The Swallow’s Talent

What is talent? Matteo Bussola’s latest novel attempts to answer a question that haunts our times with almost obsessive force, especially for adolescents searching for who they are. Brando seems born to dance, yet his heart strives after drawing. Ettore, on the other hand, has a natural gift for drawing, but loves dance, to which he devotes himself with discipline and determination. The friendship that soon binds them becomes a living space for their shared ambitions and frustrations, mirrored in opposite ways. This fragile balance is disrupted by the arrival of Mirta, a radiant, unpredictable figure, full of questions, who triggers a crescendo of new challenges and emotions, in a whirlwind of rivalries, vulnerabilities and a fierce desire to be oneself. Perhaps true talent lies in finding one’s own voice and sharing it with those we love? In an age obsessed with performance, efficiency and early excellence, Il talento della rondine reflects on the courage it takes to grow up, and on the right to be oneself even when this fails to meet other people’s expectations. This is a novel that speaks directly to those living through adolescence, reminding us that life offers not just talent, but also human desires.

Reading age: 11+

Il talento della rondine
Matteo Bussola
Salani Editore, 2025