Alias
Book not yet available in English
Summary:
Chloe has two mothers, and for this reason her family has become the attraction of the neighborhood. Gea was born in a male body. After leaving her past behind—at least that’s what she believes—she is now fighting for the legal recognition of her chosen name. Ian is gay and wants more than anything else to be appreciated by his parents for the person he is becoming. Pietro, who comes from an abusive family background, defends his own fragility with a bully’s attitude, convinced that it is impossible to change what life has already decided for him. Surrounding them is water. The water of the swimming pool where Ian and Pietro train; the water of the island Gea fled from; the water of the sea—a place where they can mix, get to know one another, immerse themselves together, and from which they can draw the strength to become protagonists of their own present.
Edited by: Centro MeTRa - Università di Bologna (Italy)
Comment:
After the well-deserved success of his novel “La famiglia X”, Grimaldi tackles once again some of the issues close to his heart, venturing even further into territory that are rarely explored in literature for young people: same-sex parenting, homosexuality, transgender identity, bullying, and discrimination. He does so through four characters whose destinies intertwine in various ways throughout the story, as they search for concrete answers to some big existential questions: who am I, what is my story, what do I want to become, how do I relate to others? The protagonists’ stories blossom on the school benches and gradually take shape as each of them faces their own traumas and suffering. In the final chapter, we understand the role of water and nature in consolidating relationships, born out of the need to share one’s diversity (which isolates one from adults and peers) with those who experience something similar in their hearts. The role played by the school in overcoming difficulties that cannot be addressed within the family is very commendable. Grimaldi tackles many issues, and one may have some doubts about the accumulation of so many important themes since each one of them could be the subject of a dedicated story. Yet, despite the dramatic nature of the events, the characters’ stories unfold with a certain lightness, until the epilogue, which takes on a cathartic value through the mediation of the aquatic element, which acts as the common thread of the story. “Alias” is therefore undoubtedly, a ‘committed’ novel that challenges its readers and has every intent to do so. In this sense, it can certainly provide stories, reflections, thoughts, and courage to confront fundamental issues that are still too rarely discussed.