The Italy Letters

Nao’s (War Is Not My Mother) latest is a story about queer desire and isolation, as told through unsent letters from a writer caring for her ailing mother to her married friend. The two primarily communicate through online correspondence, as well as handwritten letters, sharing their professional ups and downs. Although the unnamed narrator typically finds connection in their conversations, she also finds herself alternately lusting after her friend and unable to pursue relationships with anyone. Meanwhile, the narrator attempts to bring comfort to her suicidal mother as she herself deals with her own mental health and poverty. Nao’s writing is beautiful and evocative, and the aching loneliness that the narrator feels is conveyed quite well. But the story is told in large chunks of text with little context to ground her experiences, which some readers may find confusing, and an unresolved narrative.