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Nymph: A Novel
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25 copies available
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Call Me By Your Name meets Elena Ferrante in this debut coming-of-age novel about a young girl who spends summers working at her family’s timeworn Italian agriturismo, the tragedy that rends her life into “before” and “after,” and her romance with an American girl, which has unexpected consequences
To ten-year-old Leo, life is a collection. She spends her mornings tidying the rooms of her Nonna Tina’s timeworn Italian agriturismo, carefully accumulating the curious bits of left-behind detritus from guests—a pearl earring, a lock of hair. Her nights are suffused with gathering the stories that flow from her father’s lips—liquor-spun tales of Odysseus and the Trojans in secret battle. But when an accident rips the gentle membrane of Leo’s childhood, she is left vulnerable to the pains and pleasures of growing up.
Years later, in a sultry summer not unlike the many that came before, the agriturismo is the only thing that remains the same. Nonna Tina has grown older, Leo’s brother Max is intractable and mercurial, and the curiosity Leo so loved to feed as a child has turned into something more confusing. When she meets Dolores, an American girl made brilliant by Leo’s perception of her, she can’t help but gather all the experiences first love promises, while shedding parts of the past she no longer fits into.
Embroidering the atmospheric yearning of Call Me By Your Name with the precise, elevated prose of Elena Ferrante, Sofia Montrone’s jaw-dropping debut revels in the exuberant highs and awkward lows of girlhood and captures the universal experiences of trying to hold on to what is elusive, to deny what cannot be faced, and to say what cannot be said.
To ten-year-old Leo, life is a collection. She spends her mornings tidying the rooms of her Nonna Tina’s timeworn Italian agriturismo, carefully accumulating the curious bits of left-behind detritus from guests—a pearl earring, a lock of hair. Her nights are suffused with gathering the stories that flow from her father’s lips—liquor-spun tales of Odysseus and the Trojans in secret battle. But when an accident rips the gentle membrane of Leo’s childhood, she is left vulnerable to the pains and pleasures of growing up.
Years later, in a sultry summer not unlike the many that came before, the agriturismo is the only thing that remains the same. Nonna Tina has grown older, Leo’s brother Max is intractable and mercurial, and the curiosity Leo so loved to feed as a child has turned into something more confusing. When she meets Dolores, an American girl made brilliant by Leo’s perception of her, she can’t help but gather all the experiences first love promises, while shedding parts of the past she no longer fits into.
Embroidering the atmospheric yearning of Call Me By Your Name with the precise, elevated prose of Elena Ferrante, Sofia Montrone’s jaw-dropping debut revels in the exuberant highs and awkward lows of girlhood and captures the universal experiences of trying to hold on to what is elusive, to deny what cannot be faced, and to say what cannot be said.
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Expected publication June 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 5, 2026
Poetically written, emotional & beautiful coming of age story. Leo pulled at my heart, she was just such an easy character to love. The pacing dragged at times but overall a memorable story that absolutely pulled at my heartstrings.
Big thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for allowing me to enjoy this.
Big thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for allowing me to enjoy this.
February 2, 2026
a sun-soaked sapphic romance set over the course of two sweltering Italian summers. Leo has spent her childhood summers at her family’s hotel, cleaning rooms after checkouts and collecting treasures left behind by guests. whilst her mother is unwell, spending many days at a time in bed, she looks up to her often distant and confusing father, revelling in his attentions and hanging on his every word as he lavishes her with epic tales of Greek heroes.
fast forward nearly a decade, Leo is still tending to the hotel rooms, whilst her beloved Nonna becomes older and more frail, and the hotel shows its own signs of age. enter: Dolores, an American girl with a shaved head who has come to set Leo alight, in more ways than one.
this book oozes summer and sticky heat and sweat - it moves at a languid, almost sleepy pace, allowing us time and space to fall in love with Leo, Dolores and sun-drenched Italian summers. Montrone perfectly captures the awkward parts of girlhood; growing up and noticing changes happening in every part of you.
thank you, Canongate, for the early copy of this gorgeous debut.
fast forward nearly a decade, Leo is still tending to the hotel rooms, whilst her beloved Nonna becomes older and more frail, and the hotel shows its own signs of age. enter: Dolores, an American girl with a shaved head who has come to set Leo alight, in more ways than one.
