Instruct: Classify an Amazon review as either positive or negative.
Query: A fascinating picture of life, its struggles,and its history

Maristella De Panizza Lorch's fictionalized account of her mother's struggles, realizations, learning and deep loves as a child and young adult growing up in an alpine valley of what is now northern Italy, is captivatingly written. A personal story of extraordinary charm, it is also an account of trial and courage that can inspire and evoke the imagination of any reader in any era. Each character in this book has its unusual strength, each character carries life bravely and with humor. What a wonderful story! In addition, the book tells the fascinating story of a village trapped by the territorial ambitions of national powers vying for control of Europe during the first world war. This book is a must read, both because it will touch your heart and because it will feed your hunger for cultural understanding.