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Love and Rain (209)
Love and Rain is a novel which explores the nature of love, its pain, and the near impossibility of its enduring happiness. Moving back in space and time from Rome to Montreal in the sixties and seventies, it also traces the individual rebellion and social revolution that marked the FLQ movement in Quebec and the Red Brigades in Italy in the late 1970s. The power of love, music and politics intertwine in a tale that spells the mysterious alchemy of fate and chance.
272 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 21, 2023
Circelli’s ambitious work of fiction explores some interesting subject matter. The bulk of the novel focuses on the experiences of Francesca and Micola Benvenuto, the daughters of poor, uneducated southern Italian parents who immigrated to Montreal after World War II.
Francesca, the elder sister, is feisty and determined, greatly influenced by her hard-left-leaning cousin Ottavio, who’s committed to the revolution that promises to empower the working class. In the 1970s, he leaves Montreal to contribute to the “Movement” in Italy, joining the Red Brigade, a terrorist organization responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro, the Italian president. Francesca eventually follows Ottavio to Rome and also participates in the work of the radical group, though in a lesser role than her cousin. She will pay a steep price for that involvement.
Micola, the younger Benvenuto sister, an ethereal beauty, is dreamy and musically gifted. She’s also compliant and obedient . . . until she suddenly isn’t. When encouraged by her charismatic friend, Paolo Richards, who recognizes Micola’s extraordinary talent, the sheltered young woman agrees to sing at a Montreal nightclub. This leads to her being offered a weekly gig at an even more prestigious venue where both Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell have performed. Along the way, Micola falls madly and recklessly in love with a multi-talented, womanizing Jewish musician.
While the Benvenuto girls are permitted to attend informal political gatherings at cousin Ottavio’s house, their traditional, controlling, and often violent father otherwise keeps them on a very tight leash. Their womanly purity is not to be corrupted; socializing with the opposite sex, unless chaperoned, is verboten. Lies and alibis are therefore necessary for the sisters to get themselves out of the house on the evenings that Micola sings. Of course there’s hell to pay when Mr. Benvenuto learns what his daughters have been up to. Tragedy strikes the family.
The account of the sisters’ lives is bookended by the story of another character: Chiara, a youngish woman in her thirties who has recently left graduate school and is at loose ends. Of course, there are still bills to pay. Chiara needs a job (and distraction). She is happily (and conveniently) hired by none other than Paolo Richards. This old friend of the Benvenuto sisters is now living in Toronto and the owner of a flower shop. After years of academic immersion in the philosophy of Kant and Hegel, Chiara finds being in the company of plants immensely restful. She has recently fled a romantic relationship with Daniel Cohen, a young Jewish man, offering him no explanation for her departure and refusing to communicate at all. It seems that the intensity of her emotions for him terrify her. Habitually asocial, psychologically detached from others, and temperamentally predisposed to feeling nothing much at all, Chiara is suddenly set upon by intrusive emotions and strange visions, which may be repressed memories. Images of a fall, broken glass, and blood plague her. Naming her experience the “Thing,” Chiara begins psychoanalysis in order to grapple with the material bubbling up from her subconscious. In time, Paolo, the flower shop owner, will present her with a suitcase of notebooks and letters that will help her make sense of her inner turmoil.
As mentioned, this is an ambitious novel. I appreciated the insights it offered into the culture and experiences of southern Italian immigrants to Canada. Prior to reading the book, I knew next to nothing about Italy’s turbulent post-war period, so I also valued Circelli’s exploration of that country’s “Years of Lead” and her depiction of some of the terrorist activities of the Red Brigade. Reading about the music scene in 1960s and ’70s Montreal was a further bonus.
