Book Review: Stella Mia by Rosanna Chiofalo
Rosanna Chiofalo's poignant, beautifully written new novel evokes the stunning scenery of Sicily and the Aeolian Islands and tells of mothers and daughters, love and sacrifice--and the choices that resound across continents and through generations.
Julia Parlatone doesn't have much to remember her Italian mother by. A grapevine that Sarina planted still flourishes in the backyard of Julia's childhood home in Astoria, Queens. And there's a song, "Stella Mia," she recalls her mother singing--my star, my star, you are the most beautiful star--until the day she left three-year-old Julia behind and returned to Italy for good.
Now a happily married school teacher, Julia tries not to dwell on a past she can't change or on a mother who chose to leave. But in an old trunk in the family basement, she discovers items that belonged to her mother--a song book, Tarot cards, a Sicilian folk costume--and a diary. Sarina writes unflinchingly of her harsh childhood and of a first, passionate love affair;of blissful months spent living in the enchanting coastal resort town of Taormina and the unspoiled Aeolian Islands north of Sicily as well as the reasons she came to New York. By the diary's end, Julia knows she must track down her mother in Italy and piece together the rest of the complex, bittersweet truth--a journey that, for better or worse, will change her own life forever.
Kindle Edition, 369 pages
Published December 30th 2014 by Kensington Books
***I received a free copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
This is a book that falls under the “It’s not you, it’s me” category because it just didn’t move me as much as I thought it would. The description of Sicily, 1969 was done beautifully and felt like I was walking the streets and beaches of Taormina and the other islands Sarina visited, I just couldn’t fully connect with Julia and Sarina for that full emotional rollercoaster experience that the blurb promised. Of the two, I felt less of a connection with Julia. Though we meet her first and she explains how she felt about being abandoned by her mother, how she came to accept it and where is now in her life, it wasn’t enough for me. She tells us about her relationship with her husband and father, but we don’t get to experience it because we delve right into Sarina’s story and as we are reading it we never get to experience Julia’s reactions to what she learns until the very end of it. I can understand why it was done this way, but I think that’s part of the disconnect for me. I wanted to know about her immediate reactions and how she processed them all, but not experiencing that part of Julia’s story was disappointing. Sarina’s story is heartbreaking and I was sickened by how her father treated her, but I did admire her will to live despite all she went through and the strength that it took her to take that first step to find something better even if it meant leaving those she loved. The romance between Sarina and Carlo I found to be sweet, maybe a little forced at times, but since Sarina was all about going with her gut, I can see how what they felt for each other could turn into something soul deep. The ending is sweet and does give closure to both Sarina and Julia’s stories that will leave you with sense that everything has come full circle.
Website: http://www.rosannachiofalo.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/RosannaChiofalo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosannaChiofalo
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Amazon Author Link: http://www.amazon.com/Rosanna-Chiofalo/e/B00816IPZW/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1424434566&sr=1-3
Amazon book link: http://amzn.com/B00LEU4QW8
Barnes and Noble book link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stella-mia-rosanna-chiofalo/1119058450