the lost story of sofia castello: an absolutely unputdownable, emotional novel full of family secrets

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.

Lilylistens 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.

Read what everyone’s saying about Siobhan Curham:

’Wow!... I cannot rave enough about how much I enjoyed this novel... Page after page I was on the edge of my seat... I will never forget it... A must-read... 5 brilliant stars.’ Cindy L. Spear, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

’The best book I have read... From the moment I started this book until I finished it, I was hooked. Tears streamed down my face... A must read for everyone!... Will stay in my heart forever.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

’Heart-wrenching... Oh my goodness this book nearly broke me... Had to stop a number of times to blink the tears away... Heartbreaking.’ leona.omahony, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

’Heartbreaking... An absolute page-turner... I loved this, I could not put it down!... I would give this book 6 stars if I could!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

’Phenomenal... I loved everything about this... Had me flying through the pagesunable to put this down... Amazing... An emotional read from tears to making my heart happy, it hit all the feels.’ Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