I know this book has already received much acclaim in Italy when first published and I can definitely see why. The first 2/3 of the book are told from the perspective of a precocious seven year old, who is thrown into a situation that changes the entire direction of his life. The final 2/3 is told from the perspective of the same character much later in his life. He takes a journey to his past to try to come to terms with the relationship with his mother that has haunted him during his entire life. I felt that the main character had depth, both as a child and as an aging adult. Based on a true story surrounding events that I was never aware of, I found the book to capture the desperation of the times and the emotion they invoked, excellently. I had heard of the orphan trains in the US and had assumptions that this would be a story of desperate children being sent to horrible situations. This was not that story. I adored this book!