Author:
Ludovica Elder
Publisher:
Piemme
Release date:
26-05-2026
Rosalba breathes the Atlantic air for the first time. Her world has always been small, bounded by the Karst hills and, at most, the city of Trieste, but the steamship she boards is carrying her entirely new. Her destination, Montreal, is far away, and a different language is spoken there. Accompanying her on the transatlantic voyage is a single, persistent thought: she is pregnant by a married man who abandoned her and sent her as far away as possible.
In Canada, a position awaits her as a housekeeper in the house of James Phillips, a former British naval officer. Rosalba is brave, she does not lose the determination and intelligence that have always set her apart: she settles into her new life communicating through gestures and a few words, discovering a vibrant city, brought to life by the jazz of the city’s clubs and by people from all corners of the world. James is an unyielding yet gentle employer, considerate in his own way, and Rosalba—soon renamed Rose by everyone she meets—finally feels welcomed and understood, allowing her to blossom. Everything seems to be falling into place, until the burden of unspeakable secrets and the memory of Giacomo Ledri, the man she loved desperately, begin to unsettle her certainties. After leaving everything behind, what is truly worth holding on to? Who are we when no one knows us yet?
Ludovica Elder tells the story of a woman who leaves her country behind and, with the courage to start afresh, discovers herself and learns to choose who she wants to be.