Last Voyage of the Valentina

Last Voyage of the Valentina by Santa Montefiore   416 pages

I first learned of English author Santa Montefiore by reading the Royal Rabbits of London series that she co-authors with her husband.  I wanted to read one that was entirely hers, so I chose Last Voyage of the Valentina, mainly because half of the story takes place on Italy’s Amalfi Coast.

 The story focuses on Alba who lives in the London suburb of Chelsea on a houseboat named the Valentina, named after her deceased mother. Alba is one of the unhappiest characters that I have come across in recent memory. She hates to be alone, which explains why she has a steady stream of fellows going in and out of her boat each and every night.

Alba is basically a slob, but one day when she peers under her bed and finds a rolled up piece of paper wedged between the slats. It’s one of the three portraits her father drew of her mother before she died. She takes the portrait to her father’s home, hoping this might ease the chasm between them.  It also stirs something deep inside Alba….the need to find her mother’s family.

The novel weaves back and forth between 1945 Italy when her parents met and courted to 1971 London, Alba’s time.

The story is a rather predictable and I didn’t get as much Amalfi Coast scenery as I would have liked.  Therefore, Last Voyage of the Valentina receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.