The Saint of Lost Things by Christopher Castellani

This is the second book of a trilogy.  I did not know that until after I read the third book “All This Talk of Love”.  The first book is “A Kiss from Maddalena”.  It would have been better to read them in the correct order. I had to go back and thumb through “All This Talk of Love” after reading this book just to check a few things out.  “The Saint of Lost Things” takes place about seven years after “A Kiss from Maddalena", while “All This Talk of Love” is 50 years after “A Kiss from Maddalena". 

It has been seven years since Maddalena left her small town of St. Ceclia in Italy.  She is disturbed that she and Antonio have not been able to have a child. Antonio is obsessed with the American Dream, a home of their own, a Cadillac in the driveway and their own restaurant to make them rich.  Castellani takes us on a journey with them and their family and neighbors. He has a way of moving a story forward through flashbacks that is enjoyable and very readable.

4 stars (Rated PG – nothing too objectionable)