Ilaria, or The Conquest of Disobedience follows the life of an eight year-old girl who is learning to navigate the world on her own, exploring and managing her fear and confusion following a chaotic kidnapping by her father.
Gabriella Zalapì's novel begins on a May afternoon when Ilaria gets into the car with her dad, expecting to go out to dinner with her mother and sister. Instead, she is taken across the border, on a whirlwind journey around Italy, from Trieste to Rome and Sicily, sleeping in roadside hotels, singing to the radio, and fearing her often drunk, but loving father. Torn between her life in Geneva with her mother and the seemingly never ending Italian road trip with her father, Ilaria doesn’t know who to side with in her parents’ acrimonious separation.
Throughout her travels, Ilaria meets new faces, learns how to light a cigarette, discovers when is best to keep quiet around her father, and finds comfort in her lovable teddy bear Birillo. Ilaria’s voice is singular and powerful; while her travels through Italy and the cast of characters around her create an unforgettable image of Italy.
Ilaria follows the life of a girl who is learning to navigate the world on her own.
Translated from French by Adriana Hunter
Linden Editions, 168pp, 13cm x 20cm, paperback, 2025
