Nymph by Sofia Montrone
An idyllic childhood is shattered in Sofia Montrone's languid, queered coming-of-age tale set in the Italian mountains
Set in the picturesque Italian mountains, Nymph is an exploration of love, family and growing up. A novel of two parts, the story opens with protagonist Leo’s childhood in a remote Italian hotel and her relationship with her father. In this hotel, the world is shrouded in an eternal summer; the World Cup is always playing, a constant stream of guests are coming and going, and Leo’s life is suspended in a perpetual liminality. Her childhood is filled with the accumulated detritus of hotel guests and her father’s stories of Odysseus told in a twilight summer haze beside the pool.
But when tragedy cleaves her life in two, the novel moves forward in time to explore Leo’s early teens. The arrival of Dolores at the hotel brings excitement, desire, and the sharp taste of young love. While at times leaning towards overly philosophical, the conversations Montrone crafts between Leo and Dolores create a poignant image of first love that exudes a raw relatability.
One of the most striking features of Nymph is the setting. Montrone’s descriptive prose and attention to detail plunge the reader into the languid, summer-drenched world of the quaint Italian hotel, making this the perfect summer read. Nymph is a novel for those who love a poignant coming-of-age narrative that grapples with both the grief and joys that exist within the mundanity of everyday life.
