This is the story of three people: a mother, her "difficult" daughter Valentina, and a psychotherapist—the author. It traces a journey of growth for all three, revealing the richness of mutual respect and moments of moving honesty.
At its heart lies the search to help heal a four-year-old girl caught between contradictions: intellectually advanced far beyond her years, yet emotionally much younger than her peers. Valentina struggles to navigate this gap. Her mother, desperate to help, remains trapped in her own unexamined pain, unable to understand what is happening.
The author opens herself to both of them and shows us how, session by session, their relationship deepens and knots begin to untie. Writing with clarity and simplicity, the author becomes the one who, through the precious time of those sessions, brings profound meaning to suffering and to its transcendence.
- Natalia Livi, 2001