Tender and moving

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3.5*

I loved the tone of this gentle novel. Amerigo is such a wonderful character and I fell in love with his charm and sass early on. It was heart wrenching to watch him grow and mature and start to see his home life as it truly was. He evolved from a carefree child counting shoes without holes and happily following his chilly and distant mother through the streets of Italy to a serious and contemplative boy, suddenly and sharply aware of all that he lacked in his home life. I was rooting for Ameri as he gained confidence and skills and found his calling in the violin. I ached for him when he learned what a loving touch was like. And I cried for him when he felt the need to choose between his mother and his adoptive family.

My critique of this wonderful novel lies in the development of the plot. I never felt like the relationships were fully fleshed out and I was left wanting a bit. The transitions from Naples to the north of Italy and back were a bit jarring, as was the end section when Amerigo returned as an adult. Although this book is absolutely gorgeous and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it, I was left wanting a deeper connection to the story. However, I understand that nuance may have been lost in translation so I would still definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys historical fiction.