It is 1944. In occupied Italy, a group of Jews have found refuge on the Maggiore island of Lake Trasimeno. The inhabitants of the small village know the faces of those people hidden and guarded up there in the castle, who at times have even appeared in the village, but so far the war has spared the island, and the only reason the Germans have come from time to time has been to take the fishermen’s fish. On the morning of June the 14th, however, three soldiers arrive on the pretext of looking for a transmitter-receiver and begin to search homes. It is during the search that the tragedy occurs: after a scuffle, the soldiers kill three islanders and, in reaction, one of them is shot dead. The Germans retreat, but it is certain that they will return to avenge their fallen comrade and to search the island. The islanders have no choice but to decide what to do: hand over the Jews to the Germans in the hope of escaping their violence, or do the humane thing: help those people to save themselves. Inspired by a true story from the Second World War, Giovanni Dozzini crafts a gripping, epic novel – a choral story of humanity and heroism.
Giovanni Dozzini (Perugia, 1978) has written, mainly about books and music, for various publications including Europa,Corriere dell’Umbria, Huffington Post, Pagina99 and Nazione Indiana. He has worked as editor for various publishers. He is one of the organizers of the festival of Spanish-language literature “Encuentro”. He has published the novel L’Uomo Che Manca (Lantana, 2011).
Pub date: April 2016
Length: 256 pp
Il Fatto Quotidiano
Vins Gallico
Due, 17 o 200: la Cabala per le nuove resistenze
Il Messaggero
Gianni Agostinelli
In quella scelta di scegliere il coraggio di vivere
L'Unita
Rudy Francesco Calvo
L’umanità nascosta dietro la guerra, su un’isola del Trasimeno
Il Corriere dell'Umbria
Sabrina Busiri Vici
Quando gli scafisti erano eroi
La Gazzetta di Parma
Isabella Spagnoli
Letti per voi
Left
Filippo La Porta
La scelta dei pescatori dell'Isola Maggiore
Messaggero Umbria
Gianni Agostinelli
L'ultima di Dozzini
Umbria24
Daniele Bovi
Il coraggio de "La scelta", Dozzini racconta il suo nuovo romanzo
Il Corriere dell'Umbria
Giovanni Dozzini tra romanzo e storia