Last Train from Liguria (2010)

From the bestselling Irish novelist comes a sweeping historical
novel, a tale of consequences that spans from the 1930s to the 1990s. "Last
Train from Liguria" takes us on a journey from claustrophobic Dublin and the
tense formality of London, to the heat and bustle of the Italian Riviera. Bella
lives a cosseted life with her father in London. So when he announces that he
has arranged for work for her as a governess in Italy, she is shocked, angry,
and terribly scared of what lies in store...But as she boards a train for the
northern Italian port of Bordighera, her fear soon gives way to her burgeoning
sense of adventure. Bella eventually finds her young charge, Alec, at the Villa
Lami, where he lives with his music teacher Edward. She delights in her
relationship with the young boy, and discovers unexpected comfort in Edward who,
like Bella, seems to be hiding a secret. But the atmosphere in Italy is changing
quickly. As fascist laws take effect, Bella, Edward and Alec must escape the
mounting threats around them, and face a rapidly changing world.