Valentina Mira, with her novel On the same side you will find me published by SEM Libri and included in the dozen of the 2024 Strega Prize, it courageously tackles a complex and painful topic, placing the events linked to the Acca Larentia massacre of 1978 at the center of the narrative.
This tragic episode of Italian history, which he saw the death of three young neo-fascist activistsbecomes the starting point for a broader analysis on the political climate of the Years of Lead and its consequences. The personal and forgotten story of Mario Scrocca, a far-left militant involved without evidence in the attack and then “committed suicide” in mysterious circumstances in prisonis the common thread of a work that oscillates between denunciation and reflection.
The novel opens on a scenario of memory and injustice, in which Mira brings to the fore not only the victims of political violence, but also the silenced and marginalized stories, such as that of Rossella Scarponi, widow of Mario Scrocca, who fights not to let the truth about her husband’s death fall into oblivion. The narrative develops on multiple time planesoscillating between the troubled past of those years and the present of two women who, despite coming from different backgrounds, find common ground in suffering and struggle. Valentina, a thirty-year-old who has experienced first-hand the influence of neo-fascist movements, and Rossella, now in her sixties, see their stories intertwined in a dialogue that goes beyond politics, to touch the heart of the human condition.
“The need to tell this story arises from a feeling of injustice and the desire to restore an important piece of anti-fascist memory – Valentina Mira told Affaritaliani.it – The book is only the final point of a collective relay, which started with Rossella together with her family and continued with our research work on the papers of the time, the articles, an investigative documentary. Just to explain the lack of care there was at the time, just think that the newspapers called her Patrizia”.
All the characters in the novel, even the most marginal ones, are portrayed with depth and a certain authenticity. Rossella emerges as a strong woman, marked by a life of suffering, yet animated by an unshakable desire for truth. Mario, although present only through memories and stories, embodies the victim of a system which, as the author denounces, tends to marginalize and forget the weakest. Valentina Mira, who acts as the narrator, moves in a delicate balance between her past and her current position as a critical and aware observeralso creating a certain curiosity around his previous novel Xcentered on a sexual assault she suffered. Among other things, let’s remember that both of Mira’s books can be listened to on Audible: On the same side you will find me read by Dalila Cozzolino for a length of approximately 6 hours, while X he is played by Alice Torriani.
The style with which this story, so powerful and important to remember, is told is dry but at the same time intriguing, capable of giving shape to complex feelings without indulging in sentimentality. The language is direct, sharp, sometimes harsh, always guided by a precise desire for accuracy, designed to follow a narrative that is intertwined with political and personal reflections. What emerges is a story capable of mixing the intimacy of the love story between Rossella and Mario with the harshness of an era marked by terror and crime.
In our opinion, one of the main strengths of the work lies in the author’s ability to address such a controversial topic, without ever falling into the trap of revisionism or exploitation. Despite the criticisms that have been leveled against her, in particular by right-wing political circles, the author has always tried to maintain – both in the book and in the interviews subsequently released – a balanced and mature tone, telling first of all a story of love and human suffering, which cannot be traced back to a simple political news story. However, access to the dozen of the 2024 Strega Prize has put the spotlight on the book, triggering, as expected, some controversy: right-wing exponents have in fact accused Mira of justifying the violence of the Red Brigades and of trivializing the memory of the victims of Acca Larentia; back, the author clarified that her intent was never to reopen political wounds, but rather to give voice to those who have been forgotten. “What I hope for the novel is to be welcomed with the care that has not been given to this story and this family in recent decades – Valentina further told our editorial team – I am worried about the instrumental attacks that have been made on the book by some of those who haven’t read it at all, trying to legitimize a hatred that wasn’t really there in my intentions. Nostalgia aside, I just wanted to tell a story of love and its saving power.”
Then there is the theme of prison, no less significantbecause after all it is not that important to define who, what and how killed Mario Scrocca: even if he himself had decided to take his own life, this would still not be justifiable in a strictly monitored anti-suicide cell. Furthermore, we are not talking about something that happened years ago and which no longer concerns us; on the contrary, the problem of overcrowding in prisons and the inhumane conditions of prisoners, who often see no other way out other than death, is unfortunately very current.
On the other hand, the origins of this work lie precisely in the writer’s personal experienceswho frequented neo-fascist circles when she was very young, becoming engaged to a far-right militant. This experience, which in the novel is explicitly admitted with a hint of shame, but also with great awareness, instead of belittling the figure of Mira it makes the story even more sincere, imbued with a sense of urgency, as if she herself felt the responsibility of passing on a story that would otherwise risk being lost. His critical and anti-fascist gaze therefore permeates the novel without ever overpowering the more intimate and personal dimension of the narrative.
Valentina Mira, already known for her debut with Xan autobiographical work that deals with the topic of gender violence and which we recommend reading or listening toconfirms with this second book an original and bold voice of contemporary Italian fiction. His writing, always tense between civil commitment and personal reflection, manages to give shape to stories on the abyss of oblivion, thus becoming a spokesperson for a generation that does not want to forget.
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