Valley of the Fireflies

Castello di Porciano. A place where fireflies dance in the twilight around the ancient tower rising above the Tuscan hills, and no one speaks of the terrible betrayal from the darkest days of the war…

Amelia is shattered from an unimaginable loss when she seizes a chance to escape to a remote Italian village. But shortly after arriving at the crumbling, sun-drenched castello, Amelia discovers a trunk hidden in the basement, and beneath tissue-wrapped evening gowns that still carry the scent of violets, she finds a set of leather-bound diaries and charcoal sketches belonging to a woman called Flavia.

Through every haunting page, Amelia is drawn deeper into Flavia’s world as the Nazi occupation, and her passionate love for a farmer’s son, upend her world forever. But when Flavia joins the resistance and faces a devastating betrayal from someone close to her, the diary goes silent – the final pages torn out. 

Desperate to learn Flavia’s fate, Amelia ventures into the cobblestoned village at the foot of the castello where she meets an old woman who weeps at the sound of Flavia’s name, and her stern son, who shuts down any mention of the past. But as Amelia keeps searching for the truth, she begins to uncover a connection to Flavia she never expected – one that could shatter everything she believed about the past, and perhaps, show her the way back to the future?

Inspired by true events in the Tuscan mountains, Valley of the Fireflies is an emotional, heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice carried across generations. This new novel from Emma Fraser is perfect for readers who loved The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, and The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen.