Book Review: The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia by Juliet Grames

 

Rating:3.5⭐

Set in the remote South Calabrian village of Santa Chionia in 1960, The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia by Juliet Grames. follows twenty-seven-year-old American (of Calabrian and Norwegian descent), Francesca Loftfield, and the time she spent in the village in her efforts to open a nursery school funded by an international charity. Francesca estranged from her husband after a personal loss, is an educated, idealistic young woman who, despite having led a sheltered life, is motivated to take the assignment in the remote rustic village. Her job entails opening a nursery school and enrolling thirty-six pupils while also recruiting suitable candidates as teachers from the local community - not an easy task, trying to have her voice heard among those in a tight-knit community with their set ways. Complicating matters further is the fact that a human skeleton was recently discovered under the rubble of the old post office after flooding and Francesca is approached by two women, each of whom believes that the bones belong to one of their own. Francesca, in her pursuit of the identity of the deceased, finds herself getting more deeply involved in the affairs of the community than she had anticipated, ultimately risking the completion of her original mission and her very own survival.

There is a lot about The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia by Juliet Grames that is praiseworthy. The author writes beautifully, with a keen sense of time and place. The narrative is presented from the perspective of loving the atmospheric setting of Santa Chionia and the vivid descriptions of the landscape and depiction of the community and their way of life. I appreciated the complex plot and found the premise of this novel truly intriguing. The obstacles Francesca faces in her quest for the truth are convincing and evidenced thoroughly through how the author describes the power dynamics within the community, local political rivalry, deep-buried secrets and their own code of justice and how the community chooses to resolve conflict. The mystery angle was well - crafted and the tension was palpable as the narrative progressed.

However, the novel is unnecessarily lengthy and the pacing is uneven, with too many characters in the mix. Halfway through, I was struggling to remember how each of the characters was related to the other. Several secondary characters are well thought out, but I found it difficult to connect with Francesca. Francesca’s past is revealed through flashbacks and the narrative is shared through her first-person POV, giving us a glimpse into her innermost thoughts and emotions. However, I felt that her character could have been explored in more depth, especially in light of her reaction to the plight of the women and children in the Santa Chionia community and her personal choices. Though I was concerned for her well-being, I did find her a tad too gullible and trusting and thought that she would have made smarter choices, especially in the latter half of the story. The romance track felt contrived and I was left with a few unanswered questions at the end.

Overall, though I didn't dislike this novel in its entirety, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had expected.

Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.