The older sisters came in and out of focus, but much of the attention was paid to Fran – a pyromaniac who loved to watch houses and shops burn down. Dol’s mother was emotionally unstable, forced to look the other way at her husband’s indiscretions. Dol’s father was a gambling, two-timing, disloyal man who would do anything (including “selling” one of his daughters) to get ahead. The rest of the family was interesting, but they were heart-breaking characters. Most of her older sisters tormented or ignored her, and her parents were too busy to give her much attention. At one month old, she was involved in a house fire that left her hand disfigured. In many families, the youngest are “babies,” Dol never was coddled or overly adored. Dol’s father was a Maltese immigrant who settled in Wales after World War II. The Hiding Place was narrated by Dolores (Dol), the youngest of six daughters. It’s meant to be digested slowly and in parts, so that each chapter wields its literary punch in slow succession. For sure, this book was not for the weak of heart. Trezza Azzopardi in her debut novel, The Hiding Place, took readers on a journey of heartbreak, family dysfunction and lost dreams.
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