Why did you choose this book?
It was the title and cover which caught my eye, with the easily recognisable Brooklyn Bridge.
Also, I do like to try new to me authors. The blurb confirmed that it was set in New York City, a place I have enjoyed visiting and will do so again shortly, but also in Italy. The novel was clearly set in different time zones and so, all in all, looked my kind of book.
Did I feel empathy to any particular character?
Evelina, an Italian girl who lives an extremely sheltered life fell in love with a Jewish young man. Forbidden love in war torn Italy and conflicts of religious backgrounds led to unmerciful tragedies. I could not help but feel empathy for Evelina throughout the novel, which takes her from Italy to New York.
Is there a lasting thought or memory from the book which remains with you long after the novel is finished?
I was touched, following the last novel I read Our Missing Hearts, that I was yet again faced with the tragic consequences of prejudice to an inhumane degree. Once Evelina arrived in New York, though, her life went through the normal turmoil of becoming a woman until …….
She was haunted by her memories and there were several flash backs to explain the interim years.
I can recommended this well written novel which I would label as a family saga or literary fiction.
Diana Jackson 