""This is a book that realizes the full implications of what it means to love."
–
World Literature Today "There are few Italian novels that so successfully and surprisingly combine broad themes like local and national history, or the relationship between the north and the south, together with the personal dramas linked to family, love, ambition. This is an epic novel!"
–Solo Libri "A powerful lyrical fresco in which personal and public histories are intertwined."
–Paola Contardi, jury of
Elle's Best Novel Prize
"This is a rich, intimate, and powerful story that is carried along by characters who are depicted in all their profundity and humanity."
–Arianna Rita Di Tomasso, jury of
Elle's Best Novel Prize
"Gerda's story is a fascinating look at the political and cultural transformations within Alto Adige...Melandri captures the tension, loss, and patriotism of this region splendidly.
"
–Historical Novel Society