Having said all this, I must add that there are major issues with the novel that I am unable to overlook. First of all, the narrative is often melodramatic. Occasionally overblown, even maudlin, prose and Circelli’s amateurish characterization amplify the problem. Paulo and Micola in particular are absurdly, even laughably, romanticized. (e.g., After being spirited off from an insane asylum by an angelic nurse, tragically beautiful Micola spends years sitting in a grotto on the Amalfi coast: mute, weeping, and communing with the sea.) Add to all of this a few too many coincidences (most of them courtesy of the magical Paulo), the misrepresentation of the concept of epigenetic trauma (inheriting one’s parents’ past experiences), and a too-tidy, wish-fulfilling conclusion, and you have a novel whose initial potential has been irreparably thwarted.
For these reasons, a rating of 2.5/5 has been rounded down to a 2.
Francesca, the elder sister, is feisty and determined, greatly influenced by her hard-left-leaning cousin Ottavio, who’s committed to the revolution that promises to empower the working class. In the 1970s, he leaves Montreal to contribute to the “Movement” in Italy, joining the Red Brigade, a terrorist organization responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro, the Italian president. Francesca eventually follows Ottavio to Rome and also participates in the work of the radical group, though in a lesser role than her cousin. She will pay a steep price for that involvement.
Micola, the younger Benvenuto sister, an ethereal beauty, is dreamy and musically gifted. She’s also compliant and obedient . . . until she suddenly isn’t. When encouraged by her charismatic friend, Paolo Richards, who recognizes Micola’s extraordinary talent, the sheltered young woman agrees to sing at a Montreal nightclub. This leads to her being offered a weekly gig at an even more prestigious venue where both Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell have performed. Along the way, Micola falls madly and recklessly in love with a multi-talented, womanizing Jewish musician.
While the Benvenuto girls are permitted to attend informal political gatherings at cousin Ottavio’s house, their traditional, controlling, and often violent father otherwise keeps them on a very tight leash. Their womanly purity is not to be corrupted; socializing with the opposite sex, unless chaperoned, is verboten. Lies and alibis are therefore necessary for the sisters to get themselves out of the house on the evenings that Micola sings. Of course there’s hell to pay when Mr. Benvenuto learns what his daughters have been up to. Tragedy strikes the family.
The account of the sisters’ lives is bookended by the story of another character: Chiara, a youngish woman in her thirties who has recently left graduate school and is at loose ends. Of course, there are still bills to pay. Chiara needs a job (and distraction). She is happily (and conveniently) hired by none other than Paolo Richards. This old friend of the Benvenuto sisters is now living in Toronto and the owner of a flower shop. After years of academic immersion in the philosophy of Kant and Hegel, Chiara finds being in the company of plants immensely restful. She has recently fled a romantic relationship with Daniel Cohen, a young Jewish man, offering him no explanation for her departure and refusing to communicate at all. It seems that the intensity of her emotions for him terrify her. Habitually asocial, psychologically detached from others, and temperamentally predisposed to feeling nothing much at all, Chiara is suddenly set upon by intrusive emotions and strange visions, which may be repressed memories. Images of a fall, broken glass, and blood plague her. Naming her experience the “Thing,” Chiara begins psychoanalysis in order to grapple with the material bubbling up from her subconscious. In time, Paolo, the flower shop owner, will present her with a suitcase of notebooks and letters that will help her make sense of her inner turmoil.
As mentioned, this is an ambitious novel. I appreciated the insights it offered into the culture and experiences of southern Italian immigrants to Canada. Prior to reading the book, I knew next to nothing about Italy’s turbulent post-war period, so I also valued Circelli’s exploration of that country’s “Years of Lead” and her depiction of some of the terrorist activities of the Red Brigade. Reading about the music scene in 1960s and ’70s Montreal was a further bonus.
