My goal was to show that strength and to show their stories and to really illuminate that. I thought a lot about the stories we tell about women, the stories that we keep about women, and the things that are passed down. The Sicilian Inheritance is inspired by my own family history, it’s completely a work of fiction, but my great-great-grandmother Lorenza was murdered in Sicily before she could join her husband and her sons here in America. Bestselling author, podcast creator and award-winning journalist, Jo Piazza, on The Sicilian Inheritance
Jo Piazza’s bestseller, The Sicilian Inheritance, comes out in paperback today and to mark the occasion, I interviewed her about the success of the novel, which has been inspiring readers to travel to Sicily and learn about their Italian roots. If you are looking for a magical, mysterious escape to this eternally enchanting island, look no further, this is the adventure you’ve been waiting for, and Jo’s book and our chat are going to leave you longing to plan your next escape to Sicily!
Let yourself be transported by Jo’s immersive dual timeline family mystery, a rich and beautifully crafted homage to an island and its people, that gives a voice to Sicilian women and narrates the often-untold stories that deserve space in the annals of Italian, Italian American, Sicilian and Sicilian American history. Join us for a conversation about cultural identity— through the lens of the Italian American woman—, family history, the timeless appeal of Sicilian stories, the need for authentic representation in storytelling, and Sicily in the collective imaginary.
Biography Jo Piazza is the national and international bestselling author of The Sicilian Inheritance, We Are Not Like Them, You Were Always Mine, Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, The Knockoff and How to Be Married. Her new novel, Everyone Is Lying to You, the #tradwife murder mystery we’ve all been waiting for, comes out on July 15, 2025. Her work has been published in ten languages in twelve countries and four of her books have been optioned for film and television. Jo’s podcasts have garnered more than twenty-five million downloads and regularly top podcast charts. An editor, columnist and travel writer, her work has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, New York magazine, Marie Claire, Glamour and many other publications. She lives in Philly with her husband, Nick Aster and three feral children.
Links
https://www.instagram.com/jopiazzaauthor
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-piazza-86223519
https://www.youtube.com/user/johannapiazza
Under the Influence podcast
https://www.jopiazza.com/undertheinfluence
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/under-the-influence-with-jo-piazza/id1544171101
The Sicilian Inheritance true crime podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/6k4w68qxiUAC8dbPSwOlzC?si=2ea3d1d4c4ca4218
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sicilian-inheritance/id1735578176
Order The Sicilian Inheritance on paperback now
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/734498/the-sicilian-inheritance-by-jo-piazza
Pre-order Everyone Is Lying to You
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/784223/everyone-is-lying-to-you-by-jo-piazza/
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Podcast Producer: Andrew Niklas Curtis
Production intern: RJ Plunkett
Recorded via Zoom, edited by Lorenzo Maiani, Fa Minore