Subject
Sardinia (Italy) -- Social life and customs -- Fiction Books
Best books
Grazia Deledda
Cenizas
"Cenizas" by Grazia Deledda is a novel published in 1903-1904. In the Sardinian countryside, fifteen-year-old Rosalia falls for Anania, a dreamer who turns out to be married. When her father discovers her pregnancy, he casts her out. Years later, she leaves her young son at his father's door and disappears. The boy grows up with opportunities for education and love, but his illegitimate birth haunts him. As he searches for his mother to restore her honor, he risks losing everything he's built.
Grazia Deledda
Ashes (Cenere): A Sardinian Story
"Ashes (Cenere): A Sardinian Story" by Grazia Deledda is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story is set in Sardinia and explores themes of love, betrayal, and social constraints through the eyes of a young girl named Olì. At the heart of the narrative is Olì's passionate relationship with a farm-laborer named Anania, complicated by his deception regarding his marital status, leading to significant turmoil in her life. The opening of the novel introduces us to Olì on Midsummer Eve, as she collects flowers for a ritual to bind love. At just fifteen, she is depicted as a beautiful, exotic girl, caught in the thrill of young love with Anania, a charming yet dishonest young man. The narrative hints at the development of their secret and intense romance, which carries with it the weight of societal judgment and familial expectations. Olì's father, aware of the budding relationship, harshly warns her about Anania's true identity, foreshadowing the chaos that will ensue in Olì's life as she grapples with love, abandonment, and the yearning for a better future. The vivid descriptions of the Sardinian landscape and the tension between tradition and desire set a poignant tone for this tale of youthful passion and the harsh realities of life.
Recently surfaced classics