I adore reading books by Adriana Trigiani and she does not disappoint with her new historical fiction novel, The Good Left Undone. The Cabrelli family of Italy is featured in this wonderful story that covers several generations before and during WWII, all the way to the present.
Domenica Cabrelli and her daughter, Matelda are the main characters who share how their lives unfolded, including many family members and friends through the years. Domenica’s youth is spent on the coast of Italy where her father is a gem-cutter and jeweler. She later travels to France and Scotland, yet always dreams of returning to her Italian homeland. Matilda wants to make sure that Domenica’s story is told before she dies. There is romance, tragedy, happiness and sadness. There is unfairness and threats posed by the Nazi regime. But I loved the resilience of the women in the Cabrelli family and their devotion to family.
If you enjoy historical fiction and the WWII period, this novel is really excellent! (I learned about the Italians in Scotland who were rounded up and sent to prison camps just because of their heritage and the sinking of the SS Arandora Star.) Trigiani really showed how ‘a family is only as strong as their stories.’ And this was a story that I am SO glad to have read!
Check out the story of a ship heading to Canada with Italian prisoners during WWII:
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