“I was seven years old. I couldn’t remember a time without war, but it had meant little to me before then. My existence had revolved around the sheltered confines of family and home. Despite our poverty, my life was serene. But the brutality of war fought not on battlefields, but in the streets of my little village, had been condensed into three days of horror where my world had been shattered”.
Paradiso by Francesca Scanacapra is a deeply moving, engrossing tale set in Italy during WWII and immediately afterwards.
Graziella Ponti, a seven-year-old child, lives with her parents in a tiny village Pieve Santa Clara in rural Lombardy. Her parents adore her, and it's a household filled with love.
Her father is in constant pain after the accident at work left him disabled, and he can hardly move around.
The church offers him a job out of charity. His payment is three times less than that of an average labourer but the family is happy he's got a job. "He was a broken-bodied man with little hope of any paid work... 100 lire [per hour] was indeed better than nothing at all".
The scene when two priests visit the family to offer the job to the father is heart-breaking. Signor Ponti is downplaying the physical agony to have this rare opportunity, and the priests take a full advantage of the tragic situation.
The mother bakes a small cake to offer their guests, and little Graziella is waiting patiently to be given a tiny piece. She is left disappointed and hungry, as the priests take the cake with them, supposedly to share with children in the village.
The family is quite poor, but they are not starving. They grow their own fruit and vegetables, and manage to barter for other things with the neighbours. Life might be challenging, but they are content in their own loving bubble.
The arrival of the Nazi soldiers in the village results in a horrible tragedy for the village, which will also affect the Ponti family.
To escape the unthinkable repercussions, many villagers send their children away into hiding. Graziella is going to the Convent of the Blessed Virgin near Lodano in the province of Pistoia. This is a precaution, and the parting is harrowing. "The prospect of being entrusted to the care of strangers for an indeterminate time froze fear deep into my bones".
The nuns are caring and gentle, but the living conditions in the nunnery set in the distant mountains are harsh. The children are always cold and hungry.
When she is finally able to return home, the country is still dealing with the aftermath of the war. The post-war Italy might be free from dictatorship, but the power of the Church is still dominant.
The local school, which little Graziella attends, is ruled by a cruel, sadistic teacher, who could give Miss Turnbull a good run for her money. Children are too scared and intimidated to complain.
Graziella is an intelligent and shy child. Paradiso is the story of her childhood, with its tragedies and triumphs.
Paradiso is the name of her home. When she lies still in a cold bed at the nunnery, she takes herself on an imaginary walk around her home. This brings her comfort. "Finally I would turn towards the house, its pale walls shimmering against the sky. Beside the front door there was a small engraved plaque bearing its name, Paradiso. I liked to run my hands over the walls, feeling the heat absorbed from the sun and watching the little lizards darting in and out of the cracks".
Paradiso is inspired by true stories told to Francesca Scanacapra by her Italian family and set in locations where she spent much of her childhood.
I was immediately drawn to this book, thanks to the historical setting and personal connections. The main protagonist of the book made me think of my mother-in-law who was a young child during the war in Italy.
Some scenes reminded me of the stories told by my husband's family. My husband's grandfather told him how excited they were when the first pizza appeared in town (in the North of Italy), as it was a great novelty in their city. The scene with building the pizza oven and Salvatore cooking pizzas which were unknown in Pieve Santa Clara reminded me of that story.
Paradiso is a highly accomplished novel, poignant, moving and heart-warming.
This is historical fiction at its best. So evocative you can practically smell the scent of tomatoes from Zia Mina's garden.
This post is part of the blog tour for the book.
Many thanks to Francesca Scanacapra, Silvertail Books and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book! I can't wait for the next book in the series.
Purchase Links
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paradiso-Utterly-gripping-emotional-historical-ebook/dp/B08X1B15P8/
US - https://www.amazon.com/Paradiso-Utterly-gripping-emotional-historical-ebook/dp/B08X1B15P8/
Author Bio –
Francesca Scanacapra was born in Italy to an English mother and Italian father, and her childhood was spent living between England and Italy. Her adult life has been somewhat nomadic and she has pursued an eclectic mixture of career paths, including working as a technical translator between Italian, English, Spanish and French, a gym owner in Spain, an estate agent in France, a property developer in France and Senegal, and a teacher. Francesca lives in Dorset and currently works as a builder with her husband. She has two children.
No comments:
Post a Comment