The Sicilian Inheritance Book Club Kit
The Sicilian Inheritance is the official April 2025 pick for the Peanut Blossom Book Club for Recovering Readers.
Every spring I get the itch for some International travel. When I can't hop on a plane myself, the next best thing is to escape in the pages of a book. How does Italy sound as a destination for you? Because it's sounding pretty fine to me . . .
While we've read historical fiction and we've read mystery books, I believe that The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza just might be our first historical mystery. My favorite part? It is set in my beloved Italy.
When I lived in Milan in the 90s, my Italian friends warned me not to go to Sicily. As a young American, they cautioned I wouldn't be safe on my own. I've always wondered if they were over reacting, but this book had me more than a little grateful for their cautionary advice.
It also made me deeply curious and I found myself pausing my reading several times to search for photos of this Italian island I'd heard so much about!
You can read my full book review of The Sicilian Inheritance here if you want to know more about what I thought of the book and then check out the book club kit below.
P.S. Just joining us? Don't miss the full list of 2025 book club book picks.
Peanut Blossom Book Club
This book club pick is one of the awesome books from our eleventh year of book club.
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What is The Sicilian Inheritance About?
Sara Marsala barely knows who she is anymore after the failure of her business and marriage. On top of that, her beloved great-aunt Rosie passes away, leaving Sara bereft with grief. But Aunt Rosie’s death also opens an escape from her life and a window into the past by way of a plane ticket to Sicily, a deed to a possibly valuable plot of land, and a bombshell family secret. Rosie believes Sara’s great-grandmother Serafina, the family matriarch who was left behind while her husband worked in America, didn’t die of illness as family lore has it . . . she was murdered.
Thus begins a twist-filled adventure that takes Sara all over the picturesque Italian countryside as she races to solve a mystery and learn the story of Serafina—a feisty and headstrong young woman in the early 1900s thrust into motherhood in her teens, who fought for a better life not just for herself but for all the women of her small village. Unsurprisingly the more she challenges the status quo, the more she finds herself in danger.
As Sara discovers more about Serafina, she also realizes she is coming head-to-head with the same menacing forces that took down her great-grandmother. At once an immersive multigenerational mystery and an ode to the undaunted heroism of everyday women, The Sicilian Inheritance is an atmospheric, page-turning delight.
The Sicilian Inheritance Discussion Questions
I believe the best book club questions to spark a lively discussion in your group help readers make personal connections to the story.
You can read about how to write the best book club questions on your own here, but hopefully these will get you started!
Question 1:
Have you ever been to Italy? Where did you visit and how long did you stay? Do you feel the book is accurate in its portrayal of the Italians you encountered?
Question 2:
Which timeline did you prefer reading: Sara's modern day or Serafina's historical fiction? Do you enjoy multiple point of views or would you have preferred just one or the other voice?
Question 3:
Which character did you find most intriguing or fun to read? Think of the many side characters that filled out the cast.
Question 4:
When did you start to feel suspicious? Or did you trust all the characters up until you couldn't?
Question 5:
If you were Serafina, what might you have done differently? Or did you agree with every choice she made?
Question 6:
If you were Sara, what would you have done when you inherited the land?
Question 7:
Marco or Luca? Choose your lover.
Question 8:
How did you feel about the ending? Would you have changed anything?
Book Club Party Menu
I think it is so fun to plan your book club dinner menu or dessert list based on the theme of the book.
When planning a menu around The Sicilian Inheritance, your best bet is to channel some of the delicious foods found in Sicily. Fresh lemons, olive oil, and seafood would all be excellent options but classic tomato-based Italian recipes work wonderfully, too.
My lemon poppy seed cookies can be made with regular or Meyer lemons and use olive oil for a unique texture. They'd be perfect for a Sicilian themed party as a nibble with cocktails or for saving for dessert.
If you want to serve a full book club dinner, try making a batch of my creamy lemon garlic pasta.
You could serve it vegetarian-style or add some fresh shrimp on top like they would in Italy. This air fryer shrimp recipe is quick and easy.
While traditionally you'd find Italian bruschetta al pomodoro on a menu, you could combine two Italian favorites and serve this easy bruschetta pizza instead!
There's a scene where Giusy and Sara enjoy some tiramisu together, I can't think of a more perfect dessert to serve for the book club party! The best part is you can make my easy tiramisu ahead of time.
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