Corse di tram
(Tram routes) Book not yet available in English
Summary:
A sudden and destabilizing event occurs in Lara’s family: her father loses his job and, in agreement with his wife, decides to devote himself entirely to family life, taking care of his daughter and house, thus playing a role that Lara finds it hard to accept. Grandma will help her to accept the situation, presenting her with a reversed vision of life and roles through her family’s history during the war.
Edited by: Centro MeTRa - Università di Bologna (Italy)
Comment:
The plot develops through two different eras: the present and the Second World War. Lara, whose family is going through a difficult period because her father lost his job, finds it difficult to accept that her father takes care of the house. After an initial bafflement, her father enjoys the role of housekeeper, while Lara would like him to maintain a more traditional male role, and seeks advice from the people closest to her and who she considers more traditionalist. But to her surprise, her grandmother not only does not support her, but gives her an old diary: her mother’s memories of the war period. Lara thus begins a journey into the history of her family and Italy, through the words and stories of a special great-grandmother who, in order to support her children, carried out the unusual work of tram conductor when most men were at war. Lara thus discovers the role that brave women had to gain the right to vote.