Belladonna
Author: Anbara Salam
Published by: Penguin
Pages: 342
Format: Paperback
My Rating ★★
Published by: Penguin
Pages: 342
Format: Paperback
My Rating ★★
It is summer, 1956, when fifteen-year-old Bridget first meets Isabella. In their conservative Connecticut town, Isabella is a breath of fresh air. She is worldly, alluring and brazen: an enigma.
When they receive an offer to study at the Academy in Italy, Bridget is thrilled. This is her ticket to Europe and - better still - a chance to spend nine whole months with her glamorous and unpredictable best friend.
There, lodged in a convent of nuns who have taken a vow of silence, the two girls move towards a passionate but fragile intimacy. As the year rolls on, Bridget grows increasingly fearful that she will lose Isabella's affections - and the more desperate she gets, the greater the lengths she will go to keep her.
When they receive an offer to study at the Academy in Italy, Bridget is thrilled. This is her ticket to Europe and - better still - a chance to spend nine whole months with her glamorous and unpredictable best friend.
There, lodged in a convent of nuns who have taken a vow of silence, the two girls move towards a passionate but fragile intimacy. As the year rolls on, Bridget grows increasingly fearful that she will lose Isabella's affections - and the more desperate she gets, the greater the lengths she will go to keep her.
My thoughts:
It is the late 1950s in Connecticut and Bridget is the younger daughter of two girls born to a white father and an Egyptian mother. She feels like she is the outsider in her small Catholic School because of her mother and her older sister's mysterious illness. Bridget is absolutely fascinated by her classmate, Isabella, and can always be found lingering at the edge of social circles, hoping that Isabella will be her friend.
After high school, Bridget and Isabella are both chosen to attend a prestigious art history school in Northern Italy. Bridget loves that she can pretend to be whoever she wants while away at school. And Isabella seems to be willing to play along with Bridget as she reinvents herself. Here the roles are reversed, and Bridget thrives, all the while keeping her family life hidden by lies to avoid having to explain. Isabella is wild and carefree, and Bridget is very self-centred, only ever thinking of herself, including lying about her sick sister.
Bridget is a complex and delusional anti-heroine, and her narration throughout the story offers a unique take on the experience of jealousy, betrayal and an unhealthy exploration of emotions between friendship, love and obsession. The book also explores themes of secret infatuation and racial prejudice.
I mostly enjoyed Anbara Salam’s writing in this coming-of-age novel, and felt the Italian setting came to life beautifully through her ability to transport the reader into another world – first to a 1950’s Connecticut high school, and then to the Italian Convent, where most of the book takes place.
However, I did find myself a little frustrated when certain scenes seemed to be really lacking in information or detail. Shocking things happen to Bridget, yet they seem to be passed over with little feeling or passion. I was disappointed by the clear lack of development with Isabella and some of the other supporting characters.
There is an underlying sense of unease and suspense through much of the book, but this never seems to amount to anything and ultimately the tension fades away and it loses its mystery. I couldn't get past the opportunities Anbara Salam passed up to make this more compelling. Honestly, Belladonna had so much potential and is based around an intriguing idea, but it all seemed very surface to me when I had hoped for much more depth and development.
All in all, what began as an atmospheric and intriguing novel ultimately failed to fulfil. Not bad for a short summer read, but also surprisingly bland.
Overall reaction:
It is the late 1950s in Connecticut and Bridget is the younger daughter of two girls born to a white father and an Egyptian mother. She feels like she is the outsider in her small Catholic School because of her mother and her older sister's mysterious illness. Bridget is absolutely fascinated by her classmate, Isabella, and can always be found lingering at the edge of social circles, hoping that Isabella will be her friend.
After high school, Bridget and Isabella are both chosen to attend a prestigious art history school in Northern Italy. Bridget loves that she can pretend to be whoever she wants while away at school. And Isabella seems to be willing to play along with Bridget as she reinvents herself. Here the roles are reversed, and Bridget thrives, all the while keeping her family life hidden by lies to avoid having to explain. Isabella is wild and carefree, and Bridget is very self-centred, only ever thinking of herself, including lying about her sick sister.
Bridget is a complex and delusional anti-heroine, and her narration throughout the story offers a unique take on the experience of jealousy, betrayal and an unhealthy exploration of emotions between friendship, love and obsession. The book also explores themes of secret infatuation and racial prejudice.
I mostly enjoyed Anbara Salam’s writing in this coming-of-age novel, and felt the Italian setting came to life beautifully through her ability to transport the reader into another world – first to a 1950’s Connecticut high school, and then to the Italian Convent, where most of the book takes place.
However, I did find myself a little frustrated when certain scenes seemed to be really lacking in information or detail. Shocking things happen to Bridget, yet they seem to be passed over with little feeling or passion. I was disappointed by the clear lack of development with Isabella and some of the other supporting characters.
There is an underlying sense of unease and suspense through much of the book, but this never seems to amount to anything and ultimately the tension fades away and it loses its mystery. I couldn't get past the opportunities Anbara Salam passed up to make this more compelling. Honestly, Belladonna had so much potential and is based around an intriguing idea, but it all seemed very surface to me when I had hoped for much more depth and development.
All in all, what began as an atmospheric and intriguing novel ultimately failed to fulfil. Not bad for a short summer read, but also surprisingly bland.
Overall reaction: