Filippo, Me and the Cherry Tree

Mafalda is 13 and has been blind since she was 10. Her best friend is the cheerfully rule-breaking Filippo, and she is accompanied everywhere by Ottimo Turcaret, her devoted cat. Mafalda is always looking on the bright side, thinking of things she can do both now and in the future despite her loss of sight. But other things are worrying her too: her father who has lost his job and is now in the depths of depression, refusing to leave his bed; and the horrible girl in school, Debbie, who seems very interested in Filippo . . . So now Mafalda has to start thinking what Filippo really means to her . . .

Then two new adults come into her life: Elsa, a homeless young woman, and Signor Nino, the elderly upstairs neighbour with an awful temper and a great passion for Charles Dickens. Little by little, Mafalda learns their stories, and how their lives had also been shaped by brave and difficult choices. A moving sequel to THE DISTANCE BETWEEN ME AND THE CHERRY TREE

About the Author :
Paola Peretti is Italian and lives in Verona. She studied Literature and Philosophy and graduated in Publishing and Journalism in 2011 with a thesis on gender discrimination in literature. She attended the Palomar School of creative writing in Rovigo. She has worked as a waitress, bartender, babysitter and teacher, also writing articles for the local newspaper.

Fifteen years ago she discovered she had a rare genetic illness called Stargardt Disease which causes progressive vision loss, and can cause eventual blindness.There is no cure to date. Paola's experience of living with loss of vision is the inspiration for her writing.

She currently teaches Italian to immigrant children from Senegal, Nigeria, China,Romania, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Moldova and Russia.

Review :

Full of beautifully rich description and insight, Filippo, Me and the Cherry Tree tells the story of Mafalda navigating life as a visually impaired teenager. Like most young people, friendships are everything to her. When mean girl teasing pushes her best friend Filippo away, Mafalda is challenged to hold on to her positive outlook. With the help of new friends, she learns to be brave and honest about what she really wants.
This lovely story bridges the Teen gap between Middle Grade and Young Adult. Relationships become more complicated, friendships turn into something more and choices become all that more difficult.

Filippo, Me and the Cherry Tree is a translated novel about a young girl, Mafalda, who throughout the story is navigating a number of difficult issues life can throw at us. The reader meets Mafalda at age 13 and a half and her precious cat Otimmo Turcaret. She has lost her sight, she is coping with the loss of a dear friend, she is attempting to understand the complexities that arise with pubescent friendships, her father is locked in a crippling state of depression and, if that was not enough, she is falling in love with her best friend, Filippo.
There are a number of themes throughout the book. The first is that of sight. The attention to sensory description is prevalent throughout the story highlighting the enhanced use of her other senses now Mafalda's sight has gone.
'...the sun streams in from the balcony and warms my face, and I can hear the sound of my school across the road. Kids are already beginning to gather outside the gate and the hum they're making sounds like lightning crackling'.
Following the theme of loss of sight, is the world of darkness both literally and metaphorically. Mafalda's existence in darkness is mirrored by the dark world of depression in which her dad finds himself. 'I usually imagine words of hope, or just nice words in general, to be the colour blue. Dad's words have no colour'. Mafalda has a warm, caring character which makes for a considerate protagonist. Throughout the book, she seeks ways to support her dad through this tricky time. Anyone who has supported a loved one through depression can relate to her plight. The concern and support she shows throughout the story for the well-being of her father are further gifted to two other lonely characters in the book. Mr Rossi, the aged actor who lives upstairs and mentors Mafalda through her literature studies, and Elsa, the nomadic, rebellious, free-spirited hippy lady Mafalda befriends after encountering her market stall.
This theme of friendship is prevalent. The complexities of friendships and relationships are woven throughout the story with Fillipo, Mafalda's loyal lifelong friend, Estella, her Romanian friend and the cherry tree, the symbol of safety and escape for Mafalda. The reader also observes Mafalda deal with Debbie, a more difficult character and classmate.
The book is beautifully written. It is organised into chapters each with its own heading and all beginning with a recording of Mafalda's audio journal. The simplicity of the language and structure serves the unravelling of the very complex themes. There is so much to explore and escape into with this book. A definite for the Upper Key Stage Two reading corner and school library.