The Italian Flame is a beautifully told story of love, loss, and the ways we try to make peace with the past. I didn’t want it to end. And if Rosanna Ley ever returns to these characters, I’ll be first in line – I’m not ready to say goodbye!
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Dorset, 1965: twenty-five-year-old aspiring artist Marilyn longs to escape to London, but her family relies on her wages from the hotel on the cliff. Then one day Marilyn meets Bruno, an intriguing Italian, and the two fall madly in love, painfully aware of Bruno having very little time left in the country. When he leaves for Italy, he promises to write and to come back as soon as he can.
Over fifty years later, Marilyn’s daughter Lily returns to her old hometown when she hears that her mother is ill. Mother and daughter have never been close, but now, Lily determines to stay by her side. After Marilyn’s death, Lily finds a photo of a baby girl amongst her mother’s belongings – the name ‘Josephine’ written on the back. But who is Josephine? Lily resolves to find out the truth.
Lily’s search for Josephine takes her to Italy – to a small town in the stunning Bay of Poets. But will Josephine give Lily the answers she is looking for? And together, can they come to understand Marilyn’s story? For Josephine and Lily, this springtime in Perlarosa will transform their lives forever.
The Italian Flame Review
From the moment Marilyn meets Bruno on the Dorset beach in 1965, you just know this story is going to stay with you. Marilyn, a young aspiring artist with dreams far beyond her small-town life, longs to break free from the expectations placed on her – a secretary, a wife, a mother. She wants more. And when Bruno, an intriguing Italian, appears in her life, everything shifts.
Fast-forward 53 years and we meet Lily, Marilyn’s daughter, whose relationship with her mother has always been strained. Lily adored her father, but Marilyn? She was distant, always lost in her own world, more at home in her studio than with her family. Their estrangement is painful and real. When Lily gets the call from her aunt to return home, she’s unsure of what she’ll find.
What unfolds is deeply moving. In Marilyn’s final days, Lily offers a tender kind of care. And after her death, the discovery of a sketch – a baby girl named Josephine – sets Lily on a journey to Italy in search of answers. What she finds in Perlarosa is unexpected and beautifully complex.
Josephine doesn’t exactly welcome Lily with open arms – she’s fiery, guarded, and reluctant to revisit the past. But there’s something between these two women, a connection that grows stronger with each page. I loved watching their relationship develop. Calm, thoughtful Lily and passionate, headstrong Josephine – such different characters, yet they bring out the best in each other.
I loved the shifting narration. It gives the story so much depth, allowing you to really understand the characters, their decisions, and the consequences that ripple through time. There’s so much emotional weight here – regrets, lost love, hope, healing – and yes, I cried (Chapter 51, Camogli… that bench… I was a wreck). And the gift that Lily receives before leaving for England – such a fabulous way of showing that you know someone and of course an echo through the years. I loved this!
As always, Rosanna Ley’s writing is incredibly evocative. I could see the Bay of Poets, feel the breeze, hear the hum of village life. The Italian setting, the traditions, the history of Lerici – it all came alive. And all the relationships… so heartfelt, so real.
Rosanna Ley has once again delivered a story that lingers long after the final page. With rich characterisation, emotional depth, and a setting that feels alive, The Italian Flame draws you into its world completely. I was invested in every relationship, every twist, every quiet moment of reflection. It’s a novel full of heart, and I’ll be thinking about Lily and Josephine and their lives for a long time.
My Reviews of Other Books by Rosanna Ley
- The Forever Garden
- The Orange Grove
- From Venice with Love
- The Little Theatre by the Sea
- Last Dance in Havana
About the Author
Rosanna Ley works as a creative writing tutor and has written many articles and stories for national magazines. Her writing holidays and retreats take place in stunning locations in Spain and Italy. When she is not travelling, Rosanna lives in West Dorset by the sea. Instagram @rosannaleyauthor