this book oozes summer and sticky heat and sweat - it moves at a languid, almost sleepy pace, allowing us time and space to fall in love with Leo, Dolores and sun-drenched Italian summers. Montrone perfectly captures the awkward parts of girlhood; growing up and noticing changes happening in every part of you.
thank you, Canongate, for the early copy of this gorgeous debut.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This book was beautifully written (and has such a stunning cover!), and Italian summers with sapphic love and stories were lovely and interesting topics to explore, but I just felt like it was missing something.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Not expected - in the best way. I have found the best summer read for all my friends for 2026. Wanna go to Italy but can’t afford it at the moment? Look no further — just read this book and you’ll feel right at home. There’s a scene early on where the children play the game “dead corpse,” and I had to pause because I played that same game with my cousins growing up. Why is that such a universal childhood ritual? That small detail immediately grounded me. From the first chapters, I wasn’t just reading—I felt like I was slipping back into my own childhood. The opening is so visual, so vibrant, that it captures the naivety and beauty of young life in a way that feels almost hypnotic.
What completely obsessed me, though, was the setting. The backdrop of Northern Italy—especially behind the scenes of the family hotel—felt lush, sun-drenched, and alive. I haven’t read many authors who ooze Italian culture and atmosphere the way Sofa Montrone does here. Every place this book visits feels tangible. You can see it, taste it, breathe it. The scenery isn’t just described; it’s inhabited. I was stupidly obsessed with the hotel life within the entire book and I still want more.
This is such a splendid coming-of-age story, but what makes it stand out is the dry humor threaded so perfectly through each chapter. That subtle wit lands at just the right moment, rewarding careful readers who don’t want to miss a single detail. It’s playful and sharp in equal measure. And somehow, even when the story wanders through longing and confusion, there’s always something unfolding—some emotional shift, some revelation. I had such a hard time putting it down because I constantly wanted to see what would transpire next.
The descriptions of heat, landscape, bodies, memory—it all feels sun-soaked and sensual, steeped in longing. The story moves through the exquisite ache and soaring pleasures of growing up, tracing the many small metamorphoses that shape a life. It feels both deeply emotional and incredibly thoughtful. I am not sure an author has done this for me yet. The way she marries sensory language in each crack and corner of this book is something I am always longing for.
I was especially taken with the Greek myths her father tells her and the way those stories echo through her own life. Whether the parallels are drawn by the narrator or simply felt by her, that interweaving of myth and memory adds such an intriguing layer. It gives the novel a timeless, almost fated quality.
Montrone moves with confident grace between two lush terrains: the mountains of Northern Italy and the inner world of her young protagonist. Even when the emotional landscape is wild and untamed, her prose remains precise and lyrical. The intensity of first love, the confusion of identity, the heat of adolescence—it’s all captured with dizzying clarity.
This book uniquely engages all five senses. That’s what makes it addictive for me. It’s a novel of the mind and of the body—a work that feels both intellectually sharp and deeply sensual. A dazzling debut that I will be telling every person to pick up this summer - I couldn’t get enough.
What completely obsessed me, though, was the setting. The backdrop of Northern Italy—especially behind the scenes of the family hotel—felt lush, sun-drenched, and alive. I haven’t read many authors who ooze Italian culture and atmosphere the way Sofa Montrone does here. Every place this book visits feels tangible. You can see it, taste it, breathe it. The scenery isn’t just described; it’s inhabited. I was stupidly obsessed with the hotel life within the entire book and I still want more.
This is such a splendid coming-of-age story, but what makes it stand out is the dry humor threaded so perfectly through each chapter. That subtle wit lands at just the right moment, rewarding careful readers who don’t want to miss a single detail. It’s playful and sharp in equal measure. And somehow, even when the story wanders through longing and confusion, there’s always something unfolding—some emotional shift, some revelation. I had such a hard time putting it down because I constantly wanted to see what would transpire next.
The descriptions of heat, landscape, bodies, memory—it all feels sun-soaked and sensual, steeped in longing. The story moves through the exquisite ache and soaring pleasures of growing up, tracing the many small metamorphoses that shape a life. It feels both deeply emotional and incredibly thoughtful. I am not sure an author has done this for me yet. The way she marries sensory language in each crack and corner of this book is something I am always longing for.
I was especially taken with the Greek myths her father tells her and the way those stories echo through her own life. Whether the parallels are drawn by the narrator or simply felt by her, that interweaving of myth and memory adds such an intriguing layer. It gives the novel a timeless, almost fated quality.
