Because of its uniqueness, Children of Violence by Luke Gherardi was quite a surprise that kept me thinking about its contents, characters, and style for days after I finished reading it. How did this author tap so deeply into my emotions in only 138 pages?...

Cole witnessed a traumatic event as a boy. Only he and a girl called Maria managed to survive the massacre. The event leaves Cole orphaned and in the care of his aunt and uncle. At his father’s funeral, the man only ever called the Boss,...