In this episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, Colin Mustful speaks with Joe Paone, author of The Baron’s Daughter, about forbidden love, family duty, and the human cost of war in southern Italy on the eve of World War I. Listeners are invited into a conversation that moves from the olive groves of Calabria to the trenches of the Isonzo, revealing how historical fiction can bring emotional truth to moments of political upheaval.

Together, they explore Angelina and Paolo’s cross-class love story, Italy’s uncertain path into war, and the tension between personal loyalty and larger ideological forces. Joe reflects on writing characters who felt deeply real to him, balancing historical research with emotional intimacy, and shaping a novel where romance, resistance, and questions of class all collide.

Joe Paone  ...