Aurora Tamigio, Il cognome delle donne [The Surname of Women], Feltrinelli 2024
found this family story, which won the Bancarella Prize, particularly interesting. In it, while the men may seem to have the loudest voice, it is the women who hold the reins. At the origin is Rosa, who, born in early 20th century Sicily, refuses to bend even to the beatings from her father and brothers. As soon as she has the chance, she escapes from home with her future husband. Her daughter Selma, delicate yet inexperienced in life, marries a beautiful but violent man who mistreats her and their daughters: Patrizia, the rebellious spirit; Lavinia, beautiful and a lover of cinema; and Marinella, young during the 1980s. Their stories intertwine with others as events unfold, ranging from women’s suffrage in the post-war period to the arrival of washing machines, cinema, women’s education, the 1982 World Cup, and the death of General Dalla Chiesa. The thread that connects the novel is the female legacy, made up of skills, customs, thoughts, and also simple, material things like the old Singer sewing machine. At the heart of the narrative is the essence of being a woman—strong or weak, bold or austere—capable of fighting without shouting and, above all, of adapting to the new without betraying one’s roots.
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