This was kind of an odd story. I thought it was mostly going to be about Laura going searching for her mother, Viola, who disappeared so many years ago. New evidence has come up and renewed Laura's desire to travel back to Italy and search for the Red House that was in all of Viola's paintings. But then it switches to Viola and her childhood and the atrocities from WW2 that happened to her and her family. I did end up liking Viola's viewpoint best and how strong she was to live through all the awful things that happened which also explained why she did what she did when she disappeared. Laura was not as likable, even if her mother's disappearance shaped her life and how some of the bad choices she made she linked back to her mother. Though it ends on a more positive note as Laura is able to find closure about the mystery of her mother and is willing to work through her own issues now.

Since most of this book seems to be stream of consciousness, I did have issues figuring out who the narrator was, as it switched, with no notification between Laura present day, Laura childhood, then Viola just before she disappears and her own childhood. It was a meandering story and left me thinking about all that happened after finishing the book.

The narrator did a good job of making the story real, even if it was hard to tell when the characters changed and the story jumped to a different time. The narrator had a nice, soothing voice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this audiobook.

Very atmospheric and captivating. I really enjoyed the cadence and voice of the narrator. Her inflection leant a spirit to the story that I would have missed had I read it physically. I found the writing to be poetic. The author gently guides you through the main character’s life in glimpses that are equal parts remarkable and relatable.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this!