PositiveThe New York Journal of BooksGreenidge skillfully shows the generational divide between Libertie and her mother, a widely applicable story across the ages ... The novel’s point of view works for the story. Libertie is the observer to her mother, which provides more opportunity for exposition and character growth ... Greenidge has reconstructed a time both unsung and ubiquitous. From icy Brooklyn brownstones to tropical Haiti, the book ties together histories in a way that renders them—especially in today’s world—both timeless and timely.
Viola Ardone, Tr. Clarissa Botsford
PositiveThe New York Journal of BooksThrough a combination of a first-person voice and a balanced tone, the book paints an eminently believable and sympathetic picture that for American readers will serve the dual purpose of both literature and a mental vacation to the Neapolitan coast ... The voice is very moderate, and though the narration is not exactly how a child would talk, it provides just enough clues to indicate Amerigo’s youth without being distracting ... The author is wise to counterbalance the sad moments with moderate moments, avoiding the trap of romanticizing poverty. The readers are not led by the hand to pity the narrator, which removes the focus from the child’s sad predicament and instead focuses on the child’s self-agency and decision-making, providing readers a cause to feel invested in rather than a slog of sadness ... The narrator’s loneliest moments are relegated to key plot points and made more impactful when contrasted against the bright, lively descriptions of Italian food, festivals, and traditions. Readers will enjoy the scenes featuring traditional Neapolitan pizza, the pignatta, and the custom of a witch named Befana delivering candy to children on the Feast of the Epiphany ... a sympathetic, well-crafted novel filled with vacation-worthy sights and authentic experiences from an Italy that balances folk tradition with modernity. Readers will genuinely care about the children in this book and will feel deeply moved at the story’s resolution, when Amerigo must choose between his two families.
