THE ANGEL OF ROME

Narrator Edoardo Ballerini makes Rome blossom in this coming-of-age novella by Jess Walter (BEAUTIFUL RUINS) and Ballerini. It is 1993, and Jack Rigel, a diffident college student from Nebraska, wins a scholarship to study Latin at the Vatican. Italy overwhelms him at first--his linguistic knowledge is subpar, and he has no money. One day, a dejected Jack (perfectly emoted by Ballerini) blunders into a movie set on the streets of Trastevere and meets two erstwhile stars: an American TV detective and a beautiful Roman actress (aka the "Angel of Rome"). Ballerini deftly intertwines the bravado, beauty, and kindness of these characters with Jack's innocence, but his gift to the listener is his poignant portrayal of the present-day Jack--middle-aged, self-actualized, and forever grateful for the redemptive friendships forged in Rome. E.S.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2021]