Having said all this, I must add that there are major issues with the novel that I am unable to overlook. First of all, the narrative is often melodramatic. Occasionally overblown, even maudlin, prose and Circelli’s amateurish characterization amplify the problem. Paulo and Micola in particular are absurdly, even laughably, romanticized. (e.g., After being spirited off from an insane asylum by an angelic nurse, tragically beautiful Micola spends years sitting in a grotto on the Amalfi coast: mute, weeping, and communing with the sea.) Add to all of this a few too many coincidences (most of them courtesy of the magical Paulo), the misrepresentation of the concept of epigenetic trauma (inheriting one’s parents’ past experiences), and a too-tidy, wish-fulfilling conclusion, and you have a novel whose initial potential has been irreparably thwarted.
For these reasons, a rating of 2.5/5 has been rounded down to a 2.
December 22, 2023
I received this book from River Street Writing in exchange for a fair review.
With lyrical prose, this novel is perfect if you enjoy the premise of family trauma, politics, and history.
While I knew the basics of the FLQ from school, I knew absolutely nothing of that of Italy. Luckily, the book focuses on the groups from the outset, from someone who wants to be involved but is limited to the periphery. In this way, it’s easy to follow - you don’t need an intricate knowledge of either to understand the motivations of the characters.
Also, the novel is less about this than the family dynamics of Francesa and her sister Micola. There is a huge focus on how traditionalism, in the sense of families limiting daughters’ agencies using sex-shaming, sexism, and fear tactics. It really makes me glad that while my family had issues, at least they weren’t like those parents.
Unfortunately, while I found the prose lovely and the story interesting, I wasn’t as engaged with it as I could have been. There is a plot that I’ve seen so many times - probably because it happened a lot, but still - so I was like, “Oh, I know what’s going to happen here,” and the structure of the story - Chiara’s at the start, a substantial chunk in the middle about the family, then Chiara again was a bit jarring. Had the past been interwoven a bit more with her story, it would have worked a bit better for me.
Francesa was great - struggling to break free from her family but also unable to, with motivations and decisions that make sense. I was less interested in Micola, especially near the end of the story, which dragged a bit for me. I was on the borderline when it came to liking Chiara. She is one of those “suffering” late-thirties adults who could honestly deal with a bit of hard work in their lives. I sympathize with her commitment issues, but I sometimes have trouble with characters that seem to have such an easy life it’s almost like they invent issues to have something to do.
Anyway, if you love historical fiction and/or labour movements and are looking for a Canadian book to read, check out Love and Rain.
With lyrical prose, this novel is perfect if you enjoy the premise of family trauma, politics, and history.
While I knew the basics of the FLQ from school, I knew absolutely nothing of that of Italy. Luckily, the book focuses on the groups from the outset, from someone who wants to be involved but is limited to the periphery. In this way, it’s easy to follow - you don’t need an intricate knowledge of either to understand the motivations of the characters.
Also, the novel is less about this than the family dynamics of Francesa and her sister Micola. There is a huge focus on how traditionalism, in the sense of families limiting daughters’ agencies using sex-shaming, sexism, and fear tactics. It really makes me glad that while my family had issues, at least they weren’t like those parents.
Unfortunately, while I found the prose lovely and the story interesting, I wasn’t as engaged with it as I could have been. There is a plot that I’ve seen so many times - probably because it happened a lot, but still - so I was like, “Oh, I know what’s going to happen here,” and the structure of the story - Chiara’s at the start, a substantial chunk in the middle about the family, then Chiara again was a bit jarring. Had the past been interwoven a bit more with her story, it would have worked a bit better for me.
Francesa was great - struggling to break free from her family but also unable to, with motivations and decisions that make sense. I was less interested in Micola, especially near the end of the story, which dragged a bit for me. I was on the borderline when it came to liking Chiara. She is one of those “suffering” late-thirties adults who could honestly deal with a bit of hard work in their lives. I sympathize with her commitment issues, but I sometimes have trouble with characters that seem to have such an easy life it’s almost like they invent issues to have something to do.
Anyway, if you love historical fiction and/or labour movements and are looking for a Canadian book to read, check out Love and Rain.
