Paradiso Audiobook By Francesca Scanacapra cover art

Paradiso

The Paradiso Novels, Book 1

Preview

Try for $0.00
Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

Paradiso

By: Francesca Scanacapra
Narrated by: Penny Andrews
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.54

Buy for $18.54

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Italy, 1937. In a tiny village in rural Lombardy, Graziella Ponti is born into a loving family. Though they are not rich and life is full of challenges, Graziella and her family are content and safe, surrounded by the tightly knit community of Pieve Santa Clara.

But when the shadow of World War Two falls across the village with the arrival of Nazi soldiers, nothing in young Graziella’s life will ever be the same again....

Paradiso is Graziella’s story. It charts her loves, losses and triumphs as she grows up in post-war Italy, a country in transformation, freed from the shackles of dictatorship yet still gripped by the restraints of the Catholic church.

Paradiso is inspired by true stories told to Francesca Scanacapra by her Italian family and set in locations where she spent much of her childhood. It is a deeply affecting novel that sheds light on the complexity and trauma of Italy’s past and weaves it into the epic tale of an ordinary woman compelled to live in extraordinary times.

An absolutely gripping and heartbreaking historical story in a series that explores the incredible courage of ordinary people in extraordinary times. Perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen, Dinah Jeffries, Angela Petch, The Nightingale and anyone longing to lose themselves in the spectacular surrounds of rural Italy.

©2021 Francesca Scanacapra (P)2022 W F Howes
20th Century Fiction Romance World War II Village Italy
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Paradiso

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Hated the narration.

Didn’t enjoy the narrators voice or accent. Made it hard to keep listening. Also, ending seemed anti-climatic.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I was liking the short story (didn’t know it was going to be a short story) and it just ended.

I wish I hadn’t paid to listen to this short story. No climax or great story line and then it just ended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

In poor taste

The storyline is weak with poor character development. There was also this attempt at humor about body functions which translates in gross descriptions, what is the point? I felt like reading this was a waste of time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A Child's Perspective

I liked that the story was written from a child's perspective, which is an unusual approach. The story, however, would have been much more entertaining if the plot had been more complex--it plodded along at times. The narrator did a good job, but why was a British narrator hired to narrate an Italian girl's character?????

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

interesting

I found this to be an interesting novel because the author made me feel like I was sitting at the edge of the woods where she then pulled back a curtain and allowed me to look in on a the lives of a few people. I'm able to witness war come to the life a young girl and her family. I didn't feel that it was a performance but truly just life unfolding including hurtful and horrific events but also triumphs and miracles

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!