Letters from Lucca by Kim Baccellia
History judges people by rumors. This novel asks us to judge them by their choices.
In this Letters From Lucca review, I expected a gentle historical romance built around mysterious letters and a trip to Italy. Instead, I found a deeply moving novel about courage, sacrifice, impossible choices, and the lasting scars war leaves on families across generations.
Here's why Letters From Lucca became much more than the historical mystery I expected.
About the Book
Letters From Lucca By Kim Baccellia
on February 2026
Genres: Dual Timelines, Historical Romance
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 345
On the heels of Sammi's grandmother’s whispered deathbed wish, a package of letters from Italy arrives at her post box.
Reading them makes Sammi recall whispers she heard in childhood of her grandmother’s wartime involvement, a past that Sammi's father and aunt would rather see remain closed.
As if things couldn't get any worse, her long-time boyfriend, Hunter, dumps her. However, an opportunity arises that sends her to Italy to defend her grandmother, even if the truth might shatter all she believes.
In a helpful twist, Joseph, her best friend’s Italian cousin, offers to help her. Despite the obvious growing attraction between Joseph and her, she tries to suppress it as she embarks on her mission to vindicate the grandmother she loves.
Reader Resources
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Review at a Glance
| Genre | Historical Fiction • Dual Timeline • Historical Romance • Family Saga |
| Setting | Present-day California and Lucca, Italy, with flashbacks to Nazi-occupied Italy during World War II |
| Length | 345 pages |
| Content Rating | PG-13 - Wartime violence, Nazi atrocities, executions, grief, and themes of betrayal and loss. |
| Ideal Reader | Readers who enjoy emotionally rich historical fiction, dual-timeline mysteries, courageous heroines, family secrets, and stories of hope and resilience. |
| My Rating | ★★★★★ (9.5/10 CAWPILE) |
Curious how I rate books? Read my full rating system here.
Quick Take: What begins as a granddaughter's search for answers becomes a powerful story of courage, sacrifice, and second chances. Letters From Lucca beautifully blends a compelling family mystery with the harsh realities of wartime Italy, reminding us that history is shaped not only by what happened, but by the choices people made when everything was at stake.
Content Considerations: This novel contains wartime violence and the realities of Nazi occupation, including executions, persecution, and the lasting emotional effects of war. Themes of grief, betrayal, survivor's guilt, and family secrets are woven throughout the story. The historical atrocities are portrayed with respect and purpose, emphasizing the human cost of war rather than graphic detail.
Here's why I think this story matters.
My Thoughts
When I first picked up Letters From Lucca, I expected an engaging historical romance with a touch of mystery. Sammi's failed relationship, a surprise inheritance, and a journey to Italy sounded like the beginning of a familiar story. I couldn't have been more mistaken.
What began as one woman's search for answers gradually became something far more profound-a moving exploration of courage, sacrifice, and the impossible choices ordinary people are forced to make during extraordinary times.
The dual timeline feels completely natural. While Sammi searches present-day Italy for evidence that might restore her grandmother's reputation, readers simultaneously witness Rosa's life during the Nazi occupation. Because we experience Rosa's story firsthand, we never question her character. Instead, we watch with growing heartbreak as events beyond her control become the rumors that follow her for decades.
That contrast creates the emotional tension that carries the novel. Sammi must defend a woman history has already judged, while readers understand just how incomplete that judgment has always been.
The parallels between the two timelines are beautifully woven together. Hunter and Valerio, Joseph and Pele, Sammi and Rosa each reflect different responses to love, loyalty, fear, and hope. Rather than repeating history, the novel asks whether each generation has the courage to choose differently.
What impressed me most wasn't the war itself-it was the people living through it. War is certainly present. The atrocities committed during the Nazi occupation are portrayed honestly and respectfully, never for spectacle. The war never overshadows the people living through it. Every difficult decision carries emotional weight because the story never lets us forget that history is experienced one family at a time.
One thought stayed with me throughout the novel: until people are placed in unimaginable circumstances, none of us truly knows how we would respond. Some characters choose compassion. Others choose self-preservation. A few surrender to fear. Those choices-not rumors or assumptions-ultimately define them.
I also appreciated that the novel resisted easy answers. Healing does not arrive simply because Sammi travels to Italy. Instead, understanding comes slowly, through painful discoveries, difficult conversations, and the willingness to confront truths her family had buried for generations. That journey felt genuine, making the emotional payoff all the more satisfying.
Somewhere in the second half of the novel, I realized this wasn't the story I thought I was reading. I anticipated an enjoyable historical mystery. Instead, I found myself deeply invested in Rosa's fate, Sammi's search for truth, and the quiet resilience woven throughout both women's stories. The final chapters brought me to tears-something that rarely happens anymore after hundreds of books.
