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Reviewed by C.R. Hurst for Readers' Favorite
The Memory of Salt by Angelo Nicola Giuliano is a lovely collection of thirteen short stories. Each story centers on a shared locale: Italy’s southern coast – Cilento, Maratea, Calabria, Sicily, Mondello Nubia, and Mazara del Vallo – where fishing traditions run deep. Also shared are the memories of its inhabitants, memories inspired by whatnots gathered by the sea tides on salty shores. Seven jars of salt. A child’s wristwatch. A doll. A ledger. A biscuit tin. A two-centuries-old chest. A canvas wallet. A small brass medallion. The author, a geologist by training, says he “learned from the rocks that matter preserves memories.” His words also preserve a culture haunted by the sea, inspiring tales that leave a lasting impression on the reader, though their meaning may well be elusive.
My two favorite stories in the collection are The Stranger and Cardillo. In The Stranger, a small village finds an injured man in a beached fishing boat “caught in a tangle of ropes too thick to be fishing lines.” The villagers hesitate to call for the doctor, fearing those who left him for dead might return. Nevertheless, a doctor is called, and the man is saved, and his dramatic backstory inspires the villagers to help him save his family. In Cardillo, a homeless man adopts a village and its children. One day, he goes missing but leaves behind a biscuit tin filled with mementos, causing much speculation (by the children, at least) about his fate, leading to an unexpected ending. Angelo Nicola Giuliano imbues all thirteen stories in The Memory of Salt with such wonderful detail and genuine sentiment that any thoughtful reader who enjoys short fiction is sure to love and to remember them.
