The Da Calvi Legacy

Cristi Jenkins is leading a quiet life as a primary school teacher in a small village on the coast of West Wales. Stuck in this familiar backwater, she feels her life is going nowhere. Then, out of the blue, she receives a mysterious letter bearing an Italian postmark...

Cristi knows her only link to Italy is a tenuous one – the mother she never really knew, and definitely can’t remember. Yet her story is about to become inextricably linked to that of the Da Calvi family – four brothers torn apart by war, and an unbreakable bond between two young boys forged years before.

In modern day Italy, Seb Luce is the attractive Italian lawyer entrusted with Ennio Da Calvi’s affairs. The file appeals to his curiosity and determination to find answers to the questions left by an intriguing legacy…

What does all of this mean for Cristi, what decisions will she face, and is this a chance for her to find out who she really is?

Judith Barclay was born and bred in Goodwick, Pembrokeshire. She has a degree in education from the University of Nottingham and started writing seriously after retiring from a career in teaching. She enjoys walking, reading psychological thrillers and has travelled extensively all over Europe, and in Africa and Asia. She has held a lifelong passion for Italy and all things Italian and was inspired to write this book by her research into the history of the mass immigration and integration of Italians into Wales from the late nineteenth century. Judith has twin daughters, Emily and Joanna, and lives in Derbyshire with her husband, Chris.

Customer Reviews

5.0

2 reviews

Chris

I really loved reading this beautiful and refreshing novel, quite different from any other book I have read, and what a marvellous first publication it is by an exciting new author! Judith very deftly brings together two seemingly unconnected events that take place in West Wales and Central Italy. This is a fascinating blend of historical fact and fiction that unites two quite different families. I was hooked from the opening sentence, and couldn't put the book down until it was finished - you just keep on wanting to find out what happens next. Judith is clearly very passionate both about her own upbringing in West Wales, and the strong connections that she built up with Italy and its people up over many years. The story is not only wholly original but is also very authentic and plausible, and obviously well-researched. Judith's vivid descriptions bring her characters to life, so much so that you begin to feel that you know them personally - she really does deserve every success. The book has been so well-written - a fine effort indeed.
Christopher Thorp

I really loved reading this beautiful and refreshing novel, quite different from any other book I have read, and what a marvellous first publication it is by an exciting new author! Judith very deftly brings together two seemingly unconnected events that take place in West Wales and Central Italy. This is a fascinating blend of historical fact and fiction that unites two quite different families. I was hooked from the opening sentence, and couldn't put the book down until it was finished - you just keep on wanting to find out what happens next. Judith is clearly very passionate both about her own upbringing in West Wales, and the strong connections that she built up with Italy and its people up over many years. The story is not only wholly original but is also very authentic and plausible, and obviously well-researched. Judith's vivid descriptions bring her characters to life, so much so that you begin to feel that you know them personally - she really does deserve every success. The book has been so well-written - a fine effort indeed.

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Customer Reviews

2 reviews

Chris

Christopher Thorp

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