This Most Amazing

by Jenny Benjamin

This Most Amazing – multigenerational love stories that span two continents and two centuries. Join the quest for can passionate lives from the past resurface in ones in present day? In 1797, in the mountains of Italy, Vincenzo Lupo deserts Napoleon Bonaparte’s army after he kills an Austrian boy during battle. Plagued with night terrors and guilt, he crosses the Apennine Mountains to reach his village, Villetta Barrea. In 2012, Italian-American Dahlia Conti teaches poetry in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. While leading a workshop on “found poetry,” she meets artist Jonas Nickle, and a passionate romance begins even though Dahlia is reluctant to be consumed by a relationship because she is about to embark on a new teaching job in Rome. When Dahlia reaches Italy, she continues a long-distance relationship with Jonas, and while taking in the sights, smells, and tastes of Italy, something shifts in Dahlia’s body and mind. Not only has she traveled to a new country, when she sleeps, she travels to a different time where she re-lives scenes from Vincenzo’s life. Drawing together two time periods along the same Italian landscape, these stories collide during Dahlia’s dreams. Experiencing what she believes are auditory and visual memories where she embodies Vincenzo, or his lover, Ottavia, Dahlia searches for answers to the mysteries of Vincenzo’s what happened after his fellow villagers put him in jail for desertion? Here he fell in love with the doctor’s daughter, Ottavia, who supplied Vincenzo with meals. Were they able to fulfill their romance outside the jail cell? Dahlia pulls her own lover along in this search, answering the past with new life. In This Most Amazing, a historical romance reaches a modern female artist, and in this curious mix, creation means redemption. “…a thoroughly enjoyable read” Francine Howarth - Romantic Historical Reviews “Reminiscent of Tracy Chevalier’s The Virgin Blue [...] Benjamin’s prose is evocative, her characters finely drawn, and the worlds she creates for us give us new ways to think about our own.” Melissa Schoeffel , author of Maternal “Readers will be absorbed in the story, but they will also be intrigued by its central how does the past endure, not just in history but in our own bodies?” Angela Sorby, author of The Sleeve Who I am I am a freelance writer and teacher. Over 30 of my poems have appeared in journals, including DIAGRAM, Fulcrum, Chelsea and the Crab Orchard Review. I live in Milwaukee, USA with my 3 daughters. As an Italian-American whose family comes from Villetta Barrea, Italy, the main setting of the novel, my inspiration stems from a family my paternal great-great grandfather fought with Napoleon’s army. After a time, he simply walked home and fell in love with his future wife, who brought him food in the village jail every day. This Most Amazing is my first novel. For years, poetry was the focus of my writing, and I dabbled in fiction, creating a few unfinished or unpolished novel manuscripts that had no action. In 2009 I finally figured out how to tell Vincenzo’s story, which meant wedding the storyline with the modern character of Dahlia.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 2013

About the author

Jenny Benjamin is the owner of her freelance writing and editing business JB Communications, LLC. Over thirty of her poems have appeared in journals, including DIAGRAM, South Carolina Review, Fulcrum, Baltimore Review, Chelsea, and the Crab Orchard Review. Her first novel, This Most Amazing, was published in 2013 by Armida Books in Nicosia, Cyprus. Her poetry chapbook, More Than a Box of Crayons, was published by Finishing Line Press in February 2018. Her poetry chapbook, Midway, won second place in the 2017 No Chair Press contest and was published in April 2018. Enhanced and Corrupted, the first two books of her young adult, science fiction trilogy was published by Ananke Press (October 2021, July 2022). Redeemed: Book Three of the Terrian Trilogy is forthcoming in December 2022. Her novel Heather Finch was published by Running Wild Press (June 2022). She lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her three children and dog.

Reviews

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told in alternating chapters through the first person voice of teacher/poet Dahlia and the narrative account of 18th century Italian Vincenzo, this story has both intensity and philosophical reflection. Each character is fully realized, distinct, compelling, and struggling with the circumstances of their lives. I read extensively, and this is unlike anything in my experience.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll confess--I figured anyone who takes a line from e e cummings for a title must be onto something, but I bought this book and started reading it mainly to show some support for a local writer. Early on, I enjoyed the slightly disguised Milwaukee settings and the alternating chapters with well-researched details on late eighteenth century Italian life. It was a fun read, although I don't read much chick lit (well, honestly, practically none at all), so I didn't have much of a context for it, but about halfway through or so, Benjamin shifts gears and takes the novel to another level. She transcends the chick lit and historical romance genres altogether; hope I'm not giving too much away, but what started out as a fun, light read gradually and naturally grew into a very powerful and emotionally satisfying story, especially in the way that the characters of Dahlia and Vincenzo are developed. It is a first novel, and has lots of rough spots, but if you stick with it, you'll find yourself enjoying a very amazing story from a writer with a lot of promise.

[PeggyAnn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evolution Of Love...Self Discovery

I gave this book a four star rating because though it captivated my interest and held my attention
it was also surreal with a constant feel of disconnect. And I felt like slapping the main character
through out the story. Such a whiner....but still a good read! Self-Discovery is what LIFE is all about!

Happy to Review Good Reads for Book Lovers Everywhere,
PeggyAnn Smith/Lady In Red

[Terri Karsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. It's an intriguing mix of the modern and the historical. I was quite pleased with the results. Jenny Benjamin has created an evocative setting, with plenty of historical detail. I particularly liked the surprising connections between the past and the present. It's well worth reading.

[ROMANTIC HISTORICAL REVIEW BLOG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by: Francine Howarth

Link to Review: http://www.romantichistoricalreviews....

[Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

With all the 5 star reviews I couldn't wait to start this book. Ugh, it fell way short of my expectations.

[Deborah F. Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Book!

I found this book to be a real "page turner!!" More, Ms. Benjamin, more! I hope you continue your unusual stories!