Almost everyone who has commented on Keeping Faith has mentioned loving Carmella, which is really no surprise to me. Don’t you just want to be her friend and share a glass of wine? After all, she only serves the good stuff!
She is truly special, and I can’t really explain how or why she became who she is. I have never known anyone quite like the character I created, but once I started describing her she simply grew bigger than life. If I could develop a host of characters with the same success, I know I would be full of books and captivating characters. Everything about her just jelled, and as I sat figuratively on the plane along side of her, watching she and Patrick, I couldn’t stop listening to her talk. She evolved and just kept becoming this great character, as did all those around her, as well as the setting that is so perfect for her.
Italy is a great place from which to draw a character, which may have made it easier. Tuscany and the surrounding regions are some of the prettiest, soothing environments I have ever visited. But Carmella adds vibrancy and even more beauty, not only in her presence, but from within.
She was just what Patrick needed on his long first flight to a foreign place. After all, it was the start of a long journey to find himself, and she was there at the beginning as well as along the way. She was generous and kind and understanding. Perhaps we like her not just because she is fun, vivacious and full of life, but because she is a true friend. That’s a character we can all aspire to be.