IN THE SHADOW OF THE APENNINES

Samantha Burke envisions a fresh start in the town of Marsicano overlooking the Apennine Mountains. She carries the romantic idea of returning to writing after years of marriage in which she devoted herself to her now-ex-husband Michael’s academic career. The town offers her a needed respite. Its beauty and quiet inspire Samantha to purchase a cottage there. Slowly, she begins renovations and meets Elisabetta, the daughter of the town’s innkeeper, who introduces Samantha to Marsicano life. However, Samantha finds that she’s unable to write. Elisabetta joins her on daily jogs, mountain bicycle rides, and a trip to the nearby town of Pescina, which was devastated by a 1915 earthquake. An unexpected twist changes Samantha’s relationship with the townspeople and ultimately isolates her from them. During this time, she becomes intrigued by a girl named Elena’s journals, which she finds in her new house along with a picture: “Slipping the ancient photo from the pages, I caress the well-worn corner of the image with my thumb. A young girl stands amid a flock of sheep, the craggy mountains in the distance.” Over the course of this novel, Sullivan offers readers detailed descriptions of Marsicano that will draw readers into this picturesque region of Italy, highlighting the gorgeous views—“The sun hung low in the sky now, casting a pink glow over the craggy mountains. The silence was heavenly, broken only by the rustling of the trees and the chirping of the birds”—and local food, including “Ribbons of perfectly formed coils of chitarra pasta.” Along the way, the story engagingly alternates among flashbacks to Samantha’s life before Marsicano, Elena’s story, and what Samantha learns about various people in her present life.

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