"One of the best books I’ve ever read. I rarely award books five stars, and even when I do, it doesn't necessarily mean the book is one of my favourites of all-time. I've read hundreds of books in my life, and I'd my all time favourites list sits around ~15 novels. That list now includes FAREWELL, GHOSTS by Nadia Terranova.

Ann Goldstein is a master of translation (who translated many of Elena Ferrante's novels, including the Neapolitan Quartet), and combined with Terranova's beautiful prose it really makes for a stunning novel. If this wasn't a library copy, I would have highlighted and underlined the vast majority of the book. It's a beautiful reflection on grief, loss, innocence and home.

The novel is about Ida returning to her family home after her mother decides to sell it. The home and objects within it are reminders of Ida's upbringing and the unexpected disappearance of her father 23 years earlier. Both Ida and her mother are profoundly shaped by this loss and frozen in time. Grief hangs over them and as time passes, they grow no closer to understanding her father's fate. Ida comes to accept how much the world around her has changed, and begrudgingly reckons with how her father's disappearance profoundly shaped her adolescence.

Farewell, Ghosts is slow, introspective and taut with tension. It beautifully captures the nuances of memory, grief, and unpacking the often complicated relationships we have with home. Set in the idyllic Italian countryside, it's a reminder than even the most scenic places hold loss, turmoil and regret. I cannot recommend this book enough - it is so poignant and moving.

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oooooof hits close to home"