Barbara Josselsohn

Barbara Josselsohn is an award-winning American journalist and writer known for her novels about strong protagonists facing critical life choices. She is the author of the bestselling The Lost Gift to the Italian Island and Secrets of the Italian Island, both part of her Sisters of War series set in Italy during World War II.

Her contemporary novels include The Lilac House, The Bluebell Girls, The Lily Garden, The Cranberry Inn, and The Last Dreamer. Josselsohn has also written numerous articles and essays on family, home, and relationships for major publications like New York Magazine, Parents Magazine, and The New York Times.

Barbara Josselsohn discovered her passion for writing early, inspired by books like Pippi Longstocking and Little Women. She finds storytelling to be a way to connect people and feels more grounded when she reads and writes.

Her latest book, Secrets of the Italian Island (2023), delves into the lives of three sisters during World War II. The inspiration for the series came from the story of Bruno Abakanowicz, a Polish inventor whose castle in Brittany was a hub of creativity before being overtaken by the Nazis. Josselsohn's series follows three sisters who sneak onto an Italian island before the Nazi invasion, becoming separated during the conflict.

Secrets of the Italian Island is a gripping tale of Giulia, the middle sister, navigating love and loss in wartime. The Guardian praises it as "a novel about love, sisters, war, secrets, and courage." The book was shortlisted for the Redbridge Children's Book Award, St Albans Schools Book Award, and Highgate Wood School Award in 2023.

Josselsohn teaches novel writing at The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, Westport Writers Workshop, and the Scarsdale Library. She lives just north of New York City and enjoys spending time with her family, which includes her husband and three children.

Photo credit: barbarajosselsohn.com