Nymph by Sofia Montrone
Sofia Montrone’s debut novel, Nymph, is a coming of age story that will sweep you away into the Italian countryside. Split into two parts, Nymph takes us on Leo’s journey as she grows from girl to woman.
Summer Innocence and Family Legends
Part one introduces the reader to a 10-year-old Leo whose family on her mother’s side has owned a hotel in Italy for generations. She spends the summers working and playing alongside her younger brother, father, grandmother, and mother. This book strikes the same balance of the old and new worlds as Call Me By Your Name, which is a sincere compliment. I couldn’t help but compare Leo to Elio. For those of us who’ve been chasing that feeling, you won’t be disappointed by Nymph.
Speaking of film references, there is something so very Vada Sultenfuss from My Girl about Leo at 10. Leo is willful and smart with boundless energy. While she is a child on the brink of maturity, having small adventures with her brother that feel much grander in a child’s mind, I could picture Vada and Thomas J. playing outside in between daily chores.
This world may not seem relatable for most. After all, how many readers can say they spent summers at their family’s Italian hotel? But then the writing describes the moment a father gives their child their first taste of alcohol, and it’s disgusting. That’s what I loved about Part One—familiar childhood experiences were painted with the stunning Italian backdrop. I’ve never been there, but I could put myself in Leo’s shoes.
Her father told stories of Odysseus inadvertently drawing parallels to his own time spent away from Leo and her brother. For months he would attend writers’ retreats and always come home the hero for the kids. He has an abundance of knowledge but always comes back to Odyssey.
After an accident shocks the family, Leo is no longer able to pretend she doesn’t see the parallels in Odysseus’s journey and her own life.
First Love and Self-Discovery
Part two welcomes us with an 18-year-old Leo meeting Dolores on the steps of the family hotel. Getting to know this American girl staying in her village for the summer changes everything for Leo.
Leo seems to be in a constant state of existential dread, overthinking and analyzing everything the summer before she leaves for college. Much like her father, she has a story or question for everyone and everything and an obsession with Homer. While her dad always came back to the Odyssey, Leo’s interest seems singularly focused on the copy of the Iliad she found on his shelf.
I got the distinct feeling that it must be exhausting living in her mind—never able to be fully present. Through Dolores, Leo gains a deeper understanding of herself, but questions never stop.
As much as it’s a story about Leo’s sexuality and coming into her own, it’s also a story about grief—the delineation of before and after someone passes away. Some people thrive while others never move on. Who inherits what traits from a parent whether they want to or not. Reading about how Leo, her grandmother, mother, and brother handle these losses left me no choice but to reflect on what loss has meant in my own life.
The writing was quite skillful for any author, but for a debut novel I was impressed with the way Montrone weaved the story into Leo’s everyday life at the hotel, the Odyssey, and the strangers who come and go throughout the Italian summer.
About Sofia Montrone:
Sofia Montrone is as an adjunct assistant professor in Columbia’s undergraduate writing program, and formerly served as editor-in-chief of The Columbia Review and the director of Columbia Artist/Teachers. Her short fiction and criticism have appeared in The Columbia Review, Quarto, and Adroit. She holds an MFA from Columbia University. Nymph is her first novel.
