Mantua, 1918. On Armistice Day, two girls are born, just a few hours apart. Irene is the youngest of an old aristocratic family from the city. Dora seems destined to a life of poverty, but her unequalled beauty will give her access to a world she could never have imagined within her reach.

A powerful historical fresco about the desire for emancipation and compensation.

Mantua, 1918. On Armistice Day, two girls are born within a few hours of each other. Irene is the youngest child of the Cavriani counts, an old aristocratic family from the city. Dora is orphaned at birth, because her mother dies during labour and her father, a soldier who’s gone missing, will never come back home. The little girl lives with her grandmother in a run-down hut and leads a life of poverty and abuse until the age of seven. Every Sunday, the two girls meet on the parvis of the church of Sant’Andrea: one begs, the other gives her handouts. The years go by and as Fascism turns into a regime, two lives that seemed fated always to be divided by an insurmountable class difference meet again. Destiny, that leads Dora into the middle-class home of the Benedini family, where she is welcomed and given an education, has also bestowed on her large blue eyes and the body of a film star who makes heads turn. Among her admirers, there is the shy Eugenio, the son of the very wealthy Arrivabene family, as well as Irene’s brother-in-law. Defying the hostility of the families, Dora secretly becomes engaged to Eugenio, but the high society that unfolds before her has many surprises in store for her.

Set against the background of significant historical events, caught up in a whirl of beautiful clothes, parties and intrigue, Dora must learn to protect the peace of mind she’s struggled to achieve and, above all, obtain something she doesn’t yet have.

From their homes, twenty-six of the most prominent writers in the Italian landscape have given a meaning to these days by choosing to tackle this emergency also with the weapons of literature.

R. Armeni, S. Auci, A. Basso, B. Bellomo, G. Biondillo, C. Bonvicini, F. Bosco, M. Buticchi, C. Caboni, D. Carrisi, A. Dalton, G. Festa, A. Frontani, E. Galiano, A. Gazzola, E. Gnone, M. Gramellini, J. Lahiri, F. Noiville, C. Sánchez, G. Sundas, S. Truzzi, I. Tuti, H. Tuzzi, M. Vichi, A. Vitali.

Nowadays, fear has a new name: Covid-19. The only way to defeat it is to stay at home.  Within the four walls that have always shielded us but which have now become impassable boundaries.

They have become almost an enemy.

And yet, day after day, those who always work with words have discovered that rooms, windows, and even the remotest corners of their homes are wings to carry them out into the world. Every one of them has therefore chosen a way to give life to this magic.

From their homes, twenty-six of the most prominent writers in the Italian landscape have given a meaning to these days by choosing to tackle this emergency also with the weapons of literature.

So as to take their daily lives to the readers who love them.

And they decided to do this together with the publishing house Garzanti by donating all the proceeds to the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo.

Some decided to write about their days, their established routines, about novelties that make you smile. About the tears they cannot stop but also about the force of nature that dissolves the lump in your throat. About forced cohabitation, as well the distancing from people who are dear to you, that feels unbearable. Others write about neighbours who were once strangers but are no longer so, and work that has changed its tools but not its substance. Some admit their error in thinking that it could not all be true or else lend a voice to animals who, on the contrary, are glad this is all true. Others entrust their thoughts about these strange days to beloved characters they have created. Everyone is certain that we will emerge from this more aware of what is truly important, and we will meet, hug, and soon take walks all together. They are certain that solidarity will be the currency we will carry with us and no longer be able to do without.

They are all convinced that words, books and stories bring us together. They create invisible links that break all barriers. When we read we are never alone. And we are strong. And everything appears as it will be. Because all shall be well.

An unlikely friendship that will – against all odds – reignite the destinies of two women who are very different yet strangely complementary. An intense and moving first novel about discovering one’s feelings and joie de vivre.

English sample available

Margherita is 34, she is beautiful, rich and has a job that she loves, but she is absolutely incapable of overcoming the death of her beloved father and being suddenly abandoned by her fiancé. Anna is 76, she was born without a penny, was sold as a maid at the age of 9 and has spent her entire life with a petty man and a mean daughter. Yet Anna conveys extraordinary energy and joie de vivre. The secret for her light-heartedness is a sweetheart with whom she has been exchanging passionate letters for the past fifty years.
The two very distant worlds of Margherita and Anna converge in a hospital room that they have to share in the orthopedic ward. After a few stormy clashes and an impromptu trip through the cheerfulness and sweet scents of sunny and open- hearted Naples, a friendship is born that will unexpectedly pave the way to save both of them.