The Madonna of The Mountains

by Elise Valmorbida

1923

Maria Vittoria is embroidering a sheet for her dowry trunk.

Her father has gone to find her a husband. He's taken his mule, a photograph and a pack of food: home-made sopressa sausage, cold polenta, a little flask of wine-no need to take water-the world is full of water.

It's Springtime, when a betrothal might happen, as sudden as a wild cyclamen from a wet rock, as sweet as a tiny violet fed by melting mountain snow. There are no eligible men in this valley or the next one, but her Father will not let her marry just anyone, and now, despite Maria's years, she is still healthy. Her betrothed will see all that. He'll be looking for a woman who can do the work.

Maria can do the work. Everyone in the contr� says that.

And the lord knows Maria will need to be able to work. Fascism blooms as crops ripen, the state craves babies just as the babies cry for food. Maria faces a stoney path, but one she will surely climb to the summit.

In this sumptuous and elegant novel you will taste the bigoli co l'arna, feel the mulberry leaves cut finer than organdy, hear the silence that enfolds Maria when Achille - that ox of a man - lifts his hand to her, and feel the strain of one woman attempting to keep her family together in the most testing of times.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Italy, World War II, Historical, Book Club, Cultural

384 pages, Hardcover

First published March 29, 2018

About the author

I grew up Italian in Australia, but a scholarship took me to England. I was smitten by London, and still am. In between the day-jobs, I've been writing fiction and non-fiction for 20+ years. I've been teaching creative writing for almost as long. Heartfelt thanks for reading my work and posting reviews.

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ stars .

There were so many things I loved about this family saga. I’m drawn to books that are set in Italy in the past. Maybe because of my grandparents who were all born in Italy. I love the intermittent Italian phrases. Though I studied it so long ago I never used it enough over the years to remember much of it, but still the beautiful language touches me. I loved the phrases that I found here, especially in the first parts of the book. I loved the advice, the adages as they reminded me of things my mother would tell us that my grandfather used to say . She always said , “My father used to say ....” I know I’m digressing, but I was moved by these.

This the story of Maria Vittoria who in 1923 was 25, old to be single in that time and waiting for her father to bring back a husband for her . She seems taken with her new husband and vows to be a good wife and mother. She’s happy until it becomes clear that Achille is not the man she thought she had married, but this was a different time and place and she takes what comes. The middle parts of the story are about a time of war, of a time and place when women’s roles were subservient. Yet, we meet a woman who is strong, emotionally and physically and has the gumption to do what it takes to protect her family with the impending war and the spread of fascism. So often in war stories we get the view from the battles, the bombings and I found this depiction of the impact of the war on the people away from that to feel realistic. Maria is not perfect, but there was much to admire about her as she takes control. Her family was everything to her. In that respect she reminded me so much of my mother.

I loved the intermittent admonitions, advice and sometimes a look to the future that the author depicts as words of the Madonna. I think these are Maria’s thoughts on what the Madonna would say to her. She is devout but bears the burden of guilt and these thoughts are her compass in moving forward. I’m not going to relate what happens to Maria and her family after the war. I recommend that you read this and discover it for yourself. A satisfying, well written family saga. Another great read with Diane and Esil. As always, thanks for your perspectives.


I received an advanced copy of this book from Spiegal & Grau/ Random House through NetGalley.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 steadfast stars to The Madonna of the Mountains ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

The Madonna of the Mountains is an epic story of one woman’s life. Maria Vittoria is born in the mountains of Italy. The story follows her early life in the mountains, her marriage, and the births of her four children. During this time the National Fascist Party and Mussolini rule Italy, and Maria’s family struggles to survive the harsh war times.

During those tumultuous times, Maria has no idea whom to trust. She is surrounded by snoopy neighbors, Nazis, and a Fascist cousin, and her only goal is to keep her family safe.

Eventually, Maria’s children grow and spread their wings, and she is still fighting to preserve her family.

Maria very much epitomizes the quintessential selfless mother who puts her family first ahead of everything else. She is a complex character and one I admired and respected.

There were many nuances to the author’s writing, small things that added up to make a wonderful whole. For instance, the Madonna speaking to the devout Maria, guiding her, and beautiful imagery and depictions of the area where Maria lives.

Thank you to Elise Valmorbida, Spiegel & Grau/Random House, and Netgalley for the complimentary copy. The Madonna of the Mountains will be released on June 12, 2018.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The past has a suffocating weight of its own. And the future......air unyet to be breathed.

Maria Vittoria's father takes to the mountain paths in 1923 with only his faithful donkey and a well-worn picture of Maria. He has set out to find her a husband along with a dowry long in the making. Maria continues to sit in the small house in Monastero embroidering nuptial bedding with a needle sharp and piercing. Love doesn't seem to fit in the laws of bartering.

A determined nature finds Maria and Achille Montanari betrothed. They begin married life in a tiny room in his parents' home. Privacy seems to be nudged rudely even by the bleating of farm animals in the next room. But by 1928 the young couple have two children and a small shop in the village of Fasso. What isn't in their plans is the rise of the Fascist Party and the pressing demands of allegiance that find Achille torn between protecting his family and staying alive.

Elise Valmorbida presents a story that evokes the very strength of International Women's Day. Maria Vittoria's voice is one that begins in a soft whisper and escalates to the roar of an Italian waterfall. Maria steps forward into precarious times ill-prepared at first, but gradually taking on a stance from the very marrow of her bones. As war rears its ugly head in the 30's and 40's, we view the impact of Mussolini, Il Duce, and the intense sufferings it brings: Neighbor against neighbor, families with vying allegiences, food rationing, and body-shaking stress of the bombings.

This is why The Madonna of the Mountains spoke so vividly to me. Life never prepares you for what awaits in the coming darkness. And this is the heart-wrenching character of Maria in her early years of naivete. "Not knowing is a kind of happiness"......all before reality opens the door, steps in, and destroys.

The Madonna of the Mountains leaves you with that knowledge as you sit with it for awhile. "Men will do what men do." One has no other alternative but to rise with every devastating event in life. It's what we do. It's who we are. Elise Valmorbida writes with that same passion page after page. That's why, dear readers, this is one of my favorites of 2018. "All her tears have been building up in her belly like water in the deepest well."

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Random House and to the talented Elise Valmorbida for the opportunity.

[Canadian Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story which spans 3 centuries in the countryside of Italy.
Maria, almost on the verge of becoming a spinster, is finally married off at the brittle age of 25. She’s a woman who is suppressed in a patriarchal society but stands strong in the challenges she faces. Throughout world war 2 she is a pillar to her family. Rationing where she can and sacrificing herself to save her husband. Smothered by the darkness of war, she remains stoic with the protection of the Madonna always giving her strength.

Marvellously descriptive - the rolling hillsides of the Italian country; the bravery and courage of a woman who was the core of the family. 4⭐️

[Esil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Madonna of the Mountains takes place in Italy from the late 1920s to the early 1950s. The story focuses on Maria, who as a young woman is excited to start her new life with a husband chosen by her family. As the story develops, life is quite harsh for Maria, partially because of her marriage and in large part because of the political climate and WWII.

I really liked Madonna of the Mountains. I thought that one of the real strengths of this book is that the story is unvarnished. Maria is not portrayed as a romantic figure. Her life is harsh, she has to make difficult choices, and she herself can be quite hard and unbending. But her motivations and emotions seem genuine – survival and love for her children are her prime motivators.

The author also does a good job in her portrayal of the times in Italy – complex web of politics within which normal citizens had to carefully navigate their shifting allegiances to survive. As I often say, I don’t always like historical fiction because I often find that it is too romantic or exploitative, but this one definitely worked for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy. And thank you also to my lovely monthly buddy read friends, Angela and Diane, for the opportunity to read this one together. This seems to be one that had all of us interested and engaged.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seem to be traveling to Italy quite often in my reading lately. This takes place in a village in the mountains of Italy and span the years from the 1920s to the 1950s. It centers on the trials and trivalis of one family, with a strong in muscle father Achilles and a strong in character mother, Maria. By centering on one familys fate, we are exposed to the harsh realities those in Italy faced during the war.

Maria, is a wonderful character, raised to let her husband be the supreme ruler of her household, her life is not simple. He doesn't always treat her kindly,but her love for her children and the strong bonds of family, keep her going. Until an unexpected event,make her the temporary head of her household, a time when their business is failing, not enough food items available to stock the shelves of their grocery. She knows she must do everything possible for the survival of her household, and this leads to an act that will haunt her days and nights. The struggle to find food, trapping small birds with putrid olive oil, lizards, anything they can get to eat to help them survive.

This was also a time when neighbor reported on neighbor, when they are caught between the Nazis, the Fascists and the partisans,all wanting food, wanting loyalty. Such difficult times, but Maria tries her hardest to keep her family healthy and intact. This book raises many moral and ethical questions. What would one do to survive, what is one's self worth? Maria faces these questions,maybe not always the supposed right way, but in the only way she can see a life moving forward. She will pay dearly for some of her decisions.

Strong religious faith, Maria carries, has with her at all times a statue of the Virgin Mary, and often feels as if Mary speaks to her directly. Condemnation and warnings, words to keep her on track. Since this was our buddy read of the month for Angela,Esil and I we decided it was Marias own conscience
that is being portrayed, spoken.

We all enjoyed this one, our ratings close to or the same, it was an interesting look at a family dealing with everyday problems but also dealing with the harsher realities of the war years. I didn't feel the ending was as strong as it could be, but I know that this is a journey the authors own family undertook. On the whole a very interesting and well written read.

ARC from Edelweiss.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.
It’s the story of Maria Vittoria, from the mountains in Italy. When the story begins she is 25 and living at home with her parents and siblings and is considered as approaching spinster age.
It begins with her father going off to another town to find a husband for her and follows her life through her own marriage and family. This all takes place beginning in 1925 - 1950, and the majority of it through WWll.
Throughout the book she is devout and prays to her statue of the Madonna of the mountains,and the Madonna speaks to her, knows her mind.
This book is about womanhood, motherhood, and of course survival, since these were war years.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Random House for the ARC!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Men make the mess, then women have to clear it up."

I loved this. It's a beautifully written book and though its central theme is conflict it's a quiet intimate sensual wise meditative novel which was a joy to read from start to finish.
It begins in 1923. Maria is embroidering a sheet for her dowry chest. At twenty-five she is in danger of remaining a spinster. Her father though has gone off to procure her a husband.

The uneven balance of power between the sexes is always fabulously observed. The one free woman in the village is a mad outcast called Delfina who lives wild and acts as a kind of opposition oracle to the Virgin Mary. Maria's secret life is carried out exclusively through her dialogues with the statue of the Virgin Mary she owns, the Madonna of the mountains. The males in this novel are almost all bullies. Almost all little boys at heart who don't grow up. And yet their power is almost absolute. Until war arrives. When war breaks out the dictatorship of the male becomes more violent, though, conversely, war also causes the males to lose much of their autonomy. The mess men have made of life allows a loophole for the new generation of women to assert themselves with more authority. This is brilliantly dramatized here with the relationship of Maria with her eldest daughter, Amelia. It's one of the best generational spats I've encountered in literature. We see the influence of history reap its changes within the walls of one family home which is achieved with brilliant artistry.

Thanks to Angela and Esil for putting this gem on the GR radar with their wonderful reviews.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The year is 1923, and Maria Vitorria’s father is away, he has gone to find a man for her. A husband. Nearing the dangerously advanced age of 25, it is past time Maria was wed. Soon there will be no prospects left, and she will have to rely on her family. Maria isn’t worried, she relies on the wisdom of Madonna of the Mountains, and she knows she will have a husband. She’s so sure that she’s been working, embroidering a sheet for their bed for the wedding night, and when she isn’t doing that, she is repeating prayers from The Christian Bride, while trying to visualize this man.

In their small village, so many have been lost in World War I that her father has had to travel to other areas, but Maria knows that her father will only accept a man for her into their family if he is worthy to be considered. Her father has his own reputation to consider, as well, and so he returns with a man, Achille, a returned veteran of the war. After a short period of time, Achille and Maria are married.

As this story unfolds, Italy is beginning to show the effects of divided allegiances, splinter groups, leading to more division among the people. Maria and Achille have settled in the plains of Fossò, with Maria’s Madonna of the Mountains statue settling in with them. The Madonna is her lifeline, her support and salvation, that which soothes her soul when days are hard, it is who she reaches for when seeking answers, it is the voice she hears when she is uneasy in her soul over things she has done.

Life is full of decisions and life-changing moments. For Maria, she has her Madonna for guidance, and she feels that is enough.

This is a family saga that establishes its home in the place and time, Italy during the time when the powers of fascism were growing, and the privations of war were slowly forcing people, families, to more drastic measures to survive, and it touches on the effects this has on this one family. As tensions around them rise, it is inevitable that it will affect them, but how?

Some of the things that I loved - the little touches, the imagery of the world around them, the descriptions of the sights and sounds, the significance of the number of times the church bells ring, how they ring in a melancholy way, I loved reading the words of the Madonna, as she varied from offering words of comfort to giving cautionary warnings, and often, also, to counsel. I loved how determined Maria was to protect her family, even when she struggled with everything they’d sacrificed to make it through their days.


Pub Date: 12 JUN 2018

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group – Random House / Spiegel & Grau

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing this advance reader copy via NetGalley.

