If you could go anywhere by Paige Toon

Angie has wanderlust at heart but due to personal circumstances she has lived all her life in Coober Pedy, an opal mining small town in the Australian outback. When the circumstances change, she is not only free to see the world but also learns about her father and his extended family. What does she find about the other side of her family tree and how does the charming Alessandro fit in?

As Angie is plunged into a new family she didn't know she had, there is plenty of warmth but tensions build and histories are unravelled. This book builds emotions slowly but strongly. I found it quite intense, though nearly 60% into the book, I was not really sure where the plot was heading. 

I am still not convinced of one thing though. Can there really be someone like Angie? It would be very hard to survive in this harsh world when someone is all heart and has room to love infinite number of people across the world. 

After Dan Brown's epic novels based in Italy, it is very hard for another author to bring the famous Italian cities to life with words. However Brown showcased these cities from an art historian's perspective, Paige Toon has painted a picture from a tourist's perspective. This book also goes beyond Italy to Pulpit Rock and more mountains in Norway. Through this book, I vicariously experienced travelling in a camper van across Europe. 

I would recommend this book to you to enjoy Italy, Australia and Norway along with Angie. Or you could read it just for her. This character is rather special and rare, she is not at all broken but is generous and always has room to solve someone else's problems.