Contemporary fiction
What price are you willing to pay to free yourself from the guilt of remaining silent?
Jacopo Cardoso, a strict judge and a tormented man, finds himself presiding over a trial that reopens wounds that have never healed: the Nazi-Fascist massacre at Prati del Vezza. Amidst yellowed files and heart-wrenching testimonies, his quest for justice becomes intertwined with a personal investigation, in which the line between guilt and innocence grows ever more blurred. A family past shrouded in shadows, a mother who guards painful memories, a father who is either a hero or an accomplice: everything is thrown into doubt when the truth comes to light. In an Italy marked by occupation, the Resistance and the weight of historical memory, Jacopo grapples with questions that have no easy answers: how heavy is the burden of silence? Can one be just in an unjust world?
The novel spans generations, delving into family dramas, inner conflicts, hidden identities and the desire for redemption. As the trial progresses and family secrets are gradually revealed, Jacopo must choose whether to remain a prisoner of lies or risk everything for the truth.
Source of synopsis: Morellinieditore.it
Publication date: 27 March 2026
Daniela Dawan was born in Tripoli (Libya) and lived there until the age of ten, when her family emigrated to Italy due to political tensions related to the Six-Day War. She works as a criminal lawyer and became a Councillor of the Court of Cassation “for outstanding merit”. She has also lived in Milan, Brussels and New York, but currently resides between Milan and Rome. As a writer, she has published short stories and novels: her narrative debut is Non dite che col tempo si dimentica (Don’t say that time heals all wounds). Among her most recent works is Qual è la via del vento (Where the Wind Blows), in which she explores the themes of exile, memory and family identity. She has also written legal essays, such as I nuovi confini dell’imputabilità nel processo penale (The New Boundaries of Criminal Liability). Her writing reflects a strong connection to her Libyan roots, the diaspora and the tension between belonging and distance.