November 7, 2023
Love and Rain is a wonderful book. Literally, full of wonder about existence, love, politics, music and how we heal in the face of major trauma. The story is beautiful and haunting, the characters engaging and memorable. I especially loved the moodiness and passion of the writing
There are a number of different story lines in the book, but the one that moved me the most is the story of Micola and the nurse who helped her escape from the asylum in Naples, and brought her to live on the coast of Amalfi. I see this section as a kind of subtle and poetic critique of psychiatry. It goes beyond advocating for the 'talking cure' over and against psychiatric institutions and the barbarity of some of their practices. It is a moving description of the benefits of simply 'being with' someone else's trauma, and allowing it to express itself, and of the deeply healing power of basic human care and kindness. I was reminded of the Italian film Best of Youth, where the 2 brothers, Nicola and Matteo, help a young girl escape from an asylum, and through their relationship with her, bring her back to a kind of normal level of functioning.
I am a psychotherapist, myself, and I am aware of the tendency to immediately try to fix people, to bring them out of their depression and melancholy as quickly as possible. When in fact, what people sometimes need, is just for someone to be with them, to allow them to feel as bad as they feel, to be with someone who can handle their pain. Because healing requires that we pass through it and not repress it.
Another aspect of the novel that I found very interesting is the sense of unconscious communication between generations, even at a distance. One of the main characters, Chiara, starts to experience psychic intrusions of traumatic events which happened to her mother, even before she knew about them consciously. I have certainly encountered this phenomenon many times in my private practice working with individuals and with groups. It speaks to the mysterious and mystical connection between us all.
Regarding epigenetics, which is mentioned in another review. There is only a very brief reference to this in the book, and it occurs when Chiara is in a therapy session, trying to come to terms with having just found out about her biological mother's history, and its impact on her. She refers to the sadness she has fallen into as somehow not her own, belonging to her mother, perhaps even ancestral, like an 'epigenetic memory', she says. And while Chiara is not a scientist, and the reference is surely not meant as a scientific account, her description of the lived experience of inter-generational trauma is accurate. People do often feel that they are afflicted with mood states and physical tendencies which do not seem to be their own, at least not based in any actual experiences they have had. And when dealing with inter-generational trauma, involving experiences which a person has not suffered through, themselves, it can be very helpful to think of the trauma as separate from themselves, even if in the end, everything is interwoven into the mystery of the self, which always involves both biological and cultural elements.
I loved this book.
There are a number of different story lines in the book, but the one that moved me the most is the story of Micola and the nurse who helped her escape from the asylum in Naples, and brought her to live on the coast of Amalfi. I see this section as a kind of subtle and poetic critique of psychiatry. It goes beyond advocating for the 'talking cure' over and against psychiatric institutions and the barbarity of some of their practices. It is a moving description of the benefits of simply 'being with' someone else's trauma, and allowing it to express itself, and of the deeply healing power of basic human care and kindness. I was reminded of the Italian film Best of Youth, where the 2 brothers, Nicola and Matteo, help a young girl escape from an asylum, and through their relationship with her, bring her back to a kind of normal level of functioning.
I am a psychotherapist, myself, and I am aware of the tendency to immediately try to fix people, to bring them out of their depression and melancholy as quickly as possible. When in fact, what people sometimes need, is just for someone to be with them, to allow them to feel as bad as they feel, to be with someone who can handle their pain. Because healing requires that we pass through it and not repress it.
Another aspect of the novel that I found very interesting is the sense of unconscious communication between generations, even at a distance. One of the main characters, Chiara, starts to experience psychic intrusions of traumatic events which happened to her mother, even before she knew about them consciously. I have certainly encountered this phenomenon many times in my private practice working with individuals and with groups. It speaks to the mysterious and mystical connection between us all.
