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BOOK ON TOUR #THE LOST STORY OF SOPHIA CASTELLO #BOOKOUTURE PUBLISHERS #HISTORICAL WORLD WAR FICTION 2 #BOOK REVIEW #SIOBHAN CURHAM

 


MY THOUGHTS AND BOOK REVIEW

In The Lost Story of Sofia Castello, Lily Christie a struggling writer is offered the chance to ghostwrite the biography of a woman she and the public believed long dead—Sofia Castello, a glamorous singer from the World War II era. Believed to have died in 1941, Sofia is actually alive, in her eighties, and hiding in a quaint cottage on the Portuguese coast in Lisbon. Curious and desperate about the writing project landed from her Friend Jane, Lily travels to meet Sophia Castello and is soon carried away into a stunning tale of wartime bravery, hidden love, and heartbreaking sacrifice.

As Sofia recounts her life as a Varina before becoming a singer —she retells the dangerous world of Nazi-occupied Europe while secretly aiding the Allies—Lily finds herself increasingly fascinated by Sophia's emotional story. Sofia's story is marked by her bond with a young orphaned German girl named Judith who tries to escape the German gestapo who tried following her. Judith has a cousin in America and where she awaits an escape route to America followed by a series of high-stakes performances where each move could become a disaster. But beneath Sofia’s compelling narrative lies a deeper mystery. She’s keeping something back. And as the truth begins to surface, Lily realizes she may be entangled in a story more dangerous than she ever imagined.

I could flip the pages quickly with lot of interest in where the author takes you through a past and present Lisbon and London retelling a warm story of the horror and the courage of characters of the war. The novel is a bit slow but has a lot of suspense awaiting in the storyline leaving behind a Portuguese that lingers in the mind of a reader. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Publishers for an advance copy for my honest review.

Review:


★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4.5/5)

Book Description:


The warm sea breeze ruffles the pages of my notebook as I meet the bright eyes of the elderly lady sat opposite me on the porch. Sofia has been keeping a devastating secret for over sixty years. Why did she fake her own death during the war? And why is she back now to finally tell her story?


Writer Lily Christie is at rock bottom when she’s tasked with the job of a lifetime writing the memoir of Sofia Castello – once world-famous in the war years for singing across Europe, until her tragic death in 1941. So Lily is shocked to hear Sofia is actually in her eighties, living in secret, in a blue-tiled cottage on the Portuguese coast.


Lily listens in fascination as the feisty woman spins an unbelievable tale of fear-filled days spent caring for a young orphaned German girl, and nights performing to crowds of Gestapo agents: until she risked it all, using her fame to help the Allies. Then a tragic betrayal changed the course of her life forever…


But as Lily starts to open up to Sofia about her own private heartache, she realises that Sofia is not being entirely honest with her. And when Sofia refuses to say why she really hired Lily, her fears start to grow. Sofia’s remote beach home, accessed only by a bumpy dirt track, is miles away from anyone. She is clearly still hiding from someone, but who? And could Lily now be in danger too?


What is the final secret haunting Sofia? And can Lily uncover the devastating truth, before her time with Sofia runs out?


A totally gripping and emotional tale of lost love, tragedy and secrets hidden for decades. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Lorna Cook and The Letter will adore it.



AUTHOR BIO



Siobhan Curham is an award-winning author, ghost writer, editor and writing coach. She has also written for many newspapers, magazines and websites, including The Guardian, Breathe magazine, Cosmopolitan, Writers’ Forum, DatingAdvice.com, and Spirit & Destiny. Siobhan has been a guest on various radio and TV shows, including Woman’s Hour, BBC News, GMTV and BBC Breakfast. And she has spoken at businesses, schools, universities and literary festivals around the world, including the BBC, Hay Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Bath Festival, Ilkley Festival, London Book Fair and Sharjah Reading Festival.


https://www.facebook.com/Siobhan-Curham-Author-398343120181969

https://www.instagram.com/siobhancurhamauthor/

https://twitter.com/SiobhanCurham


Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Siobhan Curham here: https://www.bookouture.com/siobhan-curham


Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DZHLQMZVsocial


Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bookouture (April 25, 2025)

Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 25, 2025

439 Pages

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