This is an epic story of the life of Maria Vittoria Montanari, who was born in Italy. The book begins in 1923 when she's twenty-five, almost considered past the prime age for marriage. Her father sets out on a mission to find Maria a husband. She's attractive (although not quite as pretty as her younger sister Egidia), strong, and a hard worker. She is embroidering a sheet for her dowry trunk with delicate flowers to use for her marriage bed. She recites prayers from her only book...small, blue and bound in leather..."The Christian Bride". She also has another precious treasure: her Madonna of the Mountains figurine enshrined on a plinth in a glass bell jar. Maria seeks out comfort and guidance throughout her life while in reverent prayer before this statue, and these "conversations" if you will are italicized sporadically during this saga.

Maria and her new husband Achilles move to an Italian village named Fosso and set up their own grocery store. Some of my favorite parts of the book are the wonderful detailed descriptions of how she cooks, cleans and maintains the store. Just prior to her marriage when she's still living in her family home in Monastero, she is washing laundry before dawn. It is a very elaborate process involving numerous trips to retrieve water, two buckets at a time hanging from a pole that she supports across her neck and shoulders. They make their own soap, violet perfume, and use every plant and animal resource without waste.

It was a riveting read how Maria, Achilles and their children lived through the horrific period of World War II. The terror of their store being visited by surly and frightening army factions, enduring food rationing with barely enough to eat, air raids, bombing and illness. I was utterly fascinated by the food sources Maria employed to feed her family such as pigeons, lizards and snails! There was also an exquisitely detailed passage involving the raising of silkworms, a skill one of Maria's daughters learned in a convent which was considered "more valuable than a dowry".

I was briefly disoriented about 30 percent into the book by a rather weird foray into the mind of a local madwoman named Delfina. It seemed like the story had gone off the grid to some extent, but the "fog" quickly passed and this glorious family saga resumed.

This is a superbly crafted story of an attractive, strong, spiritual, and resourceful wife and mother who loved and protected her family through some very trying times.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was all prepared to love this book. I had loved Under the Scarlet Sky and was interested in learning more about Italy during Mussolini’s reign. But I just could never get into it. It follows Maria through her marriage at age 25 in 1923 through the early 1950s in the Italian countryside. It was a different time. Women were meant to be subservient. “Men will do what men do… Don’t ask him any more of your pointless questions, Maria. Not knowing is a kind of happiness.”

Even when something meaningful happens, it’s told in such an understated way I had trouble relating. And the characters never became real to me. The writing never spoke to me and it just felt very dry and ponderous, especially when the Madonna would speak to Maria. In addition, I wanted to know more about what was happening during the different time periods, especially as it pertained to WWII and this book didn’t give you the bigger picture.

I am definitely in the minority in my opinion of this book, so don’t let my opinion sway you if you’re considering it.

My thanks to netgalley and Spiegal and Grau for an advance copy of this novel.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Northern Italy, the story spans between 1920-1950.

It starts with a 25 year old Maria, who is already passed a marriageable age, but it’s not her fault that there are no marriageable men in nearby villages. The men were taken by war. But she prays to her icon of the Madonna of the Mountains and continues to hope for a handsome husband. As this is her last straw to get married, her father travels to another valley with her picture to get her a husband. He comes back with a handsome man Maria was praying for. They get married before Easter, a time which rich people pick. She is very proud to be getting married before Easter.

With two kids they move to a town of Fosso, where her husband buys a grocery store with living quarters above. Maria hopes for more kids. Under Mussolini’s regime families with six or more kids get released from taxes. She feels sorry for their new neighbor butcher, who is single and paying heavy taxes.

At 44 with five kids and two miscarriages, Maria no longer wants to go through another pregnancy. It’s been already three years since the WWII began. Rationing of the food is harsh, not enough for a person or family to survive on. People buy goods at black market to survive despite harsh punishment if caught.

Two years later, in 1944, Germany invades Northern Italy. The following year, American forces liberate Southern Italy and move northwards.

I didn’t like the character of La Delfina, a madwoman. She didn’t add much to the story. I was glad that she took only a small part at the beginning of the story. But even those few pages should have been given later on to Amelia, Maria’s daughter. A character that stood out to me, a strong-willed young woman, who follows her heart despite her family disapproval. Amelia is so different from her mother, but at the same time you have to give Maria credit for being a strong woman herself; feeding her family through the worst hunger time and keeping her family together.

The author skillfully paints a picture of an Italian family: woman’s duties, man’s role, neighbor’s scrutinizing eyes and gossiping lips, families’ feuds. However, the story lacks a background of historical events during WWII. You hardly get to know Mussolini’s regime through this story. The time-period could be presented much better. However, the story is very well-written and pretty engrossing. Therefore, I left it at 5 stars.

@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
@https://bestinhistoricalfiction.blogs...

[Martie Nees Record · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Pub. Date: June 12, 2018

Whenever I give a book a five star review, that means, for me, it is an incredible read. I admit that when a book is on a subject I enjoy or something that I can relate to, I usually add in an extra star. After all, this reviewer is only human. In this book, I strongly identify with the characters’ culture. Still, this does not take away from the vivid imagery in the superior writing. You will feel as though you are inside the pages and everything is personally touching you. The novel is filled with the feel of Italy, its food, its way of life and its picturesque wonders. As well as the ugly underbelly of peasant living; the author, Elise Valmorbida, explores the moral questions on the uneven balance of power between the sexes in Italian life.

The novel derives much of its weight from its setting: War in Italy during the 1920s to the 1950s. The main female protagonist is the epitome of an unsentimental woman doing whatever it takes to keep her family alive during hardship in unstable times. She and her husband have lived through and survived WWI. Now they must do it again, with four children, during WWII. As the reader knows, at the beginning of the war, Benito Mussolini chose to ally Italy's forces with those of Adolf Hitler. Soon German and Italian armies were battling Allied troops on several fronts. Italian civilians suffered on many levels. Their homes were bombed, their food sources cut off. Then, one month after Italy surrendered to Allied forces; it declared war on Nazi Germany. And, the Italian people were further bombed and starved and still suffering. “War is hell.” ― General William T. Sherman.

“Madonna” focuses on the female character’s role. Women seemed the most burnt out by life because they were the most abused. The enemy, whoever they might be at the moment, was beating and raping the females. Their own husbands were often no better, especially in peasant life where it is the norm for men to beat their wives and children, and have affairs. Think the movie “Zorba The Greek,” not an Italian film but so similar in the scene where the village peasants stone to death a woman who was unfaithful to her husband. If you think this casual acceptance of violence against women can be attributed to the period, think again. According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, “women experience about 4.8 million intimate partner-related physical assaults and rapes every year.” I actually found myself comparing our Italian mother to Tina Turner and her husband Ike. Ike once told the newspapers in 1985. “Yeah, I hit her, but I didn't hit her more than the average guy beats his wife.” I have read much fiction and nonfiction on violence against women, this novel explains it so well. The reader will observe how mothers taught their daughters that they must be subservient to men. And if they are not, they will be physically punished. Here is another movie for you, “Divorce Italian Style.” The film is a comedy that still screams of a patriarchal society where it is expected that husbands and fathers hit.

All in all, as a reviewer, I appreciate that the author did not portray the mother in a romantic sense. What she did was show wartime horrors and the abuse the women endured in an epic novel. The author’s characters are so real and so gut-wrenching that I was not surprised to learn about the possibility that this is autobiographical. I applaud Valmorbida for such an honest description of Italy’s wonders and shames.

I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

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[Bkwmlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book I’ve read so far this year that takes place in Italy – this time around, the setting is in the mountains and later in the countryside, during a tumultuous time period starting not long after the end of the Great War and spanning through the Second World War. It is the story of Maria Vittoria, an ordinary woman who grows up in a respectable, devoutly religious family in the Italian mountains and follows her life through marriage, the birth of her children, and later her struggle for her own survival as well as that of her family during the war. Maria is a fascinating character, but one that I had mixed feelings toward throughout the story. I admired and respected Maria’s strength of character and conviction, her fortitude and steadfast devotion to her family, protecting them at all costs and through all means possible, and also her ability to take charge during times of crisis -- yet at times, I could not help feeling frustrated at her stubbornness and strict adherence to oppressive rules and traditions during certain critical moments. I had to constantly remind myself that this was a different time and place – a time of war in a heavily patriarchal society where women had strictly defined roles and the ultimate goal was survival as well as preservation of family and kin. Given the circumstances and the time period in which she lived, Maria fulfilled the expectations placed upon her and then some – first as daughter and sister, later as wife and mother. Of course she was by no means perfect -- she had to make so many tough decisions and though my modern sensibilities made it difficult for me to agree with some of the actions she took, I admired her strength and resolve as well as her unrelenting devotion in making the best of what she had for her family.

At 300+ pages, I wouldn’t consider this a particularly long book, yet it covered so much ground in terms of subject matter. The story itself I felt was at times quiet and subtle, as we got to dive deep into Maria’s innermost thoughts, especially those projected through the words of the Madonna (the statue she kept devotedly by her side throughout her life). At the same time though, the tumultuous time period against which this story was set – the backdrop of war, political struggle, societal concerns, kinship and family relationships, etc. – also made the story feel epic, a sweeping family saga as the book’s summary states. The writing was beautiful and incredibly atmospheric in its description of the mountains and the Italian countryside as well as the various scenes of the family’s everyday life (for instance, the section about Amelia’s silkworms and the entire silk-making process).

In general, I like to read across different genres and have made a personal goal for myself to read widely and diversely (which I am happy to report has been going extremely well) – with that said though, historical fiction has a special place in my heart and this book is definitely a worthwhile read in that category. I don’t know much about the author Elise Valmorbida nor have I read any of her previous works, but after reading this book, I am inclined to change that soon. I definitely recommend picking this one up and letting yourself be transported by this well-written family saga!

Received ARC from Spiegel & Grau / Random House via NetGalley.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an excellent historical fiction hidden gem. Set in early 20th century Italy, The Madonna of the Mountains follows a country girl, Maria Vittoria, through her marriage and birth of four children, chronicling the family's struggles against the backdrop of Fascist Italy during WWII.

This is one of the more convincingly historical novels I've read recently. Valmorbida's characters are all distinctly of the time period; their trials and tribulations and character arcs are all expertly intertwined with the setting. After incidentally reading two other pieces of historical fiction set in Italy in the month of July, both of which were tonally anachronistic to the extreme (though in one case I believe it was intentional on the author's part, but I digress), The Madonna of the Mountains was a breath of fresh air. This is a thoroughly convincing account of a country girl hoping against hope that she isn't too old to marry at the age of twenty-five; a young wife struggling to keep her family fed when food rations are scarce; a mother trying to stave off the dishonor that one of her children has brought to her family. Valmorbida also infuses the narration with northern Italian dialect, and I always love foreign language integration into a novel, but being able to recognize where the dialect deviated from standard Italian was definitely part of the fun for me, and helped anchor me to these characters' culture.

I will emphasize that unlike a lot of my favorite historical fiction, this is above all else a very quiet story. It concerns itself with the day to day of Maria's life, the very very subtle ways in which her attitudes start to shift over time. This is not a WWII novel, and the conflicts are recounted from Maria's very limited perspective (which isn't to say that it isn't well-researched; Valmorbida simply hides her research in the background rather than bringing it front and center). So while I did really, really enjoy this, it did lack a certain emotional punch that I've come to expect from historical family sagas which are steeped in unapologetic melodrama. But if you're looking for something a little more subdued, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this.

Thank you to Netgalley, Spiegel & Grau, and Elise Valmorbida for the advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Sharon Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

From our first introduction to Maria we learn so much about her  upbringing, her piety and her hard working ways setting the tone for this entire book.   A sense of hope and excitement permeated these first pages as Maria eagerly anticipates meeting the man her father is arranging for her to marry.  It's 1923 and in Italy during these post war years suitable men are not easily found.     Maria is 25, she's a devout Christian and fears she'll remain a spinster for life.   She prays alot, honours her Madonna of the Mountains statue, and has faith the Madonna will keep her safe.

After so much hope about her marriage I feared things would turn out badly.    In fact, in the context of the times, her marriage to Archille could be considered successful.   Initially they seemed to work well as a team, they created a home, started a family, built a business.   But life was not easy and through Maria we were privy to their trials and travails the way they survived the second world war, dealt with fascism, denunciations, hunger, disease, death and destruction.   Over the years Maria turns to the Madonna to confess her sins, express her innermost thoughts, fears, hopes and desires and to keep them safe. 

Coming from a completely different time and upbringing I struggled with the attitudes towards women; the way females were expected to obey the men in their lives be they father, brother, husband, son.      Whilst I was happy to see Maria's strength in other situations I couldn't quite reconcile this strength with her acceptance of the domestic violence and the rules enforced by her husband and son.   I struggled with the moral principles of the day which seemed to dictate that all ties with  daughter Amelia were severed for defying her parents wishes.     However, it's books like these that remind me not to take my freedoms for granted, that make me walk a mile in another person's shoes.

By books end Maria was again filled with hope as she and her family (minus Amelia) emmigrated from Italy to Australia.    This was a gently paced story and was one I enjoyed.     Thanks to author Elise Morbida for her lovely writing, to Spiegel & Grau for publishing it and of course NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie Anze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maria Vittoria is eager to get married and start her own family. The war, however, has left few men so her father sets out from the Italian mountainside on his mule, with a faded picture of his daughter, to look for a husband. At 25 years old, Maria is on the verge of becoming spinster so time is of the essence. Maria is a hard worker and a devout woman, and when her dad returns with a suitor for her, she feels blessed. Life as a married woman, however, is not what it seems. As she forms her own family, Maria must be resilient and strong.

Taking place in the Italian mountainside roughly from 1923 to 1950, the background of the book is war and facism. Maria dreams of marrying, becoming a wife and mother. She has been working on embroidering her nuptial clothes with the guindance of her mother. The suitor her father retuns with, Achille, is a war veteran and appears to be a good match for Maria. They marry but life with Achille is not what Maria envisioned. Guided by the Madonna of the mountains, its these prayers and interactions that help Maria navigate her new life. When facism takes a strong hold of Italy, Maria must be more strong and resourceful than ever before. I am in the minority here. Its not that I did not like the book or that its not good, but the narrative just did not make a strong impression. The book is subtle in its approach. I recently finished with 'Us Against You' and I am currently reading 'Educated'. Neither of these books is subtle and 'The Madonna of The Mountains' just happened to be caught between them and got a bit lost.

I appreciate the characterization of this narrative. Maria is expected to be subservient to Achille but she still a powerful woman. She makes decisions, some rather questionable, to save her family during the war. Its hard to determine if she is entirely sympathetic or not but she is a fighter and protector of her family and for that, I respect her. I read 'Beneath a Scarlet Sky' earlier this year and really enjoyed learning about Italy and its role in the war. I wish this book would have offered a bit more regarding the historical aspect. The narrative was centered on Maria's family more than the history. I do believe that had I read this book at a different time, I would have appreciated all its nuances much more. As it is, it was a nice but not an outsatnding read.

[Bianca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Madonna of the Mountains has at its centre Maria Vittoria and her life over a twenty five years period. The story is set in Italy, during the interbellum, World War II and post-war.

First and foremost, it's a story of survival and family.
Life is difficult, many are poor, they have too many children to feed. Women are second-class citizens. Men and religion rule.

Getting married is all a young woman aspires to. It's a business transaction of sorts. Love is an afterthought, a luxury. There's duty, bearing and raising children, and the million and one domestic tasks.

Although Maria married late for that era, she knows she's lucky to have five children still alive. She works hard alongside her husband, Achiles, they prosper and have their own grocery store. The war years were difficult, but they survived it.

There were things I liked about this novel, its realism, the characters were well-drawn , especially, Maria. But the novel's flow and pace ebbed and flowed together with my interest and attention. I understood the importance of the Madonna for Maria, but I skimmed over most of the dreams/prayer sections.

The Madonna of the Mountains was a simple and very realistically drawn story, where nothing much happened unless you discount marriage, kids, making a living and surviving the war. While I appreciated many parts, the way they were put together didn't quite work for me, I felt detached for the most part.

I've received this novel via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[Lucy Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Delicate yet richly portrayed account of one family during the Fascist regime in Italy. Loved it.

Every so often, a book comes along that is so well written it makes me quite literally coo over over page. I'm happy to report, this was one such tome, and in addition to the beautiful quality of writing, there was also a compelling plot and some heart-wrenchingly honestly depicted characters too.

It all starts with Maria, who at 25 is 'past her prime' and is desperate for a husband. Achille, a handsome yet enigmatic man, accepts the position, and she commences her new life, moving to a small town and setting up shop. Several babies (dead and alive) later, you'd think she'd be happy, but all is not well in her marriage, and the war is starting to have an impact on her life.

The book takes us through her husband's arrest and the desperate, secret measures Maria takes to bring him home again; not to mention the hardship she suffers as war deprivation kicks in. I won't spoil the ending, but it's a lovely conclusion, filled with forgiveness and hope for a better future.

I absolutely loved the concept of examining the impact of war through the eyes of a religious, fairly traditional Italian woman. While a book about the impact of fascism in Italy, the war is only really a backdrop to the more personal drama of Maria's life, and how her resilience (and religious beliefs) are challenged.

The author does a fabulous job of bringing to life rural Italy too - I could imagine every part of it in rich detail, and because it's such a gorgeous part of the world, it was a pleasure to do so. Likewise, as we follow Maria through her life, from a young, relatively naive woman to a middle-aged woman with secrets under her belt, we grow with her - and that's always enjoyable in a book.

If someone had described this book to me, I would have said it wasn't my cup of tea. However, I devoured it all with great pleasure, and as such, I would recommend it heartily to anyone. Lovely stuff.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review that could go overlong and be far too analytical. So I'll try to take the opposite path. My rating is 3.5 stars rounded up for the narrator/ Maria's language- the tensing and the linear "eyes" especially.

The sentence length/ tensing and voice (language forms of Maria thoughts) were excellent, intrinsically Italian. And she was majority culturally accurate too. Especially the "do not trust anyone" mantra. An often told lesson for both males and females in our Sicilian/Italian peasant culture doubly. It's not just to females- this message. As was the violence portions too. And the normalcy of husbands hitting wives as par for the course of a marriage.

For me the first half was much more enjoyable than the second half of the book. It would have been a better novel with a shorter time focus in years that didn't include the last sensibilities re the immigration process to Australia. Rather more the ending pivot of her daughter taking a more aggressive role in her own outcomes- possibly? That might have been better placed with an entirely different book #2 for continuance. To my reading flow and fiction skills too- this duplicates the biggest mistake in family tales of epic length time spans that seems to be rampant this last year or two. Too much material summed up within ending that was not connective and deep for the nuance and meaning as the former years, especially the first and middle parts of the book.

The voice of the Madonna was off too. I almost made it a 3 star for that aspect alone. Especially for Italians, IMHO- her Blessed Mother had the wrong tone/ relationship, interaction direction with our Marie. It would take me to a point outside of this type of forum (great length and specific minutia) to list all the reasons why. Religion, authority, superstition, "luck/fortuna" and grace- as much as Elise Valmorbida understands Italian conceptual dynamics, she doesn't understand this Madonna, Mary Blessed Mother. Not the connections. Or the Madonna's placements to the female human either.

Overall by the middle, the book was making me sad. She forgot the joy portions to the same Italian dichotomy. Especially in the survivals.

3.5 stars

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for two reasons: a fellow reader/friend liked the book and the title really spoke to me because I am a Catholic.

The story covers three decades from 1923 to 1950 and is centered on a very strong female figure, Maria Vittoria, who is from a small town in Italy.

1923 - Maria is an aging spinster of 25 (!!). Her father has arranged a marriage for her. When Maria first sees Achille Monestero, she is smitten. He is handsome and strong looking. A very good start to the story, indeed. Maria has a statue of the Madonna. At times, the statue seems to be speaking to her and it was these pronouncements that had me the most intrigued.
"Whatever you do, you must be like me, Maria, a mountain, solid and enduring."

1928 - Fascist Era. Maria and Achille open a store and have two children, Primo and Maria Amelia. Fascists rule the town.

1936 - the Fascist Era continues. Two more children have joined the family, Arsenio and Cecilio. We meet the mad woman of the town, Delfina. She is a symbol of all that is bad (and happens, too, to be a cousin of Maria).

1942 - Maria has five children and 2 dead in heaven. Maria Bruna is the youngest. The 2nd World War is being fought. There is very little food. Everyone is starving. Achille has gone to the black market to buy provisions for the store. He is arrested and taken away. Maria importunes her cousin, Duilio, to get him released. He will, but for a price.

1946 - Nazis are everywhere. Achille is back, but his incarceration has weakened him. Primo is more in charge than he.

1948 - This was my favorite part. Amelia goes into the silk making business. She coddles the worms until they spin themselves into cocoons. When they are ready, they are sold for a considerable amount of money. I learned that each cocoon yields a thread of silk hundreds of meters long.

1950 - Everything is sold and the family emigrates to Australia, which they call La Amerika!!

Following this family through thin and thick was engaging. Learned a little bit more about effects of the war on Italy too.

4 stars

[Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

We work so we can eat, and eat so we can work.

"The Madonna of the Mountains" by Elise Valmorbida is a sweeping family drama set in the Italian countryside spanning three decades of a woman's life. The novel begins in 1923 with 25-year-old Maria, her father off to find her a husband.

"Maria can do the work. Everyone in the contra says that."

Her father finds her a wounded First World War veteran, Achilles, and Maria vows to be a good wife., a good mother. From there we go through the decades, covering the Second World War, and ending in 1950 as the family sets off on a series of new changes.

While Maria primarily moves the story along, there are intermittent breaks where the reader hears the voice of the Virgin Mary, a statute that she carries with her everywhere. When we do hear that voice, it's almost a self-flagellation so to speak. Maria is a wonderfully well-written character and I would have preferred to see less of the Madonna voice, I found myself moving along through those.

The novel is an interesting, well-written read. While I initially found the pacing slow, it certainly picked up as the novel went on. Another stumbling block for me were the characters. I wasn't as emotionally invested in the characters and that's why it took me longer to return to the book in between breaks.

"Everything is political." Rachele's disgust is plain, even in darkness. "So-called neutrality destroyed my family."

One thing I thought that the writer covered very well was the Second World War. The detailing, the way that people turned on each other during wartime. We also see Maria struggle to protect her family and make choices to ensure everyone's survival.

[Lolly K Dandeneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
'Her heart is trapped. Her mouth is dry. Words spill out before she knows it. “Please, dear God, make him good and handsome.”

“Stupid girl, ” her mother says. “When the children are hungry, they won’t cry Papà, belo, they’ll cry Papà, pan!”

Yes, its bread they’ll want, not looks, but Maria can’t help herself. She has waited so long.'

Men are scarce and at twenty-five Maria is fast arriving at a nearly unmarriageable age. The story begins with her father leaving on his mule with food and her photograph to find her a good husband. She is a pretty, strong, healthy and a good, pious daughter- everything worthy of having as a wife. With so many men absent due to the war, he has no choice but to look elsewhere. Living in the Italian countryside is hard, the war is on and Mussolini rules with an ‘iron-fist’, people go hungry. Marriage for love isn’t vital to survive, in a sense it is a business deal so when Maria sets eyes on her husband to be she is happy to learn he is strong and easy on the eyes. There will be no hunchback for her, praise God! She will keep home and make children, all will be happy and right with the world. She no longer has to fear becoming La Delfina, the madwoman who “howls to the moon like a wild dog”. Oh no, she will have a husband, a family, a future! She will not be a mad wandering spinster. With lines like “show him your teeth”, when meeting her suitor, it’s easy to rebel at the reality women faced in a patriarchy.

Each choice made by Maria Vittoria and her husband Achille, a veteran of war with scars and tales of his own, are for the betterment and survival of their children to come. The more children they have, the more money they make. They move, open a grocery store and fall into disgrace. When Maria is in a desperate situation, she will do anything to save her husband, to keep food in her children’s bellies. There is a cousin, one she once had tender feelings for who may be able to help her. But that too is a dangerous decision, and from there his own darkness, and her feelings expose the struggle during times of war, when no one is to be trusted and neighbors whispered suspicions can be life or death, freedom or imprisonment and disrupt love between husband and wife.

Imprisonment, brutality, and broken men returned who will never again be head of the household, young daughters that ache for a different life, who want to marry for love, not caring for family approval, the terror and hope of immigrating, of escape, our Maria will know all of these things. She will be tested as a wife, and as a mother. Discovering secrets of her husband’s past are enough to wound her, are truths she will never be able to ‘not know’. It’s a coming of age in a sense, a hopeful young woman with a hunger from romance that is forced to grow up and lose so much (her dreams, her children). Times of war don’t allow for selfishness, for romantic liaisons nor salvation, because everything costs you something, someone is always watching and no one is judged more than a woman, a mother.

There is no such thing as lying low, as not chosing sides. Who do you trust, your own people, those who invade, others who liberate you? How do you save face with a husband you betrayed in order to save? Can praying to the Madonna of the mountains protect and heal Maria? Will she be forgiven her sins? Can she keep a bowed head while suffering abuse? Does she deserve it for the sins she committed? Miscarriages, births, deaths, love, lies, motherhood -there is a lot going on in this novel. Through war, there is still family complications, and everything is about survival. It’s a harsh reality about an Italian woman during a horrible period of hunger and war; how she loses innocence and hope but stays alive, with sin and without, and keeps her family safe, but it costs her plenty, and her soul is often under scrutiny, by others as much as herself.

Publication Date: June 12, 2018

Random House

Spiegel & Grau

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the Ferrante feels.

[Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread: January 2026. RTC.

First read: June 2018:One particular risk of having a reading list or challenge is that it’s easily possible to read several books in a row that, while fine, don’t really excite you; that you’re reading because there’s no reason to put them down and they’re doing their job, but which you don’t feel a pang parting from when you reach work, or the end of your lunch break. The upside of a patch of average reading is that when you do find something emotionally compelling, it breaks upon you like a wave of delight. The Madonna of the Mountains is a book like that. It’s quiet, but it’s brilliant.

It starts in 1923, with a girl called Maria Vittoria embroidering sheets for her dowry trunk. She’s twenty-five, alarmingly old to be unmarried. Her papà has gone to find her a husband. He returns with a man – Achille Montanari, tall and strong and wrapped in glory as a result of vaguely-defined heroism in the last war – and they marry. From there, Elise Valmorbida spins the story of Maria Vittoria’s life: her marriage, her children, the ascent of Mussolini’s government and the onset of WWII. It finishes with her family’s eventual emigration to Australia in 1950. In between these events, Valmorbida demonstrates, life goes on: the war isn’t the point of the novel any more than the question of whether Maria Vittoria will have a husband, a question solved in chapter one. As a result of its refusal to be “about” any one particular event, The Madonna of the Mountains feels both universal (fears about infidelity, a child’s health, how to protect your family in uncertain times) and deeply, richly specific: Valmorbida is interested in process, whether that’s washing laundry in the stream, raising silkworms from eggs, or the arduous hunt for, and fiddly preparation of, snails to eat when there’s no other meat.

