novel philosophy

Author: Heddi Goodrich
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Published: 2019
Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary

Originally translated from Italian, Heddi Goodrich tells of her time in Naples.

Though American, Heddi has made Naples her home. She lives and studies alongside her roommates each working towards an unsteady future. Together they suffer creating a collective bond. But, graduation approaches, and life pulls them apart. Some head to mandatory military service, while one returns to France.

Pietro finds Heddi, and they fall desperately in love. Despite their deep passion, they struggle to find a happy ending. Heddi feels the familiar itch of a restless nature. She dreams of days spent traveling the world and experiencing new adventures. Pietro, though, can’t escape his family’s expectations.

Now, 10 years in the future, both wonder if another chance at fairy tale love exists. The text intertwines these two love stories, past and present. Can returning to Naples rekindle what they lost?

Themes

Family

Heddi and Pietro exist in two very different family settings. Heddi left for Italy while in high school and hasn’t looked back. She rambles through the world with the little tying her to her family. She still has a relationship with them but isn’t bound by any expectations.

Pietro lives in a world of duty. While permitting him the college experience, they await his return. He bears the burden of carrying on the family farm. The same one that brought his parents out of poverty.

With Heddi’s introduction, tension builds between the two different philosophies. Heddi dreams of their next adventure while Pietro can’t escape his family. This tension becomes the central theme in their relationship. Will they let it define their future?

Pity the Human

As the tension between Heddi, Pietro, and his family develops, Heddi blames his mother. She refuses to accept Heddi. In her intolerance, she makes her opinion clear. Pietro must return to the family farm and marry a local.

With each continued visit, Heddi struggles with a new emotion. She pities this woman. In the moments they’re alone, Heddi catches glimpses of her humanity. Pietro’s mother is just as human as Heddi. She realizes she can’t justify her anger. It can only stand so long against such pity.

Right Person, Wrong Time

Heddi and Pietro fall in love, but sometimes that isn’t enough. Their passion can’t overcome the challenges before them. While in college, their worlds are the same. They go to class, hang with friends, and explore the odd beauty of Naples. They connect on topics like philosophy, history, and language.

The approaching graduation, though, begins to separate them. The differences between them become increasingly obvious. Pietro comes from a culture of honor and expectation. While dreaming of a different life, he realizes he can’t leave the one he’s in. Heddi belongs to a world of wandering nomads.

Despite their desire for each other, Heddi realizes the end is coming. Pietro is unwilling to make the necessary choices to follow her, and she is unwilling to fit into his future. With neither offering any concessions, the only option is to walk away.

Quotes

“If I could, I wished now as always, I would flutter toward them and slip in through a window, I would sit there soundlessly and seamlessly blending in with the wallpaper, trying to piece together the shards of their sentences into a narrative that made sense.”

“I would understand the primeval urges of man, the true reasons why people do what they do and are who they are, since the dawn of time. Art, war, religion…love.

“He was simply looking at me the way the moon looks at you. The light that makes you feel, for a moment, that you’re not merely a human being but part of something eternal, maybe even divine.”

“It was as if the most primitive and unmentionable part of us—maybe the amygdala, that impulsive and preverbal almond nestled in our brain—was trying to preempt tragedy by saying, Just do it. Go ahead and get it over with.”

“Pietro too appeared bewildered because out of the blue he said, “Without you, Heddi, I’m just a leaf swept away by the wind.”

Final Thoughts

I rated this book 3 stars because of the incredible writing. It’s beautiful and descriptive like reading poetry at times. The characters were intriguing, especially Heddi’s gang of boys. I was also captivated by the version of Naples Heddi shares. She brings Neapolitan culture to life. It’s a snapshot of this unique city that lives in the shadow of the great Vesuvius.

The plot, though, never reached the peak I was expecting. It became more of a drawn-out conflict. I saw it coming early on and kept reading. I hoped they would somehow overcome it. The modern-day emails only added to the disappointment. I spent most of the book wishing the characters made different decisions.

Halfway through the book, the narrative shifts almost completely to Heddi and Pietro. I missed her friends from earlier. They brought more life into the story, and their loss only added to the emptiness of the following pages.

You should read this book if:

• You want a lesson in beautiful prose.
• You dream of exploring Naples, Italy.
• You’re ready for an unhappy ending.