20190406163605_IMG_0720.JPGToday I am thrilled to bring you a review of The Wild Boy by Paolo Cognetti, available on July 2, 2019 from Atria Books! A huge thank you to Atria for the invitation to review this special book!

I read and reviewed Cognetti’s The Eight Mountains last year just before I set-up my blog. The book actually played a part in my deciding to start a blog because I loved The Eight Mountains and wanted to share it everywhere I could! So, this year, I get to share The Wild Boy on my very own blog.

My Thoughts:

If you’ve read The Eight Mountains, and I hope you have, then you know Paolo Cognetti is well-traveled and able to put pen to paper in describing the lush destinations, specifically the mountains deep inside Italy. 

In The Wild Boy, Cognetti writes about his trip into the Italian Alps, somewhat reminiscent of The Eight Mountains, but instead this is his story completely. 

Cognetti travels to the Alps when he is in pain and seeking comfort. The city life is no longer comfortable, and in fact, it’s overwhelming him. He has not been to this location, Valle d’Aosta, in over ten years. There he finds the simple life he seeks and forms close friendships with his neighbors. 

Just as in The Eight Mountains, the rich and rustic landscape is brought to life with lyrical prose, and the emotions of his words seep off the pages. Cognetti is a brilliant writer, and even in this slim memoir, at less than two-hundred pages, he captures the strength and vitality of spirit, as well as the connection humans have to nature. I’m ready for Cognett’s next book and another return to the majestic Alps! 

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. 

About the Book:

A young man escapes his painful past by retreating to the rustic comfort of the Italian Alps in this gorgeously wrought memoir from the internationally bestselling author of the “exquisite” (Annie Proulx) novel The Eight Mountains.

When life in the city becomes too overwhelming for Paolo, he decides to take refuge high in the Italian mountains. Returning to the breathtaking Valle d’Aosta—known for its snowcapped mountain peaks—after a decade’s absence, he rediscovers a simpler life and develops deep human connections with two neighbors. In this stunning landscape, he begins to take stock of his life and consider what he truly values.

With lyrical and evocative prose, The Wild Boy is a testament to the power of the natural world, the necessity of an ever-questioning mind, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Have you read The Wild Boy or The Eight Mountains, or are they on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR