As Italy tries to heal from the wounds of World War I, one young woman brings together a number of strangers from disparate sections of the struggling country's society. Isabella Roselli has an inner strength that defies understanding and her mission will touch those still hurting from the scars of war and injustice. When the orphaned Isabella happens on the Martellino vineyard, she pulls in a widowed mother of four, a shell-shocked soldier, and an imperious matriarch. As these and other characters in the town of Lucca get to know Isabella, they are challenged to surrender their fears. Fascism is taking hold of the heart of Italy, and it is ensnaring all Italians in a web of brutality and dictatorship. Will Isabella's simple love and friendship be enough to break fascism's hold on the residents of the vineyard? Find out in this compelling novel about love, hope, and the family we choose for ourselves. "The Walls of Lucca is a tender, suspenseful and touching story sure to please fans of romance, political stories and historical novels." Blue Ink Review "The Walls of Lucca is true literature because it's not just a story set in a historical past. It has a message to share with the world." Superior Book Productions "The story feels meaningful for our times of suspicion and division." Kirkus Reviews "Isabella has such a fantastic spirit, the kind of girl I could see myself being. To me, that makes the best type of book--when you feel like you are walking with the characters." Readers' Favorite review Can love be found in the ruins of war? Find out in this thrilling and inspirational story of hope, redemption and the power of forgiveness in a broken world. An enchanting debut novel by Steve Physioc As Italy tries to heal from the shocks of World War I, one young woman brings together a number of strangers from disparate sections of the struggling country's society. Isabella Roselli has an inner strength that defies understanding and her mission will touch those still hurting from the scars of war and violence. When the orphaned Isabella happens on the Martellino vineyard, she pulls in a widowed mother of four, a shell-shocked soldier, and an imperious matriarch. As these and other characters in the town of Lucca get to know Isabella, they are challenged to surrender their fears. Fascism is taking hold of the heart of Italy, and it is ensnaring all Italians in a web of brutality and dictatorship. Will Isabella's unconditional love and strength be enough to break its hold? Find out in this compelling novel about love, hope, and the family we choose for ourselves. Steve Physioc is an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and acclaimed fiction author whose storytelling career spans nearly five decades. Best known for his 35-year tenure as a Major League Baseball play-by-play announcer, Physioc lent his voice to the Royals, Angels, Giants, and Reds, as well as the NFL, NBA, and NCAA games on ESPN, Fox Sports, and TBS. He won a 2013 Emmy for live sports broadcasting. Since retiring from broadcasting in 2022, Steve has devoted himself to writing fiction full-time. His novel Walks with the Wind won the Grand Prize in the Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards (2021), and Catching the Wind was named a BookLife Editors' Pick (2022). His debut novel, The Walls of Lucca, and its sequel, Above the Walls, both earned Gold Medals for Best Historical Fiction from Readers' Favorite and Reader Views. Steve lives in Evergreen, Colorado, with his wife, Stace, and enjoys spending time with their children and grandchildren—surrounded by the mountains that now inspire his stories.