Guendaluna
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Summary:
“Guenda’s biggest worry is that Eulalia, her 16-year-old sister, had the terrible idea of becoming a teenager. So, when the paediatrician tells Guenda that her period is about to start, her only priority becomes staying as far away as possible from that fateful moment. Having discovered the principle of physics according to which time passes more slowly at lower altitudes, Guenda moves into the basement with her friend Andrea. Thus, the “House of Gained Time” is born, a secret refuge where she can hide from adolescence. But is growing up such a bad thing?
Edited by: Centro MeTRa - Università di Bologna (Italy)
Comment:
Guenda, nickname of Guendaluna, is 11 years old. Ever since she became a teenager, her sister, whom she has always been very close to and with whom she has always shared everything, has changed. She is no longer interested in spending time with her and seems to think too much – perhaps only – about boys. This is precisely why Guenda does not want to grow up. She is afraid of change and of becoming different from who she is, of seeing her body change. After all, the adult world is complicated, full of responsibilities, always in a hurry. Guenda would like time to pass more slowly, so she can remain a child just a bit longer. Mirella Valentini portrays with sensitivity and irony, the world of pre-adolescence, exploring the transition from childhood to adolescence, the changes that destabilise – and often terrify – boys and girls, sexual and emotional education, the fear of change, but also intergenerational relationships and communication with parents, as well as relationships and gender relations. With a plot tinged with mystery, through the first-person narrative and the heroine’s curious gaze, we witness the challenges she faces, her acceptance of change, and her pressure to grow up and “become a grown-up”.