When I found myself thinking about this book weeks after I finished it, I knew that I had read a masterpiece. Beautifully written, passionate and insightful, this is the work of one of the finest unknown authors of the 20th century. Camon's intense narrative bears stunning similarities to the brilliant existential writings of Albert Camus, while the story reaches a desperate crescendo that leaves its stamp on the mind long after finishing the book. Camon's musings on death, his perspectives on Italy's waning peasant culture and his uncanny knack for painting landscapes and cultivating real emotions from the characters is the stuff of pure pathos and beauty. It is indeed a "memorial" of the author's mother, of whom he offers nostalgic, riveting remembrances. Everything from humorous accounts of her bland cooking to her daily struggle to keep a peasant family alive and stable exhibits the heroic and essential role of the mother in any family. Also, her elderly husband's determination to fight through the pain of his aged body and construct a magnificent Altar in tribute to his deceased wife is nothing short of saintly. This book has the rare ability to pierce readers' hearts, most of whom will undeniably come away from the book with a deeper,tenderer love of their families-if nothing more. From the first word to the last, there is no doubt that this is the voice of a master writer still waiting to be discovered by the world. With hope, that day will come.