Author:
Alessandra Libutti
Publisher
Rizzoli
Release Date:
30-09-2025
Volterra, 1872. The wedding between Count Lodovico and Adele marks a revolution within the Ruggieri Buzzaglia family: the bride, once a servant in the household and lacking a formal education, now enters the palazzo as a countess. With her candid and determined nature, Adele embraces the role expected of her by society, devoting herself to her gentle, progressive husband and bearing him the lineage he so longs for. For Livia, the fourth of their eight children, her mother is a distant and enigmatic figure growing up. While still a child, Livia soon decides that “women’s matters” are not for her. Yet it is her older sister, Babà, who dares defy tradition when she asks her father’s permission to pursue a diploma and fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher – a bold act which will become the first crack in the family’s tightly held legacy. Based on the author’s own ancestry and told through Livia’s quiet, reflective voice, the Ruggieri Buzzaglia saga narrates the stories of four generations of women, spanning from the late 19th century to the postwar era.
A luminous, enveloping novel. A tribute to women who refuse to surrender to the roles imposed upon them, and to the enduring power of education to transform lives.