Resto qui Marco Balzano Review

At this steeple none passes by without stopping to take a few pictures. Not its simple architecture nor his age (almost seven centuries) leaves the tourists on the brakes kick, but its striking incomplete. Not far from the shores of Lake Reschen only its upper half protrudes with the simple pointed pyramid roof from the water. He lacks a foundation, a portal, his church. The water has also taken him his graveyard, the village, he was its center, the fields, pastures, forests and all the green valley that he towered , So he drives now lonely and abandoned on the giant water level, a picturesque and “depressing sight.

A showcase informs visitors what is going on with the whimsical building up.

Comprehensive and poignant as a showcase is capable, the Milan Author Marco Balzanodie described backgrounds that with the creation of the reservoir Venosta were connected. The cover picture shows the famous bell tower half, but the novel has a different focus.

“Resto qui” tells basically the history of South Tyrol, how she experienced painful the family of the narrator Trina. The tower without abdomen is about how an icon.

Trina’s birthplace, the farming village of Graun. Italian time nobody spoke in South Tyrol – it belonged until 1918 to Austria. Her father (Pa ‘) operates a carpentry shop in Reschen, the mother (Ma’) runs the farm. She is a edgy woman with simple views and quick judgment. Life is a struggle for her, for emotions and expediency kidney is there no place. Trina seems beaten to her annoyance out of the way, because the girl is reading obsessively, is inquisitive and thoughtful.

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The language that it believes is the most powerful tool for a woman “. Credevo che mi potessero salvare, le parole” To Ma’s chagrin she learns Italian, even infects her friends Maja and Barbara participate, so that they are all three even teachers.

The desire fulfilled differently than expected, because after the first World War, South Tyrol in Italy annexed. To Italianize the recalcitrant German-speaking province, the government in Rome promotes (in 1924 under Mussolini) industrialization of the cities, the immigration of Italian workers and officials from the South, the Italian enacted as an official language, translates all geographical designations, prohibits the German language. Of grays is Curon from Reschen Resia from the Adige the Adige, from the Vinschgau Val Venosta from Southtyrol. In schools, teachers now teach from the south, who do not understand the language of their students, and the children do not understand their teachers. South Tyroleans like Trina, Maja and Barbara have no problem getting a job opportunity.

Assimilated South Tyrol by this pressure will not. Continue speak German and arrange for their children secret German lessons. Although this abduction and detention threatens to Trina and her friends involved here – and pay a high price. On the day when Trina their revered for a long time Erich Hauser married, Barbara will be picked up by the Carabinieri.

South Tyrol fighting the Italianisation to goods not agree as 1939 brings the Hitler-Mussolini Agreement profound cleavage into the families inside. For every family must now decide whether to leave everything behind and stay in Germany to relocate ( “optants”) or their possession and thus accept the membership of Italy wants ( “sweep”).

No matter as the election fails, you have now on the other bitter enemies. While a large majority decided to emigrate, the option is for Erich, a strong, stubborn, rather taciturn man, out of the question, he would never give up his home. But his sister and her husband make one night secretly on the way “home to the Reich”. Trina’s and Eric’s daughter Marica to which they had looked after lovingly, when the two worked in the carpentry or in the yard, take them with you. The farewell without loss of her daughter never twists Trina. For them, she writes on the family history.

“sembrava che quassú la storia non arrivasse.” maybe you could still believe the days of the Austrians as a mountain of peace. But already in 1911 guessed the Vinschgauer that it is threatened not only by international politics, but also by technical progress native valley. Rumor has it the power of the Adige inflows should be used. After the war, the Italians develop plans to Reschensee dam up to five meters. But only in 1937 concrete projects in Attack on the population, however, left by an infamous information policy in the dark will be taken. After the start of construction work is piecemeal known in 1939 that the water level rose by 22 meters, thus flooding the whole valley and would be impossible for agriculture and livestock, for centuries livelihood of the people.

The ominous dam project swirls the great policy in the minds of the people. “I fascisti hanno tutto l’interest rovinarci a e a sparpagliarci per l’Italia.” Hitler’s Germany appears to many as a natural ally, as awaited savior of Italian repression. If South Tyrol would like German Austria, Hitler would have never take away his land to the people. Entry into the war of Italy in June 1940, brings a respite: “Almeno adesso la pianteranno con questa storia della diga … ora avranno altro a cui pensare.” The dam work rest. As the invading Germans after the fall of Mussolini in 1943, many cheering. But Trina and Erich ( “Non siamo nazisti né fascisti!”) Flee with deserters and guerrillas for more than a year into the icy mountains to escape the conscription.

After the war, many “optants” return disillusioned back, but live on their farms now Italians, and the former neighbors insult them as Nazis. The new Italian Republic relies on industrialization and threaded a deal one with Swiss investors, to the dam finally complete. The methods do not change. Those who do not promise to compensation gets involved (the payments will fail ridiculously low), relocated to shantytowns. Masses southern Italian workers arrive. In 1950, the dam is completed, all the houses – except the church tower of Graun / Curon – are torn down, the water level rises and rises

Surprisingly, the resistance to the dam only gains in strength, long as it. is late. For years Eric had warned his countrymen against the plans and the threat of loss of livelihood, appeals to their patriotism, asked engineers to task, meetings organized, distributed formulated by Trina leaflets and sent entries, but solidarity he could not make it. He is considered a troublemaker, the dam will already do no harm. “Quello che non vedono non esiste” says Erich about his lazy fellow citizens. The clergy shrugs and calls for calm in the face of a powerful enemy, only padre Alfred fights decided to Erich’s side. It was not until 1947 – the construction is already well underway – is the rage big enough for organized actions. One writes to high-ranking politicians in Rome, receives an audience with Pope Pius XII., But nothing will change more. “Se non vi occupate di politica la politica si occuperà di voi” – what Barbara’s father had drummed into the girls

The story holds true of her family, her friends, the village, the valley. and South Tyrol – all these dramatic events told Trina in businesslike tone of a chronicle. Your language is unadorned, the sentences are short; at best sounds of something pathos. The author (of the self-motivated at the showcase for the substance was) has researched the complex and the plot leads very close to the historical reality along, always from the perspective of the locals. this view “cialtroni” “orde di barbaric”, “semianalfabeti siciliani e delle campagne venete”, “con le bocche bovine.” That Balzano (a Sicilian): From their perspective, the Italians losing out bluntly maps is remarkable, because see most Italians their past before and during fascism still critical. Thus, the ratio of long-established South Tyrol to Italy despite considerable concessions Rome to the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige is tense today.

There, the book is a bestseller determined to continue on the other hand might encounter in the south to less interest. After all has been added “Resto qui” today (April 19) in the final round of the last twelve (forty) candidates for the prestigious Premio Strega 2018th Update from 13/06/2018 Today was “Resto qui” is selected in the final round of the last five candidates update from 06.07.2018:. “Resto qui” is the second winner of the Premio Strega < / em> in 2018. had he become first, he was the first and only started this since 1947 awarded price, got it twice, because after Marco Balzano was with “L’ultimo arrivato” [Read my review of Marco Balzano: “life does not wait | L’ultimo arrivato “in Books Reviews”