What is Stromboli?

Stromboli is an island north of Sicily. Tembi first travels there as a young woman on her exchange trip, but she later returns with Zoela during the first summer after Saro's death. This trip is a big step for her to take as a single parent traveling alone, and it represents her desire to show Zoela the world and teach her that they can still find moments of joy in the midst of their grief. Stromboli is also the location of an active volcano and the citizens of the island live in its shadow. This becomes symbolic of the impermanence of life and that Tembi, like the residents of Stromboli, must learn to live with this impermanence.