"Rinaldo invented a thousand reasons why he had ended up at the orphanage. He was certain that his mother had not really abandoned him, but simply mislaid him. He was convinced that she was looking for him and therefore it was only a matter of time until he was found. He would know immediately who she was because she would be wearing the other emerald earring".
The Lost Boy of Bologna by Francesca Scanacapra is a genuinely gripping historical novel, set in Bologna before and after WWII. This is Book 1 of the Bologna Chronicles.
Last year I reviewed Paradiso by Francesca Scanacapra, and it was one of my top ten favourite books of the year. The author has a singular talent to tell a truly compelling story, with complex characters, and a plotline set against the atmospheric authentic background.
The latest historical tale has certain elements of the picaresque novel, as it depicts a lovable but roguish character, from the low echelons of the society, though there are no traces of satire or comedy here. The genre of the narrative is closer to drama/tragedy.
Bologna, 1929.
The story starts with a heart-breaking scene of a young girl giving birth on her own. Mimi is determined not to give up her baby, but as an unmarried mother, the chances of her raising a child on her own are minimal.
Mimi is poorly prepared for life, and has no experience of babies. She had never even held one. She has a very basic idea of what to expect during the labour, having read the midwifery book in the library by stealth. When the baby is born, he is jaundiced and poorly. Mimi is terrified to ask for help, as she knows that most likely the Child Welfare Service will take the baby from her.
"The thought of Leonardo being taken and given to someone else, or being raised in an orphanage when he wasn't really an orphan, terrified Mimi. Nobody could ever love Leonardo as much as she did".
When the porrly baby has a fit and turns blue, the tragic young mother believes him to be dead. She blames herself for his death, and overcome with grief, leaves him in a crate in the room she has rented with a single emerald earring to pay for his funeral. She flees in despair, accepting that her actions will haunt her for as long as she lives.
What Mimi doesn't realise is that the baby is still alive. The starving boy is found by one of the neighbours, a kind worker at the brush factory. Rinaldo Rossi is caring, but he is what we would classify now as having special needs. He is easily intimidated, and cannot talk much. When questioned by the police, he comes up with the first name he could think of (he gives his own name for the baby, with the surname of Scamorza, as he had the smoked cheese for lunch).
And thus the incredible life of Rinaldo Scamorza begins.
After spending several years in the orphanage and waiting for his mother to come and claim him, little Rinaldo ends up in the household of a cruel foster parent. Ada Stracci is exceptionally nasty. She is abusive and greedy, and manages to dupe the welfare inspectors by transforming herself into an attentive and benevolent foster parent. The house is spotlessly clean (as children clean it), she takes them to the church regularly, and that's all that matters.
The children are starved, have to work long hours, and when they reach a certain age, Ada procures her charges for brothels, claiming the girls have found jobs and moved out.
Growing up in the atmosphere of fear and cruelty, little Rinaldo is befriended by another orphan, the child of the prostitute, beautiful Evelina. Two of them care for each other, share the food and stories, and play together, when they have a chance. The bond between them is strong. Evelina is his big sister.
Shortly after her thirteenth birthday, Evelina is taken away. She is sold into prostitution by despicable Ada. Rinaldo feels alone, powerless and detached, his life had collapsed. "The longing he felt for Evelina was worse than any longing he had ever felt for his mother. Evelina was the only person in the world whom he knew with absolute certainty loved him. They had promised that they would always take care of one another, but he had failed her".
As he grows up, Rinaldo tries to survive in the harsh circumstances, where nobody cares whether he lives or dies. Against all odds, he manages to sustain himself. Hard work doesn't guarantee to be a cure for poverty. "All Rinaldo wanted was a degree of comfort in his life, the basic dignities of a hot dinner every night and a soft bed with clean sheets, but these humble aspirations seemed as out of reach as the moon".
When he finds work as an errand boy in the local brothel, he encounters his Evelina again. Rinaldo is overcome with joy, now that he knows where she is, he could help her get away. His naive plans of a brighter future for the broken Evelina border on foolish. To help her escape the life of exploitation, he sends her into another dark circle of misfortune. Evelina disappears without a trace this time.
As Italy begins to slowly emerge from the shadows of the WWII, and the economy pulls itself together, Rinaldo is able to change his life for the better. His business endeavour becomes a success. He works hard, and is a fair employer, but he is still lonely and broken-hearted. Rinaldo cannot stop thinking about Evelina and what's happened to her. And his mother is also always on his mind.
The Lost Boy of Bologna is a quietly powerful story of love, loyalty, betrayal and redemption. Scanacapra brings the pre- and after-war Bologna into vivid, credible life.
I found this book riveting and poignant, the characters still haunt me. Despite the tragic plotlines, it is an uplifting read. I liked the way the storylines of different secondary characters emerged in the first chapters to intersect through the book, and to finally merge in the end.
Potential triggers: child abuse/prostitution, graphic sex scenes, death in fire, sadism etc.
This review is part of the blog tour for The Lost Boy of Bologna.
Many thanks to Francesca Scanacapra, Silvertail Books and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!
Purchase Links
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Boy-Bologna-Absolutely-historical-ebook/dp/B09TL4VCQT
US - https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Boy-Bologna-Absolutely-historical-ebook/dp/B09TL4VCQT
Francesca Scanacapra was born in Italy to an English mother and Italian father, and her early childhood was spent in Bologna, the city whose rich history has been the inspiration for the Bologna Chronicles series of novels. Francesca’s adult life has been somewhat nomadic with periods spent living in Italy, England, France, Senegal and Spain. In 2021 she returned to her native country and back to her earliest roots to pursue her writing career full time. She now resides permanently in rural Lombardy in the house built by her great-grandfather which was the inspiration for her Paradiso Novels.
Social Media Links –
Twitter https://twitter.com/FrancescaScana2
Insta @francescascana2
Giveaway to Win 5 x PB copies of The Lost Boy of Bologna (Open to UK Only)
*Terms and Conditions –
UK entries welcome.
Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.
The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email.
If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner.
Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.
Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information.
This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.
I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.
Please bear in mind that this giveaway is running through several blogs taking part in the blog tour.
Chez Maximka is hosting the Rafflecopter gadget for free for the purposes of the book promotion. I have no access to the data collected, and am not involved in the selection of the winner and dispatch of the prize.
Good luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment