Stephanie Jane reviewed Girl Returned by Donatella Di Pietrantonio
A thoughtful, character driven novel
5 stars
A Girl Returned has been sitting on my Kindle for several months since its publisher gifted me a copy because I really wasn't sure whether this novella would be a good fit for me. Also, I was somewhat overwhelmed by the praise it had received and didn't want to start reading with overly high expectations. I often find hyped novels leave me dissatisfied, however I am delighted to say that I think A Girl Returned absolutely deserves its accolades. It's certainly an unusual story and while I can imagine that its gentle pace and introspective style won't be to every reader's taste, for those of us who enjoy thoughtful, character-driven stories, I highly recommend A Girl Returned.
The eponymous Arminuta, who remains unnamed other than this nickname throughout her story, is a tragic figure for much of the book. Di Pietrantonio beautifully conveys her bewilderment at being rejected by …
A Girl Returned has been sitting on my Kindle for several months since its publisher gifted me a copy because I really wasn't sure whether this novella would be a good fit for me. Also, I was somewhat overwhelmed by the praise it had received and didn't want to start reading with overly high expectations. I often find hyped novels leave me dissatisfied, however I am delighted to say that I think A Girl Returned absolutely deserves its accolades. It's certainly an unusual story and while I can imagine that its gentle pace and introspective style won't be to every reader's taste, for those of us who enjoy thoughtful, character-driven stories, I highly recommend A Girl Returned.
The eponymous Arminuta, who remains unnamed other than this nickname throughout her story, is a tragic figure for much of the book. Di Pietrantonio beautifully conveys her bewilderment at being rejected by her adoptive parents, especially when it soon becomes apparent their reasoning - that her birth family really wanted her back - is untrue. I didn't immediately warm to Arminuta, but rather found myself gradually drawn deeper and deeper into caring about her predicament. Seeing the concept of motherhood through her eyes is quite the profound experience as she tries determine which of two women truly warrants the moniker. Her sense of having been utterly betrayed comes through so strongly, as does her shifting understanding of the idea of family.
A Girl Returned is one of those stories which, on the surface, is a simple tale yet the more I thought about it, the deeper and more layered the book became. Ann Goldstein's sensitive translation allowed me to forget I wasn't actually reading the original version and I loved the time I spent with this novel.