Novel set in Tuscany (a portrayal of ruptured childhood)

23rd May 2018

I’m Not Scared by Niccolò Ammaniti, novel set in Tuscany, in fictional Acqua Traverse, near Lucignano. Translated by Jonathan Hunt.

This came highly recommended and has been sitting awhile waiting to be read. It is a slim volume, which I chose to read in the garden one hot day, imbibing the stifling heat of the sun, echoing the setting of the book. Bees buzzing, planes droning overhead and the scent of dried vegetation wafting across every so often.

This novella is hugely atmospheric, set in 1970s Italy when politics were considerably more unstable than they are today, when kidnappings were rife and poverty a given in rural areas. It is a terrifically hot Summer, when the wheat fields are crackling and the sun is unforgiving. The heat permeates every nook and cranny.

Nine year old Michele Amitrano has his younger sister in tow, and spends his days with a group of friends, headed by the indomitable bully, Skull. On one of their expeditions, they come across an old, delapidated building and Michele – exploring briefly on his own – makes a grim discovery. It is so shocking that he keeps it to himself in the first instance, although he does endeavour to share what he has seen with his father. But his father is a disciplinarian with important matters on his mind.

The 1970s was a time when children – even in Italy – were to be seen and not heard – and he understands that, for various reasons, his parents will not be open to hearing what he wants to tell them.

The current cover

This is very much a book written from the child’s perspective but intended for an adult audience. This is a nine year old boy trying to make sense of the harsh world in which he finds himself, a story about the loss of innocence, surrounded by poverty, stark yet rounded. The writing (and of course translation) is beautiful, the words just sucked me in.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

Niccolò is not on Social Media at the time of writing.

You can buy a copy of the book through TripFiction.

Do come and join team TripFiction on Social Media:

Twitter (@TripFiction), Facebook (@TripFiction.Literarywanderlust), YouTube (TripFiction #Literarywanderlust), Instagram (@TripFiction) and Pinterest (@TripFiction)

Fancy a few more books to transport you to Tuscany? Naturally, look no further, just access the TripFiction database!

Subscribe to future blog posts