Title: Chiara
Author: Sabri G. Bebawi
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781537554990
Genre: Fiction / Drama / Romance
Pages: 359
Reviewed by: Gillian Pemberton
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“Chiara” is a unique tale of a young woman who embarks on a journey of sexual and self-exploration in Rome. At 22 years old, Chiara Calione finds herself unsettled and discontented with her life in affluent Newport Beach in Southern California. She is described as being quite beautiful physically, as well as having an intangible quality of sensuality. By the way she is portrayed, Chiara radiates a raw sexuality even though she is still quite young. Men find it extremely difficult to resist her charms. Unsatisfied with living in the shadow of her conservative Republican parents, Chiara hopes to travel to Europe, to search for love and like-minded people. A trip to Rome, Italy is arranged, and Chiara’s story truly begins.
In Chiara, the author has created what many men might imagine to be the perfect woman. She is undeniably beautiful, inherently sexual, and also thoughtful and intelligent. However, though there is the possibility for a well-rounded, multi-layered, and relatable character, Chiara falls just short of that. She isn’t entirely flat, but she is simply two-sided. Chiara appears as either “sexy” Chiara or “philosophical” Chiara. Despite a slight lack of depth of character, Chiara’s journey offers some compelling soap opera like drama, interspersed with interesting musings on politics and life in general. What may appear on the surface to be simply erotica or erotic romance, the story actually contains a large amount of social and even cultural commentary. I particularly enjoyed the author’s opinions of American politics. Given the political climate of the United States at this very moment, it’s a very timely piece. Using his characters wisely, the author is able to make an argument for liberal politics and ideals.
A cast of secondary characters colors Chiara’s adventures in Rome. Sofia, her arguably nymphomaniac aunt and Rafi, her nephew and Chiara’s love interest, provide much of the amorous activities in the book. They serve well as catalysts for Chiara’s own sexual exploration. There are other intriguing characters, but few as compelling as Mr. Bentley, the man with a stutter. He has his own engaging backstory and he provides the opportunity for the author to bravely address topics of abuse. Through Chiara, he also tackles the extremely sensitive subject of sexual abuse. Though Chiara has a dramatic sexual and social adventure in Rome, and she interacts well with her supporting cast, there are times that the story feels disjointed. It’s as if it has a bit of an identity crisis. Much of the time it feels like erotica and other times a work of political commentary or philosophy. It is possible for those to exist in a single story, but it could be achieved in a more seamless fashion. But, despite a few flaws, it’s still an interesting great read.
With its combination of sensual sexuality, philosophy, and political and social commentary, “Chiara” offers readers an example of intelligent erotica.
