Reviewed by valerie h on Jul 8, 2021
Tagged:
History
The novel begins in 1946 in post World War II Naples. Seven year old Amerigo Speranza lives with his impoverished bitter mother, Antonietta. They scrape by as trash and rag pickers. His mother tells him that his father vanished to America which is why she named him Amerigo.
A local communist organization sponsors a program where poor children from Naples will take a train to the north and spend the winter and spring with better off communist families. It was a sort of Fresh Air Program which is still big in New York City. Some families refuse as they fear their children will be taken to Russia and forced into slave labor. The Italian communists had nothing to do with Russia, and by and large, historically, it was successful project.
Amerigo's mother reluctantly lets him participate. He and his neighborhood friends travel north, filled with fear and anxiety. To make matters worse, Amerigo is the last child to be picked up when the train arrives at its destination. It turns out the Benvenutti clan, his foster family, is warm and welcoming.
At age seven, Amerigo has embarked on a voyage of self discovery. He finds out that not only is he lovable, but he is mathematically and musically gifted as well. Before he knows it, it is time to return to Naples and his mother. On the train back, Amerigo feels nothing but dread.
Back home, Amerigo yearns for the warmth and kindness of his foster family. His mother becomes more harsh and distant. A year passes. Life with his mother has become intolerable. She pushes him to drop out of school and apprentice to a shoemaker. Amerigo realizes that he has to make a decision, Should he stay or should he go back up north?
I really enjoyed the novel. It reminded me of a novel, I just finished, Miracle of St. Anna, by James McBride.
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