. On top of that, her beloved great-aunt Rosie passes away, leaving Sara bereft with grief. But Aunt Rosie's death also opens an escape from her life and window into the past by way of a plane ticket to Sicily, a deed to a possibly valuable plot of land and a bombshell family secret. Rosie believes Sara's great-great-grandmother, Serafina, the family matriarch who was left behind while her husband worked in America, didn’t die of illness, as family lore has it…she was murdered.

Thus begins a twist-filled adventure that takes Sara all over the picturesque Italian countryside, as she races to solve a mystery and prove her birthright. Flashing back to the past, we meet Serafina, a feisty and headstrong young woman in the early 1900s thrust into motherhood in her teens, who fought for a better life not just for herself, but for all the women of her small village. Unsurprisingly, it isn’t long before a woman challenging the status quo finds herself in danger.

As Sara discovers more about Serafina she also realizes she is coming head-to-head against the same menacing forces that took down her great-grandmother. At once an immersive multigenerational mystery and an ode to the undaunted heroism of everyday women, The Sicilian Inheritance is an atmospheric, page-turning delight.

About the Author

Jo Piazza is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author. Her work has been published in ten languages and twelve countries, and four of her books have been optioned for film and television. Jo's podcasts have garnered more than 25 million downloads and regularly top podcast charts, and her work has appeared in Marie Claire, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, New York Magazine, Glamour, Elle, Time, Daily Beast, and Slate.

Author Residence: Philadelphia, PA

Author Hometown: Philadelphia, PA