This book is about Amerigo Speranza who is seven years old when the story begins. He come from a poor family and it's just him and his Mamma who can barely put food on the table. She decides to send him on a children's train to stay with a family that is better off to be taken care of for a while.
The story encompasses his time before the train up, during the train, with the new family, after he gets back to his hometown and then skips ahead almost 50 years when he goes back to his hometown.
I loved reading the story from Amerigo's POV. That worked well for me as I love a child narrator when done right. I also like that it's based on a true story. My favorite part of the story was probably his time with the Benvenuti's. I liked getting to know Amerigo throughout the book. At times, the story is heartbreaking and I teared up more than once. It was written well and I read it in a day. I do wish there had been more about after he left to go back to the new family, but that's about my only complaint. If you like historical fiction, I think you will enjoy this fast-paced book.
The story encompasses his time before the train up, during the train, with the new family, after he gets back to his hometown and then skips ahead almost 50 years when he goes back to his hometown.
I loved reading the story from Amerigo's POV. That worked well for me as I love a child narrator when done right. I also like that it's based on a true story. My favorite part of the story was probably his time with the Benvenuti's. I liked getting to know Amerigo throughout the book. At times, the story is heartbreaking and I teared up more than once. It was written well and I read it in a day. I do wish there had been more about after he left to go back to the new family, but that's about my only complaint. If you like historical fiction, I think you will enjoy this fast-paced book.