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hollygr's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
emccoy28's review
3.0
3⭐️ November Book Club
Trigger warning for pages 190-195. A couple of “twists” that felt forced and unnecessary. The writing was well done, however I never felt invested as the ending felt too predicatable for me.
Trigger warning for pages 190-195. A couple of “twists” that felt forced and unnecessary. The writing was well done, however I never felt invested as the ending felt too predicatable for me.
tommooney's review
2.0
Oh dear. I really tried to like this. It sounds like it should be right up my street.
But, ultimately, it just isn't very good. Some parts are fine but whole swaths of it are really quite dreadful. Some of the attempts at deep, meaningful, enigmatic passages sound more like bad high school poetry. The characters are one-dimensional and thinly drawn.
And the amount of wild coincidences just becomes a bit ridiculous by the end - three times in about 20 pages someone important just happens to randomly be in exactly the spot in the vast Alpine region they need to be to save the main character.
But, ultimately, it just isn't very good. Some parts are fine but whole swaths of it are really quite dreadful. Some of the attempts at deep, meaningful, enigmatic passages sound more like bad high school poetry. The characters are one-dimensional and thinly drawn.
And the amount of wild coincidences just becomes a bit ridiculous by the end - three times in about 20 pages someone important just happens to randomly be in exactly the spot in the vast Alpine region they need to be to save the main character.
louisaisreading's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
wetenschaap's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
kali's review against another edition
4.0
A short novel, lulling me in with evocative descriptions of Italian Alpine nature in the late 19th Century, the story covers passages of time with swift strokes as Jole follows in her father's footsteps in smuggling tobacco across the border to Austria. A very dangerous occupation: customs officers on the Italian side, violent guards on the Austrian, bandits in the forests, and -- for a young woman -- men. Jole must journey across the border to save her family from dire poverty, especially once her father disappears. It really does become an "epic story of revenge and salvation" as it states on the cover. The Soul of the Border is a wind, a spirit, that does not recognise human-made borders, but changes direction when it needs to, unconstrained. The true borders are the ones between the powerful and the poor. And by extension between men and women. I didn't buy one aspect of the story towards the end, which marred my enjoyment, but this was still an immersive read.
jackielaw's review against another edition
3.0
Soul of the Border, by Matteo Righetto (translated by Howard Curtis), is set in the remote and diminished village of Nevada near the alpine border between Italy and Austria. Here the De Boer family have lived for generations, eking out a living growing tobacco on the steep valley terraces. By the end of the nineteenth century the border has been moved, the land changing from Austrian to Italian rule. The high quality tobacco grown in the area is strictly monitored and purchased by the monopolistic Royal Tobacco Company.
Augusto de Boer is married to Agnese. They have three children: Jole, Antonio and Sergio. Each must work relentlessly to grow the crop that keeps them from starvation. The threat of famine and illness have driven many in the region to abandon their land and seek fortunes elsewhere.
To make life a little easier for his family Augusto has found ways to hide and process small quantities of their crop. Following the main harvest he will traverse the mountains and cross the dangerous border to reach the mining towns in Austria. Here he trades his smuggled tobacco for minerals that the exploited miners sneak out from below ground in their bodies. He brings home the valuable silver and copper that he may trade them for food and livestock. It is a dangerous business as customs officials roam the border lands intent on punishing those they regard as robbing The Crown and their wealthy acolytes.
When Jole turns fifteen Augusto decides that she will accompany him on his dangerous journey that someone else may learn the route through the mountains. Several years later, when he has not returned home from a smuggling trip, she sets out with tobacco to make a trade and find out what happened to her beloved if taciturn father. What she learns on this journey will change her forever.
The book is written in three parts. The first sets the scene and explains how the family lives. The second and longest part covers the journey Jole makes, the dangers encountered and the people she meets. The final section details her attempt to return. The perils encountered at home and away are both natural and man made.
The plot progression is, at times, slow with unremitting dangers described in detail, only some of which are actually encountered. There are depictions of the poverty experienced by those whose harsh and poorly rewarded work ensures the wealthy continue to live in comfort. Balancing this bleak outlook is the beauty of the mountains and their natural inhabitants, although these can, at any moment, become life threatening.
In many ways this is a timeless tale of mass exploitation to generate wealth for elites. By establishing and then strictly enforcing borders and laws, to remove hope of improvement for workers, there will naturally be those who turn to subversion. Augusto and then Jole force themselves to face fear and danger for the love of their family. The risks they take may feel worthwhile but ultimately the personal cost is high.
The writing is well structured with keen portrayals of time and place. The premise of the tale may not not be original but it is vividly told.
Augusto de Boer is married to Agnese. They have three children: Jole, Antonio and Sergio. Each must work relentlessly to grow the crop that keeps them from starvation. The threat of famine and illness have driven many in the region to abandon their land and seek fortunes elsewhere.
To make life a little easier for his family Augusto has found ways to hide and process small quantities of their crop. Following the main harvest he will traverse the mountains and cross the dangerous border to reach the mining towns in Austria. Here he trades his smuggled tobacco for minerals that the exploited miners sneak out from below ground in their bodies. He brings home the valuable silver and copper that he may trade them for food and livestock. It is a dangerous business as customs officials roam the border lands intent on punishing those they regard as robbing The Crown and their wealthy acolytes.
When Jole turns fifteen Augusto decides that she will accompany him on his dangerous journey that someone else may learn the route through the mountains. Several years later, when he has not returned home from a smuggling trip, she sets out with tobacco to make a trade and find out what happened to her beloved if taciturn father. What she learns on this journey will change her forever.
The book is written in three parts. The first sets the scene and explains how the family lives. The second and longest part covers the journey Jole makes, the dangers encountered and the people she meets. The final section details her attempt to return. The perils encountered at home and away are both natural and man made.
The plot progression is, at times, slow with unremitting dangers described in detail, only some of which are actually encountered. There are depictions of the poverty experienced by those whose harsh and poorly rewarded work ensures the wealthy continue to live in comfort. Balancing this bleak outlook is the beauty of the mountains and their natural inhabitants, although these can, at any moment, become life threatening.
In many ways this is a timeless tale of mass exploitation to generate wealth for elites. By establishing and then strictly enforcing borders and laws, to remove hope of improvement for workers, there will naturally be those who turn to subversion. Augusto and then Jole force themselves to face fear and danger for the love of their family. The risks they take may feel worthwhile but ultimately the personal cost is high.
The writing is well structured with keen portrayals of time and place. The premise of the tale may not not be original but it is vividly told.
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