In Your Own Skin

The Institute for the Children of War in Portogruaro is a refuge for children, often born of illicit affairs or violence during the First World War and subsequently abandoned by their families. It is here, in the early 1920s, that we meet Giovanna, Caterina, and Vittorio, three children cast out by their families, whose paths cross within the institute before life inevitably pulls them apart. Giovanna is adopted by a wealthy couple from Padua, who change her name and attempt to mould her into a respectable young lady. Vittorio escapes from the institute, while Caterina finds strength in a bond that guides her and offers her a second chance. Chiara Carminati once again tells us a story that intertwines the lives of the characters with historical facts that have been forgotten or relegated to the side-lines, inspired by meticulous research in the archives of the Istituto San Filippo Neri, which was set up in Portogruaro in 1918. With her signature elegance and poetic style, the author draws us into the lives of these three children. We follow them for nearly fifteen years and watch them grow, change, and fight to forge their own destinies.

Reading age: from 11 years

Nella tua pelle
Chiara Carminati
Bompiani, 2024