Montrone moves with confident grace between two lush terrains: the mountains of Northern Italy and the inner world of her young protagonist. Even when the emotional landscape is wild and untamed, her prose remains precise and lyrical. The intensity of first love, the confusion of identity, the heat of adolescence—it’s all captured with dizzying clarity.
This book uniquely engages all five senses. That’s what makes it addictive for me. It’s a novel of the mind and of the body—a work that feels both intellectually sharp and deeply sensual. A dazzling debut that I will be telling every person to pick up this summer - I couldn’t get enough.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A coming of age story filled with emotion—tragedy, romance, and self-growth. Nymph is told in two parts: before and after tragedy strikes Leo’s family. At ten years old, Leo holds the universe within herself and sees it reflected in her father. By nineteen, she has lived through something that changes her irrevocably.
In both timelines, Leo is an extraordinary character—one I loved, empathized with, and deeply related to. What I cherished most was witnessing her growth and her gradual journey toward self-discovery. She endures watching a loved one spiral down a devastating path, experiences loss, confronts the aging of her beloved grandmother, and finds love in a space that is fragile and painfully temporary. Yet despite it all, Leo remains resilient, still carrying that universe within her.
I adored the writing. The summery feeling, the atmosphere, the nostalgia woven through every page. Montrone beautifully captures tender, sensitive emotions with prose that is both simple and poetic. The mother–daughter relationship that runs throughout the book is a poignant portrayal of womanhood, and of the love and vulnerability that come with it.
Another aspect I loved was how this book didn’t feel like a book; it felt like life. Things go wrong suddenly, just as they do in reality. Emotions unfold naturally, growth is uneven, and acceptance is never linear. Nymph was a truly moving and enjoyable read, and I sincerely hope to read more from this author.
In both timelines, Leo is an extraordinary character—one I loved, empathized with, and deeply related to. What I cherished most was witnessing her growth and her gradual journey toward self-discovery. She endures watching a loved one spiral down a devastating path, experiences loss, confronts the aging of her beloved grandmother, and finds love in a space that is fragile and painfully temporary. Yet despite it all, Leo remains resilient, still carrying that universe within her.
I adored the writing. The summery feeling, the atmosphere, the nostalgia woven through every page. Montrone beautifully captures tender, sensitive emotions with prose that is both simple and poetic. The mother–daughter relationship that runs throughout the book is a poignant portrayal of womanhood, and of the love and vulnerability that come with it.
Another aspect I loved was how this book didn’t feel like a book; it felt like life. Things go wrong suddenly, just as they do in reality. Emotions unfold naturally, growth is uneven, and acceptance is never linear. Nymph was a truly moving and enjoyable read, and I sincerely hope to read more from this author.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The reader is fully enmeshed in Leonora's life throughout this novel, but there isn't much plot, it is very much driven by Leo's inner life and her relationships to those around her.
10-year-old Leo spends her summers at the family agriturismo in Italy, a working farm that also serves as accommodations. The first part of the novel focuses on establishing Leo's family dynamic and her life at the agriturismo. Her parents are both suffering from depression and rarely spend time together, her father seems to be an alcoholic, and her mother is prone to long stays in her bed. The second part of the story takes place the summer before Leo is going to college, when she meets Dolores, an American student looking for a summer job. Leo hired her to work at the agriturismo, and the two find themselves drawn together. It explains to Leo why her liaison with the local pub keeper's son lacked the passion she hoped for, even as she and Dolores keep their burgeoning romance under wraps. The family is also dealing with the emotional fallout of Leo's father's death a few years prior, the details of quick are slowly revealed throughout the second part of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
10-year-old Leo spends her summers at the family agriturismo in Italy, a working farm that also serves as accommodations. The first part of the novel focuses on establishing Leo's family dynamic and her life at the agriturismo. Her parents are both suffering from depression and rarely spend time together, her father seems to be an alcoholic, and her mother is prone to long stays in her bed. The second part of the story takes place the summer before Leo is going to college, when she meets Dolores, an American student looking for a summer job. Leo hired her to work at the agriturismo, and the two find themselves drawn together. It explains to Leo why her liaison with the local pub keeper's son lacked the passion she hoped for, even as she and Dolores keep their burgeoning romance under wraps. The family is also dealing with the emotional fallout of Leo's father's death a few years prior, the details of quick are slowly revealed throughout the second part of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
February 10, 2026
Nymph follows an American girl named Leo as she comes of age against the idyllic backdrop of the Italian countryside in the way of Elio Perlman and Elena Greco.
