Book review

Where you lead the Heart

In 1994, Susana Tamaro makes her debut in her third novel named “Where you lead the Heart”. Susana is an Italian writer, she was born in 1957, and she studied cinematography and work in Rome doing some documentaries. After that, she has dedicated all of her life in the literature; what is more, this book has been different to other books that she usually has written, because it is supported in a fascinating epistolary monologue. The main characters are Olga (grandmother); Cecilia (daughter) and Juliana (granddaughter). Also, since it´s was published in 1993, the novel has been very successful. In Italy with this intimate and epistolary work the author conquered thirteen million readers worldwide.

The story begins when seeing imminent the end of her life, Olga (grandmother) decides to writer to granddaughter about her life in a long letter. She tell to her granddaughter about her feelings and how she fell in love, sadness, illness, values and social prejudices that she has experienced with pain and enjoy.

The narration is dotted with small details of family relationship between grandmother and granddaughter. Those details are very emotional, are full of intimate, sensitive and authentic style. The grandmother uses the letters to move forward from now without lies in life, taking as a single thermometer to judge their moments confusing the value of conscience and whispers of the heart. The wind of Trieste, place where develop the plot, the atmospheric phenomena to bring to book a tone mysterious and ghostly. This book is a diary of confession.

Finally, I recommend this book because is a book very interesting, the book has exquisite narrative, correct locations and the main characters have characteristics very good.