I don’t remember where I first heard about The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna, so it was one I knew next to nothing about before I started reading it. A 464-page library hardcover, it was pretty hefty to lug around, but I’m happy to get a little extra exercise (or potential backaches) for a good read.
Stella Fortuna grew up in Italy but moved with her family to the US as a young adult. This is the story of the seven (or eight) times she nearly lost her life. I liked the way the near-death experiences wove the story together, but not in a completely linear way. I liked the subtle ebb and flow of time.
I wasn’t engrossed immediately; Stella’s story took me a bit to get into (after about a third of the book if I had to guess). Don’t pick this up if you like fast-paced, plot-driven novels. However, if you love a family saga that focuses on the ups and downs of one person’s life–a life that can’t quite be called extraordinary, yet is far from boring, this may be for you.
For a completely different take on a similar theme of a life told in nearly-fatal experiences, try I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O’Farrell. It’s a memoir, and much shorter–only offering a glimpse into her life–but a great read nonetheless.
The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna: A Novel
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