The Last Days of a City by Irma Kurti
In a deserted Bergamo, accompanied by the incessant sound of many ambulances, the story of Eva begins. And this city, a symbol of suffering and strength, will prove to be the perfect setting to kick off this novel.
The protagonist, in fact, is a determined and sensitive woman and her words are an effective means to accompany the reader in a long and profound journey between present and past, in which the lives of the different characters will fade into one other. With a delicate and at the same time direct writing, the author lays bare the protagonist's experience of her, showing the past-intense and important-of Eve to the reader's eyes of her. In this way, the reader will be able to tiptoe into this woman's life, from her childhood to adulthood.
Continuing the reading, thanks to wise temporal leaps and the choice of a multiple point of view, we will understand the deep bond that binds Eva to her mother Elena, the conflictual relationship between the protagonist and her brother, the emotional fragility given by the lack of a father figure and the strongly desired attempt to build a family of belonging.
It will be precisely this desire to create something of their own di lei to make Eva live many experiences that will deeply mark her di lei, but which will also give her the necessary strength to never lose hope. Because - as this novel demonstrates - something beautiful can always happen, even in the last pages of the book of our life.
BIOGRAPHY
IRMA KURTIis an Albanian poet, writer, lyricist, journalist, and translator and has been writing since she was a child. She is a naturalized Italian and lives in Bergamo, Italy. Kurti has won numerous literary prizes and awards in Italy and Italian Switzerland. She was awarded the Universum Donna International Prize IX Edition 2013 for Literature and received a lifetime nomination as an Ambassador of Peace by the University of Peace, Italian Switzerland.
In 2020, she became the honorary president of WikiPoesia, the encyclopedia of poetry. In 2021, she was awarded the title of Liria (Freedom) by the Italian-Albanian community in Italy. She also won the prestigious 2023 Naji Naaman's literary prize for complete work.
Irma Kurti has published 27 books in Albanian, 23 in Italian, 15 in English, and two in French. She has also translated 17 books by different authors, and all of her own books into Italian and English. Her books have been translated and published in 14 countries.