Leo spends her summer breaks helping out at her family’s agriturismo in Italy. For her, summers are measured in World Cups, loaves of bread, poker games, lost earrings, and her father’s Homeric wisdom. These things withstand the test of time and tether her to existence apart from her home in New York City. But while days lengthen in the summer season, the passage of time refuses to slow. Over the course of two pivotal summers, eight years apart, Leo bears witness to the complex intricacies of familial and romantic love and the ways it can be both given and taken away.
Reading this book stirred a nostalgic ache in my chest. Sophia Montrone takes a reverent, timeless, and naturalistic approach to memorializing adolescence in the 2010s. She presents readers with a ‘modern’ family, thoughtfully woven together and layered with detail like a tapestry. Such a stunning debut novel!
Thank you to Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review :)
Leo spends her summer breaks helping out at her family’s agriturismo in Italy. For her, summers are measured in World Cups, loaves of bread, poker games, lost earrings, and her father’s Homeric wisdom. These things withstand the test of time and tether her to existence apart from her home in New York City. But while days lengthen in the summer season, the passage of time refuses to slow. Over the course of two pivotal summers, eight years apart, Leo bears witness to the complex intricacies of familial and romantic love and the ways it can be both given and taken away.
Reading this book stirred a nostalgic ache in my chest. Sophia Montrone takes a reverent, timeless, and naturalistic approach to memorializing adolescence in the 2010s. She presents readers with a ‘modern’ family, thoughtfully woven together and layered with detail like a tapestry. Such a stunning debut novel!
Thank you to Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review :)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Nymph is a coming of age novel centered on our main character Leo. We follow Leo through key parts of her life, learn her routines, understand her relationships, and watch her grow from a child to a young adult. In true litfic fashion, the meat of this story is in Leo’s relationships and how those experiences define her. I was most intrigued by her relationships with her family. I felt that the themes of grief were narrated equally beautifully and darkly.
While I was originally drawn to this story for the sapphic romance, I found myself underwhelmed by Leo’s relationship with Dolores. I wished I felt their connection stronger, and expected more from their intimacy.
I liked Leo’s quirks, and I grew to enjoy the references of Achilles throughout / as parallels to the relationships in Leo’s life.
All in all, this is a beautiful debut I would recommend for anyone interested in a literary fiction coming of age novel with deep themes of grief, aging and identity.
TW: substance use, mental health, etc.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my first eArc!
While I was originally drawn to this story for the sapphic romance, I found myself underwhelmed by Leo’s relationship with Dolores. I wished I felt their connection stronger, and expected more from their intimacy.
I liked Leo’s quirks, and I grew to enjoy the references of Achilles throughout / as parallels to the relationships in Leo’s life.
All in all, this is a beautiful debut I would recommend for anyone interested in a literary fiction coming of age novel with deep themes of grief, aging and identity.
TW: substance use, mental health, etc.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my first eArc!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 stars! A lush, beautifully written novel about an Italian-American girl's coming-of-age in the rustic countryside of Italy, which I read in less than 24 hours. This has beautiful prose and imagery, but it is NOT fast-paced and doesn't have a lot of plot. Perfect if you want to luxuriate in beautiful prose, but maybe hold off if you're looking for a ton of plot.
The reason I did not give a full 5 stars: I ended up liking the resolution of the relationship between Leo and her brother Max. But for most of the novel, Max doesn’t do anything and just lingers in the background; he could be cut from the first 80% of the book without making a difference. Also, there was a significant subplot about Leo’s grandma being mysteriously sick— and then it never really got resolved except in a throwaway line.
This is a very impressive debut, and I look forward to reading more from Montrone in the future!
The reason I did not give a full 5 stars: I ended up liking the resolution of the relationship between Leo and her brother Max. But for most of the novel, Max doesn’t do anything and just lingers in the background; he could be cut from the first 80% of the book without making a difference. Also, there was a significant subplot about Leo’s grandma being mysteriously sick— and then it never really got resolved except in a throwaway line.
This is a very impressive debut, and I look forward to reading more from Montrone in the future!
