In Early One Morning, Virginia Baily explores absorbing themes of belonging, identity and loss, with a deft hand and a gentle wit.
I found that the novel had just the right amounts of fascinating history, compelling settings and poignant humanity to keep me firmly gripped.
Protagonist and chief narrator Chiara Ravello carries the story between a grim past in Nazi-occupied Italy and her isolated present. We discover that her most heroic act as a young woman took place when, early one morning, she claimed a young Jewish boy as her own to prevent him from being taken to a concentration camp with his family. The powerful love that she develops for the boy, Daniele, leaves her deeply wounded when he progresses from a troubled childhood into an adulthood rife with drugs and debt, then vanishes.
These haunting threads of past and present are pulled together rather uncomfortably for Chiara when she receives a phone call from a British schoolgirl, Maria, who has discovered that Daniele is her father.
The interactions between Chiara and Maria as the novel progresses are charming, and the story really gathers momentum when we are given the chance to see Rome – and Chiara – through Maria’s wry young eyes when she finally travels to Italy.
Baily’ s writing has a rare depth that lends it impact and import; she is clearly fond of and understands the characters that she has so adeptly created.
While much of the novel is set against the backdrop of World War II, this is not merely a war story, but rather speaks to timeless ideas of identity, familial love, and loss.
Early One Morning teaches us the profound consequences that single moments of human interaction can have; and I challenge you not to cry happy tears at the end.