The Star in my Eye 8. Ravello series

Any visit to Ravello is a pure delight, but to visit in the winter and at Christmas is a pure delight.

Angelo and Gianni and there foster son Sami, learn how to live together. We follow them as they struggle to adjust to parenthood.

Our other regulars feature as well. But we follow Marco "little mouse" as he has a difficult time.

You need to read this story to find out what happens, to Sami, Marco and the residents of Ravello.

Welcome to a return visit to Ravello, this time in the winter months around Christmas. I'm sure when you read you will agree that Ravello sounds as attractive and enticing as it does in the summer.

This story is centred around Angelo and Gianni who at short notice become foster parents to young Sami, an immigrant child from Africa. As is the case with many foster placements, not everything is plain sailing. This is not necessarily anyone's fault, it's just the way things are. Marco, one of our favourites from earlier in the series, also features and is having problems of his own. All of this is reflective of real life and makes for a good interesting read as you see the problems come to the surface. I'm not going to give anything away, I suggest you read and get as engrossed as I and others have. This is another recommended read from this author that is endorsed by myself and others.

A visit to Ravello is guaranteed to delight, even if the visit is in the cool of winter rather than the warmth of summer. The scraping of the cicadas, the perfume of the lemons and the vines resplendent with olives may all be missing, but there is still much to delight. The avenue of oleanders, the burst of winter sunshine and the comfort provided by pasta and wine make the trip worthwhile, even if only for a short time compared to those long languid evenings spent in the heat of summer.

Angelo and Gianni once again star as they did in the first book of the Ravello series. They are older now of course and have adult responsibilities, but continue to enchant and delight with their timeless appeal. Both have matured, but it is Angelo who appears to have grown the most, revealing a side of himself most attractive and rarely displayed. 

The scene inspiring the story title is one of many scenes of sheer beauty in which to rejoice, but for this reader at least, the most joyous scene during any of the ten chapters came as the final moments of the last chapter; the moment “life begins” for my favourite “little mouse” Marco. I weep as I write this review and mention this most "battle-scarred" of teens, whom I did not like at all when he was first introduced in a prior story. Such is the character development in a Carnarvon masterpiece, that a trip to Ravello would be unthinkable for me now without an encounter with Marco.

James’ writing is as one has come to expect, exceptional. He paints some of the most beautiful, emotional, challenging, haunting and devastating pictures to be witnessed, all with an economy of words which never ceases to amaze me.

And as a final appreciation, thank you @James Carnarvon for the inclusion of Alfredo and Ennio in this book. Although brief their appearances may be, they always charm and delight with their winning ways. Like the "little mouse" they add immeasurably to the joys of Ravello by their mere presence.

With this story we are given a chance to revisit Ravello, a place most of us think of as a home away from home, to catch up on some old friends as we watch them grow and struggle as we all do with life in general.

The Star In My Eye is an intriguing story of Angelo and Gianni as they foster young Sami, a young boy orphaned in terrible circumstances.

The Star In My Eye is a bittersweet tale of a little boy who struggles to fit in a confusing new environment.  It is also the tale of two loving men who try to be there for him.  Things don't always fit the way we want, and sometimes need to be rearranged for a better outcome.  Set in Ravello this is a wonderful story of many wonder people just trying to do what is right.  I recommend this story because it shows a different aspect of a wonderful village nestled in the hills of the Amalfi Coast.  A great addition to the Ravello tales.