The Cypress Maze

De: Fiona Valpy

Narrado por: Henrietta Meire, Ruth Redman

In this haunting tale from the bestselling author of The Storyteller of Casablanca, Beatrice kept a wartime secret to protect the innocent. Now, could telling it set her free?

Tuscany, 1943. Stranded in war-ravaged Italy, Beatrice’s dream of an escapist year teaching English is shattered. Granted shelter at the Villa delle Colombe, she seeks refuge in Francesca and Edoardo’s beautiful walled garden, hidden from the outside world, with an elaborate cypress maze at its heart.

But Beatrice is not the only one seeking an escape here. Francesca has brought children to the safety of the house, as well as other adults, all of them seeking sanctuary on the estate with its mysterious maze. As the war closes in, the residents are forced to witness—and do—unthinkable things…

2015. Tess arrives at the villa raw from the agonising loss of her husband. Beatrice, now custodian, guides her to the solace of its gardens, where Tess begins to heal. But all hope of peace is shattered by the arrival of Marco, the estate’s absent owner, who wants nothing more than to hand it over to developers.

Distraught, Beatrice realises she must finally reveal the villa’s painful past if she wants to save it. As the extraordinary story unfolds, Tess realises that Villa delle Colombe is not just a refuge, but a beacon of hope in the darkest of times. Can she convince Marco to give it a new lease of life—and find a way back to happiness herself?

©2023 Fiona Valpy (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A poignant, luminous tale.”—Woman's Own

"Valpy’s writing is beautiful, and she makes this villa, with its spectacular garden and, especially, the cypress maze at the heart of it, come to life.”—Historical Novels Review

So good!

The best characters and great lessons in life! “Grief is just love that has no where to go. “

What a beautiful story!

Totally enthralled by the the two intertwining stories. I only wish there would’ve been better closure to Alberto’s fate.

Beautiful story

I enjoyed the story, I just found Tess's character a bit 'winey' and the narrators voice a bit irritating at times.

A full box of tissue needed by me.

A wonderful yet painful story. The narration was excellent, too. I'm now an unwilling widow and my story was similar yet much different. But I could certainly feel Tess's pain and the emptiness enveloping her and the need to try to hold on to what was. It can be very hard to let go.
And here now the world is once again divided by antisemitism and hate. Never would I have believed this would be even remotely possible. I think hatred is taught or caught. I hope love and kindness can be taught/caught even more powerfully. 💔

𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤! 𝐈 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐢 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞! 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝-𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.

A new take on WW2 in Italy.

A villa where the owners welcome the needy and the great care they give to each other despite the evil around the.

Beautiful narration

This was beautifully narrated and hauntingly sad. If you are a fan of historical fiction this was lovely and not as heavy as some others I have read. A good PG rated - WWII tale. I loved the point of view of what happened to the many children displaced or orphaned during those terrible years.

This is a beautifully written book

I loved this book because of it WW2 background and the scenery that the author lays out and describes so beautifully

The imagery of the landscapes presented from the story.

Did not care for the narrator of Tess - a little too overdramatic and hysterical at times.

The story was so interesting.

I enjoyed the historical factor. It gave me a better understanding of Italy and their struggles through the war years. I was surprised at the intertwining of the side stories of the allies. It was a deeply touching story.