Review of The Road to Moresco

[Rebecca De Figueiredo]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Road to Moresco" by Mark Jamilkowski.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Title: THE ROAD TO MORESCO
Author: Mark Jamilkowski

Step into the captivating saga of an Italian family, a narrative that threads through the vibrant fabric of Southern European history from the late nineteenth century. The reader will encounter familiar names such as Garibaldi, Mussolini, and Hitler, and the family, with unwavering resilience, weaves through various man-made and natural historical catastrophes. The story is a compelling reflection of tumultuous times, with earthquakes, fights for independence, and wars.

It begins with the glorious Christmas season in 1910 in Messina, Sicily, with Francesca and Giuseppe Carnabuci heading home, looking forward to spending Christmas with family and friends. It is seemingly a peaceful start to a tumultuous century. They have a son, Marcello, who later meets the talented pianist Maria-Luisa. Their love, a beacon of hope in troubled times, is strong enough to overcome various setbacks, and they eventually marry.

The tyrant Mussolini came to the fore in 1925, followed two decades later by the onset of the Second World War. Italy became a fascist state, and this caused some problematic situations for the family. As the reader will find out, life became challenging for Maria-Luisa.

I found the read satisfying, both because I learned about recent history and because of the good, traditional family saga, which is always a pleasing way to spend a few hours. It can be tough-going at times, with various historical dates, names and places, but it is balanced well with the story. Mark Jamilkowski has obviously researched European history and knows the best way to treat a fictional Italian family and the traditional values that would be important to them.

As I mentioned, the book can be laborious in places, but overall, it is an exciting and compelling read that many will enjoy. Sometimes, nothing is better than a good, juicy, satisfying family saga to get stuck into! For these reasons, and I found no grammatical errors or anything to dislike, I will award five out of five stars. A readership of young adults and older is recommended.

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The Road to Moresco
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