Behind The Book With Diana Giovinazzo 

It’s hard to believe it was over 4 years ago, when I did one of my early Q&A’s with Diana Giovinazzo which you can read here by clicking this link https://booknotions.com/qa-with-diana-giovinazzo/ ! Diana has now returned to discuss her new historical fiction novel, Daughters Of Naples which will be available on July 21^st! 

Q: Welcome back to Book Notions Diana! Would you please give a brief discussion of your new historical fiction novel, Daughters Of Naples? 

A: Daughters of Naples is about three sisters, who are trying to survive in fascist Naples, Italy. But when things become heated the sisters have to make difficult choices that either bring them together or tear them a part.

Q: I’m so glad that you wrote a historical fiction novel that takes place in World War II Italy! It’s very rare when you find a good historical fiction book about World War II Italy! How long did it take you to research and write Daughters Of Naples? 

A: This book was a labor of love! Altogether, this book took about five years. I started plotting and researching in 2020 and then started drafting in 2022. There were many drafts and even a re-write.

Q: Did you ever make a trip to Naples to gather research for the novel?

A: Yes! I was able to go in 2022. We explored a lot of the city from top to the underground. The Naples underground tours are quite popular, and I got to hear firsthand from a local about what it was like for their family during the war. 

Naples is a strange and magical city. Being there allowed me to really take in the city’s uniqueness and hear the folklore stories that I could uncover by being there.

Q: While I know the characters of Leta, Marcella, Bianca, Luca and everyone in the novel are fictional, I like how they are inspired by real partigiani. Which scenes and characters did you enjoy creating and why? 

A: I loved the scenes where I got to explore the sister’s dynamic. Sisters can either be your first best friend or your first enemy. I really loved exploring their relationships and pushing them to their limits.

Q: Speaking of characters inspired by real people, Luca’s death was inspired by a real sailor who was caught with resistance flyers and the nazis filmed his public execution forcing the people to cheer for propaganda! It’s disturbing knowing that was real! What lessons and messages do you hope readers take away from reading Daughters Of Naples? 

A:  That no matter what is going on in the world, people have the power to fight back against injustice. Also, at the end of everything, there is always hope. 

Q: If you were to write a sequel to Daughters Of Naples, what do you think Leta, Marcella & Bianca would be doing right now?

A: I think that is a question I would like the reader to answer for themselves. My job as the writer was done, sharing that aspect of their story. If I were to continue with anything from their storyline, it would be a WWI prequel with Chiara, Cesare, and Vincenzo.

Q: What books do you recommend for anyone wanting to read more about World War II Italy? Three books I recommend if you haven’t read them yet is In The Light Of The Sun by Angela Shupe & Stones In Water & its sequel Fire In The Hills by Donna Jo Napoli. 

A: I would recommend Women of War, The Italian Assassins, Spies, and Couriers who fought the Nazis, by Suzzane Cope. She delves into the real life experiences of the women of the Italian resistance. Also, I would recommend Naples ’44 by Norman Lewis. This book and the documentary were a part of my early research on the war. Lewis was a British intelligence officer who was in Naples right after it was freed. 

Q: Would you please provide links to your social media accounts so the readers of the blog and I may follow you and your work?

A: I can be found on Instagram, Facebook and Threads: @Dianagauthor.