When I closed the book, I realized Letters From Lucca had become much more than a historical mystery. History is never as simple as the stories passed from one generation to the next. By then, I wasn't just invested in uncovering Rosa's past-I was grieving alongside her and celebrating the resilience that carried hope through history's darkest moments. That's what made this story so powerful, and why it affected me far more deeply than I ever expected.
In Conclusion
Few novels have reminded me more clearly that history is often shaped by the stories people choose to tell-and just as often by the truths they leave behind. Through Rosa and Sammi, Kim Baccellia encourages readers to look beyond assumptions and discover the humanity behind every difficult choice.
This beautifully crafted novel combines family, mystery, romance, and history into a story that is both emotionally moving and ultimately hopeful. I was genuinely surprised by how deeply it affected me, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with heart, substance, and unforgettable characters.
For me, Letters From Lucca wasn't simply a story about World War II. It was a story about humanity, love, and the quiet perseverance that allows hope to survive even history's darkest chapters.
Related Reviews
Looking for more by Kim Baccellia? Here's my review of Candle in the Wind.
A Glimpse Inside Letters From Lucca
Curious about Kim Baccellia's writing style? Here's a brief excerpt.
2018
Hunter: Meet me tonight. 7. Crystal Cove.
Sammi: Looking forward to it.
Time crept by in slow motion at the Saddleback Postal Shop. I kept re-reading Hunter's message on my iPhone screen. The words staring back brought such a jumble of emotions. Excitement…anticipation…but also anxiety. He was insisting we meet later at Crystal Cove, an exclusive Newport Coast restaurant. Could this be it? What had I'd been hoping for? Fantasies of him leaning over the restaurant table with his adorable half-grin, asking me to marry him, collided with the task at hand.
With a sigh, I turned back to the counter. A shoebox sized package was shoved to the back. Delicate cursive writing spelled out my grandmother's mailbox number. Who wrote like that anymore? I couldn't help but feel a little sad, as handwriting had a beauty to it and I was someone who loved receiving something more tangible than a text.
The last name on the package, though, caught me off guard.
Santagostino.
My hands trembled, causing me to fumble the package. I knew that name. But where? I blinked twice and refocused.
My gaze flitted to the top.
Italia. Picturesque stamps of the legendary tower of Pisa and other Italian scenes stared back at me. Intrigued, I gave the package a shake. A light rustle answered back.
"Sammi, what's that?" Bev asked. I'd been so absorbed in what might be inside the package I hadn't heard her enter. She held a collection of colorful boxes and wrapping paper. Bev prided herself on having the shop with the most holiday flare. Her Christmas decorations were often posted in the daily Saddleback Valley News.
"Something for my grandmother." I shook it again.
Bev leaned in even closer, pointing at the postmark. "She knows someone in Italy?"
A painful memory materialized of being that scared eight-year-old girl sworn to secrecy after overhearing an adult accusation against a family member. An ugly word I'd known as a child.
Collaborator.
Interested in learning more about Kim Baccellia?
Meet the Author
About Kim Baccellia
Award-winning author Kim Baccellia is the author of five fantasy/paranormal young adult novels, Crossed Out, Crossed Fire, No More Goddesses, Goddesses Can Wait, and Earrings of Ixtumea.
Kim has had many jobs. She was a bilingual teacher; homeschooled her son; served on her local RWA charter board; a Cybil’s panelist; and even read the slush pile for an agency.
In her free time, Kim loves long walks, yoga, watching psychological horror movies, and reading lots of books that she loves to review for YA Books Central.
A member of Women’s Fiction Writer’s organization, Kim is currently putting the finishing touches on a historical set in 1943 Italy. She also is working on a historical with a Utah suffragette loosely based on her own ancestor Lucy Clark. Kim lives in Southern California with her husband, son, and cockatiel Damon.
Explore more from the author:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Letters From Lucca based on a true story?
While Letters From Lucca is a work of fiction, it is grounded in the real history of Nazi-occupied Italy during World War II. Kim Baccellia weaves authentic historical events and the realities of wartime resistance into a compelling story of family, courage, and survival.
Who would enjoy Letters From Lucca?
I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy emotionally rich historical fiction, dual-timeline stories, family mysteries, and strong female protagonists. If you appreciate novels that balance historical authenticity with hope and heartfelt relationships, this book is well worth your time.
Is Letters From Lucca more romance or historical fiction?
Although romance is an important part of the story, I found the historical mystery and family legacy to be the novel's true focus. The relationships enrich the narrative, but the heart of the book lies in uncovering the truth about Rosa's past and the choices that shaped generations of one family.
Happy reading-and thank you for supporting books that remind us why stories matter.
Tour dates: July 15-August 25, 2026. To see the full schedule of stops, visit the
Goddess Fish Promotions - Letters from Lucca Tour Page.
Giveaway
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