Days of Glass

On the tenth of June 1924, the day the Italian politician Giacomo Matteotti was murdered by fascists, Redenta is born in Castrocaro. Rumours in the small town say that she is cursed with bad luck and will not even live to see the feast of Saint Roch. Redenta, partially paralysed by polio, is forced to find her place in a world full of cruelty, set in motion by the fascist dictatorship, the domination of men, and ubiquitous oppression. Brief moments of happiness are brought by her love for Bruno, a childhood friend who promises to marry her but then disappears without a word. Redenta is only noticed by a handsome fascist official who lost an eye in the fighting in Ethiopia. But Redenta has no idea what awaits her in his arms.

Meanwhile, in Tavolicci, a small village in the Apennines, Iris is growing up. During the war, she becomes a partisan in Diaz's group. She rejects violence and is madly in love with Diaz. However, when she discovers that the fascists have wiped out the whole of Tavolicci, including her family, she decides to take revenge.

An intense and courageous novel, Days of Glass is a story about our fragility and unyielding hope in the face of shameful history.

European Union Prize for Literature 2025

Premio Manzoni Prize for Best Historical Novel 2024

Translated into 25 languages