A mother. A son. A family like countless others, bound by the small daily rituals that shape ordinary life. Then the unforeseeable strikes—a lightning bolt that shatters the household and erases every sense of normalcy. In a single blow, every plan collapses, every hope dissolves, the future ceases to exist. Stefano, the protagonist, is only seventeen when he must face a devastating trial and accept a challenge from which he will emerge determined to prevail.
With this spare, unadorned novel—yet suffused with quiet, secret emotion—Carla Cerati offers us a story that is not hers to tell, but one for which she has become a silent witness. A simple story of love and courage that, narrated by a rigorously secular writer, forces us to reflect on the power of faith and virtues like solidarity and selflessness.
— Editorial Board, 2001