Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Carla Caruso, HQ Fiction, $29.99.
Can the past influence your future by showing you the way home? There’s a wonderful aptness about this story. It doesn’t take long before you’re lifted up and land yourself in the midst of this fictional narrative. You feel a part of the story.
With her dreams of dominating Melbourne’s fashion scene in tatters, Nella Martini has returned to the last place she wants to be – Torrente Blu, the market garden inherited from her late nonna, Esta. She just needs to clean up the property, sell it quickly, and avoid run–ins with her neighbour: ill-mannered Adrian Tomaso.
However, things start to change when Nella comes across her nonna’s cookbook. The place, with its endless tomato plants and gallons of olive oil in storage, gets under her skin, as does Adrian with his passion for this life. Her dreams have always meant being anywhere but here.
Evenly interspersed with Nella’s story is that of Esta, who migrated with her family. After finding Esta’s cookbook, together with other items when cleaning up the house, the formal link between the two women is shared across time.
Searching for a better life than what was on offer in war-torn Italy, Esta Feliciano moves to Australia for a better life with her husband and daughter.
The story is engrossing, regaled by the characters. There’s the larger-than-life Fabiana, Nella’s good friend. Even Nella is genuine, always motivated to do the right thing. While the intent was there to do right, she didn’t always get it right. She’s determined to take charge of her life.
However, compassion wells up for the times she interacts with her neighbour Adrian, who is uncaring and indifferent to her.
The link between Nella and Esta is smooth. The generational gap between the two stories is not apparent. ‘Beneath their cultural differences, the countries of origin on their passports they were the same too. Women. Wives. Nurturers.’
Caruso offers a balance and true purpose to the story. The Right Place is kind-hearted, touching and realistic, with a dash of humour here and there. This is a worthy, ‘poignant story of food, heritage and homecoming.’
