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Sheltering from the war in her remote hometown, Giulia is immediately drawn to a couple in a similar situation: graceful, spontaneous Ada and her husband Paolo, a sickly teacher and partisan in hiding. When Giulia's husband Stefano joins them from Turin, the two couples form an intense bond; as the Germans begin to occupy Italy, a subtle dance of attractions develops, intensified by their shared isolation and the muffled hum of threat over a long, hard winter.
About the author
Lalla Romano (1906-2001) was an Italian novelist, poet, translator and visual artist. Initially more active as a painter, from the 1940s Romano turned increasingly to writing, publishing her first poetry collection in 1941. During the Second World War she returned to her home province of Cuneo and became involved with the partisans. Her first novel, Maria, was published in 1953, and she went on to become one of Italy's most renowned writers, earning the Pavese Prize and the Strega Prize before her death at the age of 94. Her novel A Silence Shared, in Brian Robert Moore's translation, is also available from Pushkin Press.
Brian Robert Moore has translated works by acclaimed Italian authors such as Michele Mari, Lalla Romano and Goliarda Sapienza. For his translations, he has received the O. Henry Prize and two PEN Translates Awards, among other honours. His translation of Lalla Romano's A Silence Shared was runner-up for the 2024 John Florio Prize and shortlisted for the 2023 Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.
Brian Robert Moore has translated works by acclaimed Italian authors such as Michele Mari, Lalla Romano and Goliarda Sapienza. For his translations, he has received the O. Henry Prize and two PEN Translates Awards, among other honours. His translation of Lalla Romano's A Silence Shared was runner-up for the 2024 John Florio Prize and shortlisted for the 2023 Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.
Summary
A diamond-sharp, Italian classic about the mysterious relationships between two partisan couples in German-occupied Italy in the wintry mountains of Piemonte.
