‘The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia’ by Juliet Grames. Knopf, 416 pages, $29 People disappear, during war, in crimes, from accidents, even by choice. Juliet Grames explores how each disappearance comes with secrets in her sophisticated second novel, “The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia.
” Set during 1960 in a remote Italian village, “The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia” looks at old-fashioned ways thrust into a modern world, small-town life, politics and the lingering influence of WWII. At the center is a young woman trying to find her way on her own. Francesca Loftfield, a 27-year-old American, is as lost as that mysterious boy.
Francesca has come to Santa Chionia, “nestled in the remote heart of the Aspromonte massif in Southern Calabria” to establish a nursery school. The idealistic Philadelphian believes the school not only will educate the youngsters but also their parents in matters of hygiene and nutrition to reduce the child mortality rate. She wants to save “one needy child at a time.
” This isolated mountain village with its sheer cliffs hasn’t quite been able to embrace the 20th century. The village was ignored by the government after WWII, and a cholera epidemic wiped out a quarter of the residents. There is no running water, electricity, nor a proper road — getting there is quite arduous, as part of the journey must be done on foot.
None of this deters Francesca, who believes she can make a difference. Soon after Francesca arrives, the post office is swept a.