Regarding epigenetics, which is mentioned in another review. There is only a very brief reference to this in the book, and it occurs when Chiara is in a therapy session, trying to come to terms with having just found out about her biological mother's history, and its impact on her. She refers to the sadness she has fallen into as somehow not her own, belonging to her mother, perhaps even ancestral, like an 'epigenetic memory', she says. And while Chiara is not a scientist, and the reference is surely not meant as a scientific account, her description of the lived experience of inter-generational trauma is accurate. People do often feel that they are afflicted with mood states and physical tendencies which do not seem to be their own, at least not based in any actual experiences they have had. And when dealing with inter-generational trauma, involving experiences which a person has not suffered through, themselves, it can be very helpful to think of the trauma as separate from themselves, even if in the end, everything is interwoven into the mystery of the self, which always involves both biological and cultural elements.
I loved this book.
January 2, 2026
I picked up this book for a change of pace from the suspense novels that I have been reading lately; not quite knowing what to expect. This book totally swept me away and kept me reading and intrigued. This is a story of family ties and roots, culture, love and longing, immigration, losses, tragedies, and political involvement.
Chiara is in her late 30s around the year 2013, and seems to be unable to stay attached to relationships with men. She tends to be a bit of a loner and feels a sense of emptiness inside. She describes her relationship with her parents and doesn't feel as connected to them as she should be either. This is truly one of those books where the writing is so good, the character development so well done, that I felt totally immersed in the story.
Next the story rolls backs to the mid 1970s in Canada. The story becomes very deep and emotional when we find out about Francesca and her sister, Micola, whose family recently immigrated to Canada from Italy; the hardships and difficulties trying to immerse themselves into a new culture and country. Their parents come from "peasant" stock in Italy, and they have a tough time with poverty, illiteracy and trying to fit in as well as learning their new language. The issues within the family and the lives of the two sisters had me totally immersed and unable to put the book down.
This book flowed so beautifully and was so articulately written that I had to give it 5 stars. This story will stay with me for a very long time. Excellent writing, excellent story.
Chiara is in her late 30s around the year 2013, and seems to be unable to stay attached to relationships with men. She tends to be a bit of a loner and feels a sense of emptiness inside. She describes her relationship with her parents and doesn't feel as connected to them as she should be either. This is truly one of those books where the writing is so good, the character development so well done, that I felt totally immersed in the story.
Next the story rolls backs to the mid 1970s in Canada. The story becomes very deep and emotional when we find out about Francesca and her sister, Micola, whose family recently immigrated to Canada from Italy; the hardships and difficulties trying to immerse themselves into a new culture and country. Their parents come from "peasant" stock in Italy, and they have a tough time with poverty, illiteracy and trying to fit in as well as learning their new language. The issues within the family and the lives of the two sisters had me totally immersed and unable to put the book down.
This book flowed so beautifully and was so articulately written that I had to give it 5 stars. This story will stay with me for a very long time. Excellent writing, excellent story.
November 8, 2023
I am an Italian born in Montreal Canada and this book really brought me back to my childhood. I pretty much knew all the areas that the author wrote about in Montreal and blew me away as some of the locations were forgotten in my memory. She also did a phenomenal job in language dialect. I understood all the words in the old world peasant dialect that I grew up with. Excellent read, I absolutely loved!
January 31, 2024
I enjoyed this book as it travelled between Montreal and Italy, it is the story of two sisters and another young woman and how they are tied together. It covers the 60’s and 70’s and the history of those years - the FLQ rebellion in Montreal and the Red Brigades in Italy. Beautifully written and a compelling read .
I was gifted this book by River_Street_Reads
I was gifted this book by River_Street_Reads
March 2, 2024
"Like a dark vortex, the past, with its gruelling labour and constant struggle for survival, sucked up everything in its wake." (p. 96, Love and Rain)
This is a powerful and poetic telling of how family history - trauma in particular - imperceptibly bleeds into the present.
This is a powerful and poetic telling of how family history - trauma in particular - imperceptibly bleeds into the present.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews