Before Us
A popular epic, a choral novel, an irate, adorable story of a long period of pain and of attempts at redemption, from the condition of the vanquished to that of the builders, even if only marginally, of a brighter future. In Prima di noi, published by Sellerio, Giorgio Fontana weaves an extraordinary tale that spans the entire twentieth century, recalling the great Italian national novel (Riccardo Bacchelli’s The Mill on the Po is an essential reference) and giving true dignity to Maurizio Sartori (a defector during the Great War and later a rebellious, frightened peasant), and to his strong, loving wife Nadia and their descendants, up to the present day. From the poor peasant world of Friuli to contemporary Milan, the tales are set against the march of history, amid struggles and faint hopes. Prima di noi Giorgio Fontana Sellerio, 2020