Book review: Kiss Carlo

WITH a title like Kiss Carlo, you’d expect that the story is all about the chap. Although the story begins and ends with him, and he does play a pivotal role in the scheme of things, the hero of this book is actually one Nicky Castone.
Wait. That’s not quite right either. The real hero here is hope, friendship, loyalty, love, and the power of family – Italian style.
Nicky grew up in a large and boisterous family in Philadelphia, adopted into his uncle Dom’s and aunt Jo’s embrace after being orphaned as a child.
He is loved, has a steady job driving a taxi in the family business, which also runs a telegraph service, and has a fiancee of seven years waiting for him to pop the question. And he’s ready.
But just when preparations for the wedding are under way, Nicky gets bitten by the stage bug.
He has been moonlighting at the local Shakespearean theatre company as a prompter and odd jobs man, but a chance to be actually on stage changes his perceptions – and his life.
With the arrival of an urgent telegram that needs immediate delivery, Nicky upends everything and sets off on a new chapter of his life.
Along the way, there are long-buried secrets to be revealed, mistaken identities to be unmasked, scores to settle, broken hearts to be mended, and true love to be discovered.
There is a world of characters in this book, but there is never any confusion. Events flow along smoothly and the situations are at times humorous, and at others, heartbreaking.
Overall, Kiss Carlo is just a mesmerising read.