Matteo Righetto’s Soul of the Border is like a song by a 70s prog-rock band that takes up an entire side of a vinyl record. It’s a slow and deliberate burn with moments of stark beauty, raw passion and a bit of filler that all works towards a fascinating experience. Set towards the end of the 19th century in Italy, the story follows Jole, the teenage daughter of Augusto, a hard-working tobacco farmer who disappears after setting off to smuggle tobacco across the border into Austria. What follows is a mix of Cormac McCarthy-esque brutalist writing with a coming-of-age story as Jole traces her father’s footsteps across the border to find answers and smuggle in a heap of tobacco. She dodges customs officers and border patrols, and experiences the sublime beauty of the countryside.

Soul of the Border has a lyrical, flowing quality to it, so descriptions of Jole’s gruelling journey and passages that could be boring (such as describing the process of farming and preparing tobacco leaves) are utterly absorbing.

Occasionally the dialogue feels clunky and weirdly clinical, so the great immersion the book builds so well gets quashed somewhat. Granted, it could be due to the translation from Italian and there isn’t a heap of dialogue, so it’s not a deal-breaker.

If you want a slow-paced read that luxuriates in atmosphere and tension with a diluted sense of Cormac McCarthy’s overwhelmingly depressing vibe, Soul of the Border is definitely worth checking out.

Reviewed by Max Lewis