"Though Mussolini and the fascists have been defeated, the war has devastated Italy, especially the south. Seven-year-old Amerigo lives with his mother Antonietta in Naples, surviving on odd jobs and his wits. But one day, Amerigo learns that a train will take him away from the rubble-strewn streets of the city to spend the winter with a family in the north, where he will be safe and have warm clothes and food to eat. Amerigo's journey is a story of memory, indelible bonds, and self-exploration, and an examination of what family can truly mean. Ultimately Amerigo comes to understand that sometimes we must give up everything, even a mother's love, to find our destiny"--
adult
Viola Ardone ; translated from the Italian from Clarissa Botsford.
Originally published as Il treno dei bambini in Italy in 2019 by Einaudi.