A Silence Shared by Lalla Romano

“I was struck straightaway by the singular force of her taut, meditative, sorrowful writing.” —Jhumpa Lahiri

A diamond-sharp, Italian classic about the mysterious relationships between two partisan couples in German-occupied Italy in the wintry mountains of Piemonte

This hauntingly beautiful, sharply modern novel of WWII is perfect for fans of Tove Ditlevsen, Rachel Cusk, and Lucia Berlin

Translated into English for the first time, A Silence Shared is a captivating classic novel that inhabits the silent spaces between historic events, depicting the mysterious luminosity of human relationships in extraordinary circumstances.

In prose of subtle, enigmatic atmospheres and acutely precise images, Lalla Romano evokes both the tension and the stillness of life in occupied Italy.

Sheltering from the war in a provincial town outside of Turin, Giulia and her husband Stefano feel an instant affinity with Ada and Paolo: she a spontaneous, vibrant young woman, he a sickly intellectual, a teacher and partisan in hiding.

As the Germans begin to occupy Italy, a subtle dance of attractions between the couples begins, intensified by their shared isolation and the muffled hum of threat over a long, hard winter.

Story Locale: Piemont region of Italy bordering France and Switzerland at the foot of the Alps

Graziella ’Lalla’ Romano (1906-2001) was an Italian novelist, poet, translator and visual artist. Initially more interested in painting, from the 1940s Romano turned increasingly to writing, publishing her first poetry collection in 1941. During World War II she returned to her home province of Cuneo and became involved with the partisans. Her first novel, Maria, was published in 1951, and she went on to become one of Italy’s most renowned writers, earning the Pavese Prize and the Strega Prize before her death at the age of 94.
 
Brian Robert Moore is a literary translator originally from New York City. His published and forthcoming translations include Meeting in Positano by Goliarda Sapienza, A Silence Shared by Lalla Romano, and two works of fiction by Michele Mari. He received the 2021 PEN Grant for the English Translation of Italian Literature and a 2022 Translation Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Author Residence: Milan, Italy (deceased)

Author Hometown: Demonte, Italy