February 11, 2026
I was enthralled by this book. The setting was deeply evocative- I loved the Italian immersion; both the good and the bad. The characters had a complexity to them that was nuanced and well rounded. The story was emotionally compelling and I enjoyed the Iliad insertions as a storytelling device. I found this entire book to be unlike anything I have read recently. I have been constantly thinking about it since I finished and I believe it will continue to stick with me. The way Sofia Montrone portrayed the feelings of youth into young adulthood and the way we view or family through different eyes at different stages was apt and well executed. This was overall an excellent novel and had a very clear and unique perspective that I appreciated. Thank you Avid Reader for this ARC! Always topnotch.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
(ARC - out 06/09/26 via Avid Reader Press) I understand the comparisons between this and “Call Me by Your Name” because both are queer coming-of-age stories set in the Italian countryside and both rely so much on vibes as opposed to plot. Nymph follows Leo during two separate summers spent at her family’s agriturismo (a working farm), when she’s ten and when she’s eighteen. We see how her family changes and also witness her fall in love with an american woman. The yearning in this is so good and so is the evocative language. The descriptions of people and places and food and weather really put the reader in the novel. What a great book this would be to read by the water on a hot summer’s day.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A delectable coming of age story with an amazing main character who has to deal with working for her family, a tragedy that deeply affects her, and a romance with an American. Leo is fascinating and I resonated with her so much as she experienced great tragedy and greater feelings of love as she finds who she really is. So many emotions in this book were so beautifully captured and put into words. The nostalgia of girlhood oozes from every page. I hope I get to read more from this author! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4
setting: Italy
rep: sapphic protagonist
this book is all about the writing and the atmosphere. plotwise, there's not much going on, it's mostly a snapshot of two summers in Leo's life - the first thirty percent of the book follows her at 10 years old; the remaining seventy percent follows her at 19. the writing is gorgeous and the atmosphere is excellent. I can totally understand the comp to call me by your name. 8 haven't read Elena ferrante so can't speak to that comp but if her books read like this then I'm sure to enjoy them
setting: Italy
rep: sapphic protagonist
this book is all about the writing and the atmosphere. plotwise, there's not much going on, it's mostly a snapshot of two summers in Leo's life - the first thirty percent of the book follows her at 10 years old; the remaining seventy percent follows her at 19. the writing is gorgeous and the atmosphere is excellent. I can totally understand the comp to call me by your name. 8 haven't read Elena ferrante so can't speak to that comp but if her books read like this then I'm sure to enjoy them
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Beautiful coming of age story. Captures so fantastically how it feels to be a teenager with no sense of self, fully believing that every aspect of oneself is stolen or passed on from other people, and how jarring it is for others to point out that this is not the case. The tug of war between Leo's duty to her family and her desire is excruciating, and all the better for its subtlety - most of the melodrama in this book takes place entirely in Leo's head. Oh to ruminate for an entire summer over a beautiful futch
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I enjoyed this, it’s a beautifully written and atmospheric coming of age story that follows 10 year old Leo whose parents own an Agriturismo in Northern Italy. We get to know her younger brother, chronically depressed mother, and her charismatic but alcoholic father who tells her stories from the Iliad and Odyssey. The second half jumps ahead 8 years when another girl, Dolores, comes to work with them for the summer.
While it is undeniably well written and immersive, it’s pretty light on plot, focusing more on Leo’s internal world. It did capture the feeling of being 18 and all the anxieties and struggles that come with leaving childhood behind.
This would be a great summer read for literary fans.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.
While it is undeniably well written and immersive, it’s pretty light on plot, focusing more on Leo’s internal world. It did capture the feeling of being 18 and all the anxieties and struggles that come with leaving childhood behind.
This would be a great summer read for literary fans.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
an atmospheric coming of age story with a stunning sense of place, a beautiful queer romance, and lyrical writing. nymph is a novel to savor. i already wish i could experience the vibrant italian summers and leo’s complex inner world for the first time again.
thank you to the publisher for the ARC!
thank you to the publisher for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Beautifully written sapphic coming of age story set in the countryside of Italy, I was completely immersed in the scenery. It's slower paced, but I couldn't put it down! This is the perfect summer read!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
*well-written, easy to read
*strong character development
*kept my interest from cover to cover
*highly recommend
*strong character development
*kept my interest from cover to cover
*highly recommend
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews