“I was the Arminuta, the girl returned. I spoke another language, I no longer knew who I belonged to. The word ‘mama’ stuck in my throat like a toad. And, nowadays, I really have no idea what kind of place mother is. It is not mine in the way one might have good health, a safe place, certainty.”
A Girl Returned was my first read by the Italian writer Donatella Di Pietrantonio. It was a beautifully written and translated novel from an award- winning writer.
However I must say it’s not unpredictable. I’ve come to realize one of the factors that makes a great novel for me is an unpredictable storyline or ending.
Translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein.
T. Hoang July 2019
Temy Reads Lit 