Rosa, Sola

Carmela A. Martino

Candlewick Press

January 2006 $24.95

244p hc

ISBN: 0-7636-2395-4

Rosa Sola is a heart-warming story about growing up and the love that we have for our family. Sola is the Italian word for alone which is exactly how Rosa Bernardi feels after holding her best friend’s baby brother.

Rosa, who lives with her Italian parents in 1960’s California believes that as long as she prays hard enough, God will grant her wish for her mother to have a baby boy and she would no longer be sola. When her mum does become pregnant, Rosa feels that nothing in the world could go wrong. She has no idea what trouble will be ahead for her and her family. In the weeks leading up to her mum’s due date, Rosa was on top of the world, but when her mother actually goes into a rough labour Rosa feels all of it is her fault. When she hears that her baby brother was still born and her mother suffers severe depression, she gives up praying, church and even God all together. She believes she prayed for something good, but God granted it in a bad way. But after a bit of soul-searching and a real heart-to-heart with her grandmother, Ida, Rosa feels ready to rebuild her family.

This is a really touching story that I found interesting and thought-provoking. It is Carmila’s first novel and apparently is based on some of her life experiences. It probably wont appeal to everyone and is for mature readers that don’t need lots of action and soap-opera in their books.

Elaine, aged 14, Canberra, ACT