Magnifico

Kristin Butcher writes novels for young adults. Her most recent works
are The Trouble with Liberty, Zee’s Way, and Chat Room.

It is 1939 in Vancouver, and 11-year-old Mariangela Benetti, eldest
daughter of Italian immigrant parents, desperately longs for a piano.
What she ends up with is her dead grandfather’s accordion. Needless to
say, she is less than thrilled, but she bites her tongue and reluctantly
embarks on an unwanted musical adventure. Each week she drags her red
wagon containing the accordion three blocks to her music lesson, past
the home of a bully who torments her with taunts and stones from his
slingshot—a situation Mariangela stoically tolerates and keeps to
herself.

Though she tries her best, Mariangela’s music lessons do not go well.
Her practising is torture for everyone. Even so, her mother arranges for
her to perform at a friend’s wedding, and the parish priest schedules
her to play at Easter mass. Considering Mariangela hasn’t mastered a
single song, this is a problem.

Victoria Miles has packed a lot into this book. She examines the
pre–World War II era, family dynamics, patriotism, Italian culture,
bullying, musicality, and problem-solving, weaving a couple of touching
back stories into the plot for good measure. Mariangela is a charming
little girl whose thoughts, feelings, and actions are so honest that the
reader can’t help but empathize with her situation. The other
characters are equally well-drawn, pulling the reader into their lives.
This is feel-good story that is amazingly simple, yet also deeply
complex. It reflects values we would all do well to embrace. Highly
recommended.