Because we’re so deeply embedded in its physical world, The Madonna of the Mountains also feels effortlessly emotionally engaging, without resorting to either melodrama or apparent anachronism. Third-rate historical fiction forces us to care about characters either because we identify with them (often because they have political opinions much like our own, which are suspiciously progressive for their own time, as in The Burning Chambers), or because they’re forced to endure trial after trial, which requires a grudging sort of respect from the reader. Here, neither of those things occurs: Maria Vittoria is very much of her time, a God-fearing Catholic countrywoman whose husband hits her on occasion but whom she will never dream of leaving, who feeds her eldest son first, and who disinherits a daughter with pain but no regret when she brings dishonour to the household. The challenges she faces are both personal and political (indeed, in Fascist Italy, the two are often the same), and in every adversity, her responses are so consistent that it really feels as if you are peering into the head of, let’s say, your great-grandmother; someone whose world is not your world, whose socially conditioned responses are alien to your own. The Madonna of the Mountains is one of the most restrained, yet profoundly convincing, historical novels that I’ve read in years, perhaps ever. I’m delighted to have found it.

[Tripfiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novel spanning 3 decades across WW2, set in the VENETO, Italy



4.5*
This book cover is noteworthy: it is the first title to have a bespoke Liberty of London design. The collaboration between Liberty and publishers Faber & Faber (UK edition) unites “the best writers in the world with one of the globe’s foremost design teams”. Just such a lovely cover and I understand there are more book cover collaborations in the pipeline!

The story of life, love, loss, betrayal and war spans the 1920s up to the 1950s, set against the unforgiving backdrop of Italy’s Veneto region. The book opens with Maria Vittoria as she embroiders a sheet for her dowry trunk. Her father has been on his travels, searching for a suitable husband for her, now that she is hitting the mature age of 25, on the old side for marriage. He returns with Achille who seems to be just the right choice. And this is Maria Vittoria’s story of family, through highs and lows, spanning several decades of world and personal tumult, all under the watchful eye of the eponymous statue of the title.

Maria projects her thoughts onto the statue and parks the critical and undermining assessment of her sometimes precarious life decisions with her little votive figurine who often gives her a good talking to. The undermining tone is unmissable.

Maria produces several children, with miscarriages and still births along the way. She and Achille manage to acquire a grocery shop which flourishes until WW2 breaks out. Upholding integrity with the pressures of war becomes nearly impossible and sacrifices have to be made. The demands on her marital relationship becomes heavy as Fascism lurks at ever corner, with all manner of folk ready, willing and able to spy and denounce. Things between her and Achille are fragile.

Having manoeuvred their way through the vagaries of war, their many children start to develop wings but do not always follow a suitable family script.

Essentially this is a well told story, how Maria’s family negotiates life, both as a unit and as individuals within that unit. It sumptuously describes some of the food (recipes at the end), it comprises very tactile and descriptive prose. The Veneto of the period is beautifully brought to life in all its grinding hardship and poverty, and it is little wonder that Maria and Achille yearn to leave behind their little world and emigrate to pastures new.

The prose is sparse, there is little extraneous content – reflecting the exigencies of the era – as the story sweeps the reader through the years. The sewing that often features is like a metaphor for life – done, undone and redone. The author has chosen to write in the present tense, which no doubt offers immediacy, giving the words a staccato and brisk feel; it can be functional, again mirroring life without many home comforts. I really enjoyed the story, it is a book that deserves to be read widely, as it is so evocative of time and place; but it does confirm for me that my reading preference is not really for novels set totally in the present tense; I fully understand, however, why the author chose the present tense for this novel.

[Doreen Prentiss Gabriellini · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘The Madonna of the Mountains’ by Elise Valmorbida follows the life of Maria Vittoria from 1923 in the Italian countryside to the 1950’s, when her family emigrates to Australia. The story moves from the little village where Maria grew up to the town where she and husband are shopkeepers. It follows her through the birth of her children, the rise of the National Fascist Party and the Second World War.

The Madonna of the Mountains was billed as “A sweeping saga about womanhood, religion, loyalty, war, family, motherhood, and marriage.” It, to me, is a rather sad and depressing story. More like a lesson you were dreading to learn. I so wanted to love this novel since my family came to America from Italy. It was difficult for me to read a saga where there is not one drop of joy. The writing is good and I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the landscapes. There are many interesting details about Italy as a whole under Mussolini and the Fascist Party.

I almost feel bad for not giving this book a better review. I know it probably took Elise Valmorbida a long time to write this novel and do all the research. However, it was very hard to become involved with Maria’s story. She is hard and unforgiving. This was hard for me to wrap my head around. Maria is not portrayed as a romantic figure which was okay not every main character has to be a romantic figure. Her life is harsh, she has to make difficult choices. Her motivations and emotions seem genuine She prays constantly but missed the part about forgiveness and love. She has no joy or hope and unfortunately her children grow up without either. She prays constantly to the Madonna of the Mountains. When Maria prays to the Madonna she receives paragraphs of advise. It came across, to me, that she was either hallucinating or certifiable. I felt the book was very unsatisfying. I read the entire book out of respect for the author but was left feeling very empty when it was over.

I would like to thank the publisher Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Spiegel & Grau and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a coincidence that I would read this book right around the time my new neighbors moved in next door. They are Italians from Australia and they told me their grandparents immigrated there from Italy and the area they grew up in was full of Italians.

In Madonna of the Mountains, the story spans from the 1920’s to the 1950’s and portrays the life of a young woman, Maria Vittoria, who is from the mountains of Italy. The story paints a rich and vivid picture of Italian culture and the unstable economy and political climate during those years.

Readers follow Maria as she marries, moves away and runs a market with her husband, Achille. They start a family and do fairly well until World War II. They endure difficult times during the war years, but this is not a story about labor camps or exterminations.

This is the story a marriage, of how to endure and how to forgive. I really enjoyed reading this and the look into Italian life during that time was so authentic that I could easily picture it in my mind.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

[Sorrow (Hanka the bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nádherný poetický román popisující nelehký život italské ženy v průběhu těžkých časů. Vykreslení postav, prostředí i doby je velmi věrohodné a kniha zapůsobí i na čtenářovi emoce. Nejsilnější pro mě byly závěrečné momenty interakce Amelie a Marii, ale kniha oplývá mnoha silnými pasážemi. Určitě na ni budu vzpomínat a zařadila bych ji po bok Geniální přítelkyně. Tyhle italské společenské romány mají zkrátka něco do sebe a atmosféra i příběh obou se mi zaryly do srdce. Klidně bych uvítala pokračování příběhu nebo rozvinutí osudů Amelie :)

[kristyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hory jsou osud. V poslední době se v knihách s motivem hor a jejich vlivu na lidský život setkávám často, a musím říci, že se autorům sázka na tento námět velmi vyplácí. Symbolika nekonečnosti, nezvratného osudu, ale zároveň také nezlomného odhodlání, nepředstavitelné dřiny a dobrovolné i vynucené pokory, je přirozeně vynikajícím základem pro vyprávění o lidských životech, které nebyly jednoduché, a které byly i tak prožity naplno.
Madona z hor, novinka od nakladatelství Domino, je dalším dílem, které by nemělo uniknout těm z vás, kdo v literatuře vyhledávají nelehké příběhy, jejichž postavy jsou komplikované, mnohovrstevnaté a na jejichž činy si není možné udělat jednoznačný a nekompromisní názor. Tahle kniha totiž rozhodně není černobílá.
Ach bože. Zjišťuju, že knihy, které jako čtenář zbožňuji, dost často posléze jako recenzent nenávidím. Opravdu naléhavě totiž každému čtenáři musím říct, že právě tahle kniha je v záplavě současné nabídky ta, kterou si nepotřebuje jen přečíst, ale kterou potřebuje prožít, protože ho změní. Možná trošičku, možná hodně, to je pak už úplně jedno. Ale dotkne se vašeho srdce, a to je to důležité.
Madona z hor je příběhem o zcela nezlomném životním odhodlání, o vůli přežít cokoliv a o schopnosti udělat vše pro to, aby věci byly tak, jak být mají.
Hlavní hrdinka Maria Vittoria se v úvodu knihy bojí především toho, že zůstane na ocet. V měřítku doby je už na vdávání skoro až moc stará, a proto se pro ni neznámý muž, kterého jako ženicha přivádí její otec, jeví jako čisté požehnání. Málokterá věc však je taková, jaká se na první pohled jeví, a mladá žena se záhy ocitá tváří v tvář problémům, kterým nikdy čelit nechtěla. Problematické manželství navíc drsně zasáhne i druhá světová válka a fašismus. Co je správné a co špatné? Co může člověk udělat pro záchranu rodiny a co už je zapovězeno? Hranice mezi černou a bílou se stírají a důsledky činů, které jsou vynuceny zdrcující životní situací, mohou člověka pronásledovat už navždycky.
Já vím, já vím, každou knihu od nakladatelství Domino chválím až do nebes. Jenže ono to prostě nejde jinak. Už tak neuvěřitelný talent k vyhledávání skvělých autorů a zajímavých knih totiž v Dominu dokáží okořenit ještě dalšími ingrediencemi, jako je například vynikající překlad, důsledná kontrola textu a z toho vyplývající absence jakýchkoli rušivých chyb, smysl pro velké a silné příběhy, a v neposlední řadě také péče o grafickou stránku vydávaných knih - pečlivě vybraným fontem, který lahodí oku, to začíná, obálkami, které doslova volají po labužnickém kochání se, to končí. Ono se to sice může zdát zbytečné, ale nebudeme si nalhávat, že při výběru knih nedáme na to, jak vypadají. Madona z hor je další knihou s jejíž obálkou si v Dominu skutečně pohráli. Na první pohled může vypadat jako fotografie, jedná se však o nádhernou ilustraci z dílny Kateřiny Coufalové, která se Dominu postarala již o podobně úchvatnou obálku knihy Osudy a běsy (jen se pokochejte zde).
Ale pojďme od vizuální stránky věci k tomu, co většinu z vás zajímá nejvíce, a to je obsah.
Dokonale vykreslené prostředí, působivá atmosféra, mnohovrstevnaté charaktery... To všechno je Madoně z hor vlastní a činí to z ní téměř encyklopedický příklad vynikajícího románu.
Příběh je budovaný s naprostou precizností, začíná pozvolna, ale rychle nabírá spád. Gradace je strhující, ale zároveň stále přirozená a uvěřitelná. Samotný text je nesmírně čtivý, o čemž nejlépe asi vypovídá to, že jsem prvních čtyřicet stran, kde autorka v podstatě popisuje pouze velké praní, přečetla asi za 15 minut a pak jsem trpěla, když jsem neměla několik dní čas na čtení... protože jsem potřebovala víc. Víc praní, víc hor, víc Itálie, víc toho všeho.
Autorka má odzbrojující schopnost vyvolat ve čtenáři stejné emoce, jaké právě prožívají její postavy. S Marií Vittorií jsem se zatajeným dechem prošla vším, co si pro ni její nelehký osud připravil, bála jsem se jejích chyb a doufala jsem, že ji její vědomé i nevědomé omyly nebudou pronásledovat do konce života. Bylo mi společně s ní úzko a cítila jsem její naději ve světlých chvilkách. Dokázat přinutit čtenáře nečíst, ale prožívat, je podle mého názoru jedna z nejvyšších spisovatelských met a autorka Madony z hor ji ovládla bravurně a s přehledem.
Podobně silný text by nebylo možné napsat bez zcela precizní propracovanosti postav. Každá z nich dělá rozhodnutí, která odsoudíte, ale zároveň jim porozumíte. Autorka se nebojí postavit každou z nich před problémy, které by nikdo řešit nechtěl, a mnohdy je v tom nechá pořádně vykoupat. Valmorbida podle mého názoru musí být úžasným pozorovatelem života, protože ve své knize skvostně pracuje s jeho předvídatelností i nevypočitatelností, s jeho laskavostí i krutostí. Centrálním prvkem po celou dobu zůstává Maria Vittoria, pro mě ta opravdová madona z hor, kolem které se vine pavučina vztahů - s jejími rodiči, sourozenci, manželem, dětmi. Všechny se proplétají a navzájem ovlivňují svou dynamiku. Toto pozorovat je hrozně zajímavé a člověka to přiměje rozhlédnout se po vztazích ve svém životě a zamyslet se nad nimi z trochu jiného úhlu.
Sílu příběhu dodává i jeho historický kontext. Přesto však pro mě fašismus v knize nehrál vysloveně prim. Mnohem více pro mě Madona z hor představovala příběh o neuvěřitelné nezlomnosti lidské vůle, o ohromné odvaze, odhodlanosti a oddanosti. Tohle mě na románech, ve kterých autoři pracují s tématem druhé světové války, dokáže hodně bavit - když se nezapomíná na to, že obyčejné životy musely pokračovat i přesto, že byla válka. Když lidé pamatují, že hrůza se nedotýkala jen vojáků na frontě, jejich rodin a přátel, ale také lidí, po kterých sice přímo nesáhla, ale přesto o ně dokázala svým mrazivým stiskem zavadit a nedat jim zapomenout, že příště to mohou být právě oni.
Jak říkám, předat dál dojmy z těchto velkých silných románů o obyčejných lidech je pro mě vždycky těžké a pokaždé mám pocit, že jsem knize neprokázala dostatečnou službu, že jsem jí nedokázala oplatit všechno to, co mi dala. Tak na závěr shrnu všechno to, co ve mně dokázala zanechat... Velikou pokoru, vděčnost a ohromení, o kapku více odvahy a odhodlání, ale taky bezbřehou úzkost, strach a smutek. Cítila jsem na tváři nemilosrdný italský vítr, mezi prsty se mi prosýpala tak vzácná mouka a cukr, z dlouhých a osamělých cest mě bolela chodidla. Bylo to boží. A vy to chcete prožít taky.
Zdroj recenze: http://thebooktalkblog.blogspot.com/2...