Covered in a tumble of climbing roses and surrounded by lavish gardens, the Villa Aria stands as a symbol of hope for the people of Cortona. But if the secrets hidden behind its walls ever come to light, the peaceful village could be torn apart…

Italy, 1939. Vivi stands in the courtyard of her beloved Villa Aria, smiling as little Francesca runs barefoot through the garden. But the spectre of war is looming. Vivi decides to put the safety of her community before her own happiness and opens the doors of the Villa Aria to shelter the most vulnerable villagers from the fighting. Then Vivi mysteriously vanishes…

1953. Fran takes in the sweep of the cypress trees that lead to the beautiful ruins of the Villa Aria. She can’t help thinking of the glamorous, kind woman who watched her play as a child. And she’s determined to discover what happened to Vivi at the end of the war.

Fran walked out on the eve of her wedding in New York to chase her past in Italy. But she didn’t expect to discover a forbidden love affair – and a secret so shocking it might change everything she knows about who she is.

Whatever happened to Vivi at the Villa Aria all those years ago was no accident. But can Fran find the courage to untangle a tragic love triangle that plagued the villa? And will she finally uncover what happened to Vivi and lay the ghosts of her childhood to rest?

From bestselling author Ella Carey comes an utterly heart-wrenching and gripping World War Two historical novel that will transport you straight to the Tuscan countryside.