A big thanks to Atria for the ARC!
This book translated from Italian was a quick and captivating read. It’s a slim volume but holds a wonderful coming of age tale.
Augusto De Boer struggles to feed his family of five, and turns to tobacco smuggling to help make ends meet. The journey is treacherous, across the unforgiving Italian Alps and into Austria where customs officers roam the hills. But De Boer finds success and even brings his daughter, Jole, along to learn the route. But one year Jole’s father never returns and she must make the journey on her own, and uncover the secrets behind her father’s disappearance.
I loved the character of Jole, smart and brave but also young and naive. Her journey was a hard one with some unexpected and painful twists, but I found myself on the edge of my
seat toward the end as the drama unfolded. I enjoyed how Righetto really draws you into the journey and the perilous but beautiful path Jole and her father take across the alps. I do think some of the chapters were too short and the story would of flowed better if it had been combined into fewer, longer sections. I also felt that the language is not as beautiful as it might have been in Italian, but some languages have word and phrases that just don’t translate as magically in English.
Regardless, if you’re looking for a short, well-told story that will take you on a journey, this is for you!
Four stars out of five.
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