In 1970 Gina Bianchi returns to Portofino to attend her father’s funeral, accompanied by her troubled twenty-four-year-old daughter, Hope. There, Gina is beset by vivid memories of World War 2, a time when she fought with the Italian Resistance and her twin sister, Adele, worked for the Germans.
In her childhood bedroom, Gina reads Adele’s diary, left behind during the war. As Gina learns the devastating truth about her sister, she’s compelled to face the harsh brutality of her own past. Will she finally lay her demons to rest, or will they end up destroying her and the family she loves?
A hauntingly epic read that will sweep you away to the beauty of the Italian Riviera and the rugged mountains of its hinterland. “The Girl from Portofino” is a story about heart-wrenching loss and uplifting courage, love, loyalty, and secrets untold.
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MY THOUGHTS
Gina Bianchi may come from Italy, but she has been living in England with her husband, Vinnie, and her 24-year-old daughter Hope. Hope is a matter of great concern for Gina, for she fell in with the wrong crowd, and her use of drugs is something Gina cannot control or seem to do anything about. When Gina learns of her father’s passing, her brother asks her to return to Portofino to attend the funeral, but Portofino holds memories that Gina does not particularly want to face, and besides, she cannot leave Hope without supervision.
Taking Hope along with her, Gina finds herself travelling the roads she knew so well and arriving in her childhood hometown. There is something she has kept hidden from Hope, something that seems inevitable to resurface, and that is the existence of her twin sister, who went to work for the Germans as Gina joined the Resistance. But, in the form of a diary her sister kept, Gina delves into the truth of her sister’s life, her sister’s words taking her back to her own life during the war.
This novel is told from two perspectives, in two times. We mainly follow Gina in 1970, as she learns about her sister’s life, and gets to know Portofino again. We also get Gina’s perspective during the war, as she joins the Resistance with her best friend, and fights, not only for her life, but for her country. Another perspective is that of Adele, Gina’s sister. There is never a chapter from Adele’s point of view, but we get her thoughts and feelings through her diary entries, where she bares her soul and hides away her worries.
As Gina slowly learns that not everything she thought she knew about her sister is true, she finds herself remembering her time as part of the Italian Resistance. Gina was an incredibly strong young woman. She grew up a tomboy, so she had no trouble living rough, exerting herself, or putting in her due work. As with all the Resistance, she changes her name, becomes Elsa, and fights to save her country. On the other hand, Adele was never a tomboy like Gina. As twins, they may look the same, but their personalities could not be more different. All Gina knows, is that while she was fighting, Adele was working for the Germans, working against Italy. But, the truth has a way of coming out, and through reading her diary, Gina slowly pieces together the truth.
I loved both Gina and Adele. They are both brave in their own way, and they were both a joy to read about. They are both the kind of characters you cannot help but root for, hoping that everything will turn out alright for them. I must say, I wasn’t entirely sure about how I felt about Hope throughout the entirety of this novel. She is 24, and everyone tells Gina to let her make her own choices, that she is old enough to figure things out for herself, but the way Hope acts suggests she needs Gina to look after her, as she doesn’t seem to be able to do so herself.
This book is full of history, both in good ways and bad. You can practically see Portofino, feel the sun on your back, but you can also hear the sounds of gunfire. The Resistance didn’t have it easy, but rather, their entire existence was a struggle, whether finding places safe to sleep, or food to stay alive. And the Germans were less than sympathetic for their cause. They burned, destroyed and killed. Even innocents, people who had simply allowed the Resistance to stay within their village, and offered them something to eat, were not safe. The destruction depicted within these pages is enough to make you shed a tear for those who lost their lives, and if not that, everything else.
A character I particularly liked was Enzo, an English soldier who escaped capture and joined the Resistance. He is lovely to Gina, and as they grow closer, a romance blossoms. In such a place as the Italian Resistance, romance seems almost impossible, but when love strikes, it seems it is impossible to ignore it. Enzo and Gina reminded me a lot of Lidia and David from The Girl from Venice, another book in this series of stand-alone novels. Their circumstances of meeting are alike, and both romances were wonderful to read about.
If you have read The Girl From Venice, this is a must-read. If you have not, but you are a fan of World War Two history, or anything with an Italian background, you should absolutely grab a copy of this book and get to reading.
I am so glad you enjoyed The Girl From Portofino.
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Mary Anne
The Coffee Pot Book Club
So pleased you enjoyed "The Girl from Portofino"!
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