The topic of the book, a biographical account set in Italy in the time of fascism, is interesting and will probably appeal to many readers. Even though I was drawn in by the premise, I could not engage with the book because it was written in a way that felt dictated instead of written: it tells more than it shows. So, rather that becoming immersed in the world of the book, I found myself drifting off and distracted as one tends to do when trying to listen to a long-winded story. This writing style, part reporting, part narration, would have been better suited for an article or for an audio accompaniment to a documentary.