May 1, 2023
This exuberant, dizzying family saga by Italian novelist Fortunato--his first novel to be translated into English--centers on a hill village in Calabria, the "toe" of Italy. In 99 breezy chapters and an epilogue, it follows the families of the town pharmacist, notary, and lawyer (the notary's son) as they intersect in the marriage of the lawyer to the pharmacist's daughter. These two have several children, the youngest of whom, Valentino, "a narrator who is rather less omniscient than he would like you to think," bears a striking resemblance to the author. While the final chapters are devoted to his coming-of-age, he's a relatively minor character in his own family history. "The past is vaster than the present," he says--and the novel demonstrates--conclusively. Despite the four family trees included (two devoted to the families' servants), readers may have trouble keeping track of the many dozens of characters who vigorously populate the novel. Better to let go and enjoy the wild ride through twentieth-century Italy, both political and personal.
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