THE LOST BOY OF BOLOGNA {BOOK ONE OF THE BOLOGNA CHRONICLES}.

 One of several bloggers who over 10 days will be participating in this Blog Tour {the full schedule for which can be found at the bottom of the post}. Today {the 6th day of the Tour) its my pleasure to be sharing my thoughts on ...

THE LOST BOY OF BOLOGNA by FRANCESCA SCANACAPRA.

Genre ... Historical fiction

Publication Date ... 4th April 2022

Publisher ... Silvertail Books

Standalone First Book in a new series

Estimated Page Count ... 250

Order Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Boy-Bologna-Absolutely-historical-ebook/dp/B09TL4VCQT

Bologna, 1929. A newborn baby boy is abandoned by his desperate unmarried mother, who believes he is dead and that she is to blame. Heartbroken, she leaves her child, accepting that her actions will haunt her for the rest of her days. But unbeknown to her, the kindness of a stranger means the starving baby survives. And so begins the extraordinary life of Rinaldo Scamorza…

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Following several years in an orphanage, where Rinaldo still holds onto the hope that his mother will come to claim him, he is entrusted to a heartless foster-mother who treats her charges as nothing more than financial opportunities. Yet amidst the cruelty and violence of this loveless environment Rinaldo meets fellow orphan, Evelina, and the two children create a bond which they believe will never be broken. 

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Rinaldo holds tight to the few people who show him love, and he becomes a loyal, intelligent and kind boy. But his life is shattered when aged barely 13, Evelina is sold into prostitution by their foster-mother. 

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As he grows up and becomes more resourceful, he finds work as an errand boy in a brothel, where he encounters Evelina once again. But in his efforts to help her escape her life of exploitation, another dark misfortune pulls them apart and she disappears. 

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When at last Italy begins to emerge from the shadows of World War II and Bologna’s economy recovers, Rinaldo uses his intimate knowledge of the city to change his life for the better. But through everything, the successes and the moments of loneliness and misery, the women he yearns to see again – Evelina and his mother – are always on his mind…

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Fans of Angela Petch, Helen Fripp, Dinah Jeffries, Rhys Bowen and Louise Douglas will adore this captivating historical novel. ... Synopsis

The Foundlings' Wheel at the orphanage of San Girolamo was more commonly known as 'The Bastards' Wheel'. ... First Sentence, Chapter One, Part One.

Kohl pencil, rouge and lipstick in copious quantities were obligatory. Rinaldo couldn't understand why the women were obliged to plaster themselves with so much make-up, and he was mystified as to why some of them shaved their eyebrows off and then drew them back on. He thought that most of them would have looked a lot prettier in their natural state. He was reminded of Fagiolino's wife, Brisabella, from the Burattini puppet shows. ... Memorable Moment, Page 110

Not really knowing where to begin with this, Book One of the Bologna Chronicles, I guess a resounding WOW! is as good a place as any.

Beautifully portrayed characters, my heart went out to Evelina, as it did to Miranda and I loved to hate brothel owner, Ada. Oddly enough it was Ronaldo who well, hmm! Lets just say its funny how one incident can change a character for you. In this case an incident {one I won't mention here for fear of a spoiler but, if you read the book, you'll know the one} that changed my perception of Ronaldo, an incident that there was no going back from; it happened and was always there, in the back of my mind, my thoughts of Ronaldo, changed, a tad sullied.

A real page turner, perfectly paced, it was only my suffering from a rather nasty recurring eye infection that stopped me devouring the book. 

Reading Part I, Ronaldo's & Evelina's story, I quickly realised that there was nothing else for it, in it for the long haul, I simply had to know where events {some of them actual historical events cleverly incorporated into the plot} would take the characters.  

⚠️Featuring extreme poverty, child abuse, child/adult prostitution, abortion, scenes set within a brothel. Whilst not gratuitous, there were scenes and events that, though necessary, were more harrowing than I'd expected but, as a counterbalance, all throughout the novel there ran a thread of hope; hope that Ronaldo would work his way out of poverty and find his birth mother, hope that Evelina, sold into the sex trade as a child, would find safety and perhaps even get her happy ever after.

Rooting for the characters {especially Evelina who worked her way into my heart in a way that few characters do}, past characters and events that I had barely given a second thought to, proved to be significant, the author creatively and oh so cleverly weaving them into Part II, Miranda & Alberto's story which proved to be every bit as engrossing.

And oh my goodness, the ending. Of course I'd have loved to have journeyed further with the characters but, as it was, what I thought to be the perfect place to end this episode of the story; I'm already yearning for the release of the second instalment, lets hope I don't have too long a wait.

About Francesca Scanacapra ... Francesca Scanacapra was born in Italy to an English mother and Italian father, and her early childhood was spent in Bologna, the city whose rich history has been the inspiration for the Bologna Chronicles series of novels. Francesca’s adult life has been somewhat nomadic with periods spent living in Italy, England, France, Senegal and Spain. In 2021 she returned to her native country and back to her earliest roots to pursue her writing career full time. She now resides permanently in rural Lombardy in the house built by her great-grandfather which was the inspiration for her Paradiso Novels.

Social Media Links ... ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~

Blog Tour Schedule ... ~ 13th April: What Cathy Read Next ~ David's Book Blurg ~ 14th April: herbookhobby ~ @penfoldlayla ~ Jazzy Book Reviews ~ 15th April: Chez Maximka ~ helen_t_reads ~ 16th April: books_on_a_hill ~ Tizi’s Book Review ~ 17th April: Vickys_bookish_life ~ Ceri's Little Blog ~ 18th April: Felicity Grace Terry ~ B for bookreview ~ 19th April: Readingbooks_itsafamilything ~ Pickled Thoughts and Pinot ~ 20th April: Left on the Shelf ~ The Pursuit Of Bookiness ~ The Magic Of Wor(l)ds ~ 21st April: beckyandthebooks ~ booksontheexe ~ 22nd April: Stacey Hammond ~ Chicks, Rogues and Scandals  ~