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From the internationally bestselling author of The Children’s
Train comes an unforgettable coming-of-age novel, set in 1960s
Sicily and based on a true story, of how a young Sicilian girl
defied centuries old tradition to win the right to control her own
life. As provincial Sicily bursts into life with the jaunty hum of
pop music and the heady scent of wild jasmine, fifteen-year-old
Oliva Denaro dares to challenge convention, ignoring the taunts of
peers, her mother’s scolds, and her own changing body. Spirited
and carefree, she loves to run until her lungs burst: to feel the
strength of her lithe limbs, to relish the freedom she cherishes,
to honor the friends forced by propriety to conform. Though she
knows she cannot stop growing up, Oliva resists the future. To her,
becoming a woman means denying oneself. But adulthood comes all too
quickly when the baker’s son sets his sights on her. Offered a
blood orange, Oliva—haunted by her mother’s warning, “a girl
who smiles has already said yes”—spurns the fruit. Yet, this
act sets into motion an unwanted courtship that will force Oliva to
fight for the right to choose her own path, even though the odds of
winning are steep. While America and Europe are in the throes of
social change, Sicily fiercely clings to its rigid traditions,
including the custom of fuitina –by which kidnappings could be
disguised as elopements– which is accepted and enshrined in law.
Oliva’s battle for independence is based on the real-life story
that would ultimately rock Italy–capturing the attention of both
the Pope and the nation’s president—and transform life for all
Italians. The Unbreakable Heart of Oliva Denaro is a lyrical tale
of staggering beauty. Viola Ardone beautifully evokes a land and
its people, customs, and passions, and breathes life into an
unforgettable girl in all her intensity, desperation, perseverance,
and bravery. Alternating between the lighthearted and the tragic,
it is a classic coming-of-age novel—powerful, spellbinding, and
liberating. Translated from the Italian by Clarissa Botsford
"The innocence of childhood collides with the stark aftermath of
war in this wrenching and ultimately redemptive tale of family,
seemingly impossible choices, and the winding paths to destiny,
which sometimes take us to places far beyond our imaginings." -
Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Before We
Were Yours and The Book of Lost Friends "Ardone's beautifully
crafted story explores the meaning of identity and
belonging...recommended to fans of Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan
novels." - The Library Journal "[The Children's Train] leaves you
with a great sense of the importance of family and the tough
decisions that must be faced as a result of that love." - Shelf
Awareness Based on true events, a heartbreaking story of love,
family, hope, and survival set in post-World War II Italy-written
with the heart of Orphan Train and Before We Were Yours-about poor
children from the south sent to live with families in the north to
survive deprivation and the harsh winters. Though Mussolini and the
fascists have been defeated, the war has devastated Italy,
especially the south. Seven-year-old Amerigo lives with his mother
Antonietta in Naples, surviving on odd jobs and his wits like the
rest of the poor in his neighborhood. But one day, Amerigo learns
that a train will take him away from the rubble-strewn streets of
the city to spend the winter with a family in the north, where he
will be safe and have warm clothes and food to eat. Together with
thousands of other southern children, Amerigo will cross the entire
peninsula to a new life. Through his curious, innocent eyes, we see
a nation rising from the ashes of war, reborn. As he comes to enjoy
his new surroundings and the possibilities for a better future,
Amerigo will make the heartbreaking choice to leave his mother and
become a member of his adoptive family. Amerigo's journey is a
moving story of memory, indelible bonds, artistry, and
self-exploration, and a soaring examination of what family can
truly mean. Ultimately Amerigo comes to understand that sometimes
we must give up everything, even a mother's love, to find our
destiny. Translated from the Italian by Clarissa Botsford
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