Silvia Celani

Silvia Celani lives on the outskirts of Rome in a house in a house surrounded by greenery, where she likes to invite friends for lunches and dinners which tend to go on for ever. She adores books, the sea and the Nutella-smeared faces of her children at breakfast. She is certain Walt Disney was right: “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Garzanti published her first novel Ogni piccola cosa interrotta (Every Interrupted Little Thing, 2019).

Quello che si salva

(What Stays Behind)

Garzanti, September 2020

An old spinning top in a Rome shop window takes Giulia back to her youth, the fight for freedom against the Nazi enemy and, above all, her first love.

A hymn to women, their strength and their hearts, capable of withstanding any blow.

 

In 1940s Rome, a new love blossoms beneath the Nazi yoke. Giulia, a young woman who until now has used her delicate fingers only to touch the keys of a piano, has to grab a pistol in order to defend what she believes in. Fear vanishes when she’s at Leo’s side but, unfortunately, the young man disappears after an enemy attack. Moreover, this object, a spinning top Leo gave his beloved in case anything happened to him, is nowhere to be found. At least until many years later when Giulia, now elderly, finds herself staring at that same top in a shop window, and powerful memories come flooding back. All she can do is share her story with her granddaughter Flavia and tell her that it’s not true that the memory of loved ones leaves a hollow inside us. On the contrary, it always fills us with their protection, and all you have to do is not be afraid of listening to its echo, however distant.

Ogni piccola cosa interrotta

(Every Interrupted Little Thing)

Garzanti, March 2019

The debut novel of a hugely talented writer; a story about true, great and absolute love, and a universal protagonist who is easy to relate to.

English sample available – Bestseller List

Vittoria has the perfect life. She is twenty-one, has a large house and many friends. She doesn’t care about the fact that her mother ignores her and her father died when she was very young. Never mind that she doesn’t remember anything of her childhood and feels constantly alone although surrounded by people. Every day, she wears a mask, that of the dutiful daughter, good friend and model student. That’s fine by her. At least until she finds the shards of a broken ceramic music box: she doesn’t know who it belongs to but it suddenly makes her feel as though she, too, is somewhat broken and interrupted. As soon as she starts trying to put it back together, childhood recollections surface, she hears her father’s voice and relives moments she has buried in her memory. She has no idea where all this is coming from. And yet she knows that these fragments will allow her to discover that it is our frailty that makes us into what we are, that broken things can be mended and become even more precious.

We use cookies.

This site uses cookies to improve your browsing experience. By using this site, you consent to the use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy. Also read our Privacy Policy.