Agus, Milena "From the Land of the Moon"

Agus, Milena "From the Land of the Moon" or: The House in Via Manno (Italian: Mal di pietre) - 2006

An interesting tale about the life of a woman who cannot break out of the prescribed path. One would like to leave immediately for Sardinia. Or at least to Milan. Definitely to Italy. 

This is a short but very powerful story about family history, told by the granddaughter of the woman in question.

The original title is "Kidney Stones". The unnamed married woman is sent away to treat her kidney stones and then she meets the love of her life. They even turned it into a film in the meantime, see here.

From the back cover:

"But what do we really know about other people? In this international bestselling novel, a young unnamed Sardinian woman explores the life of her grandmother, a romantic, bewitching, eccentric figure, and a memorable literary creation. Her life has been characterized by honor and fierce passion, and above all by an abiding search for perfect love that has spanned much of the twentieth century. Ever in the background of this remarkable woman's story is the stunning Sardinian landscape, the deep blues of the Mediterranean, the rugged mountains of the Sardinian back-country dotted with charming villages lost in time.

With warmth, great humor, and deep insight Milena Agus writes about the customs and the beauty of her native Sardinia, about love, family, immigration, war, and peace. From the Land of the Moon is the moving English debut of one of Italy s most important new literary talents."