Reschen Valley

She wants her home. He wants control. The Fascist regime wants both. 1920, former Austrian Tyrol. Katharina Thaler faces becoming the first woman to ever own a farm in the Reschen Valley. The end of the Great War has taken more than her beloved family, it has robbed the province of its autonomy and severed it in half. As her countrymen fight to prevent the annexation to Italy, Katharina finds a wounded Italian engineer on her mountain. Her decision to save Angelo Grimani's life, however, thrusts both into the midst of a new world order-a labyrinth of corruption, prejudice, and greed. Trapped between a growing fascist regime and a man who threatens to tear her home away, Katharina must decide what to protect: love or country? No Man's Land is the first book in the Reschen Valley historical fiction series. If you enjoy gripping, historical fiction that will stay long after you've read the last chapter, you will love Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger's vivid saga.

Burying the past comes at a high price... It's 1922 and a year after the Italian Fascists marched on Bozen. Nationalism in the Tyrolean Reschen Valley creates enemies out of old friends and Katharina Steinhauser fiercely protects the identity of her daughter's father from both her family and her community. Meanwhile, the Fascists have wrested control from the monarchy and momentum behind the Reschen Lake reservoir increases with plans to wipe out the Reschen Valley's towns and hamlets. Katharina risks writing to Angelo Grimani, the man in charge, and begs to have the project reassessed. But Angelo is hemmed in by a force that steers him far from his dealings with the Reschen Valley and that which binds him to Katharina. It's the opportunity the Fascists have been waiting for.

Pride goes before the fall. 1900s Austrian Tyrol. Fritz Hanny, confident and optimistic, enjoys the prestige of belonging to one of the most respected families in the Reschen Valley. When he falls in love with Cecilia, a young girl in a neighboring village, he is certain he has found his purpose in life. Already on his way to making his own fortune, Fritz pursues Cecilia only to be cut down by one external force after another. Disappointment, violence, and conflict turn Fritz into a desperate man. When the Great War ends, Fritz is trapped between two borders: on one side, the family he has. On the other, the family he wants.

A plan to flood out her valley. A means to destroy her culture. 1920. Former Austrian Tyrol. When Katharina Thaler, a young Tyrolean farmer, finds a wounded Italian engineer in the mountains of the Reschen Valley, her decision to save his life thrusts both of them into a labyrinth of corruption, prejudice and greed. Angelo Grimani, a civil engineer, knows the details of a project that will destroy Katharina's valley. Not in favour of it himself, he returns home to fend off the forces that envision the biggest reservoir in Italy, headed by Angelo's own father. As the Tyroleans gear themselves to fight for their land, the Fascist party gathers power and momentum. Katharina and Angelo must each decide what to protect: love or country? Dive in and discover the gripping saga based on a history you never knew.