The Sicilian Inheritance: A Novel

Book Recommendation: The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza

I just finished The Sicilian Inheritance, and reading it while living in Sicily made this book feel very different than it might have if I had read it anywhere else.

There were so many moments when I found myself thinking, yes… that is Sicily.

The book touches on the Sicilian tendency to be resourceful, opportunistic, and always finding a way to make things work. There’s a word for it—arrangiarsi—and it immediately made me think of some of our own experiences here. Like the time Massimo somehow managed to “acquire” one of our olive trees. 😂

The descriptions of the ancient tombs carved into the hillsides also felt incredibly familiar. They reminded me of Castelluccio and a hike we took near Ferla, (Necropoli di Pantalica ) where the history of Sicily is literally carved into the landscape.

And then there is the warmth of the Sicilian people. The way people welcome you, feed you, and somehow make you feel like family—even when you've only just met. That part felt especially true.

But the strangest coincidence was the fires.

I happened to be reading this book while fires were raging here in Sicily. When I got to the part about people sending cats into the forest with gasoline-soaked rags tied to their tails? I honestly thought I was losing my mind.

And that is what made this book so much fun for me. It wasn't just a story set in Sicily. Living here, I kept recognizing the landscape, the people, the history, and even some of the more maddeningly Sicilian ways of doing things.

If you love Sicily, or are simply fascinated by this complicated, beautiful island, I highly recommend adding The Sicilian Inheritance to your reading list.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Have you read The Sicilian Inheritance? I'd love to hear what you thought. And if you've read another great book with Sicily as its setting, please share your recommendation! I'm always looking for my next book. 📚🇮🇹